Trailer accident

[NewBlackDak]

Originally Posted by OttawaBob

Wow. Speeding up almost sounds counter-intuitive. Would never have considered doing that!

It works sometimes. It's not the best way, and actually has the potential to make it disastrous. If you pop a cheap trailer tire while making it handle all that sideways stress over speed you will be done. Foot off the gas, and trailer brakes.


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[michael.g]

Originally Posted by OttawaBob

Wow. Speeding up almost sounds counter-intuitive. Would never have considered doing that!

I agree, if the salesman had not told me to give it gas, I would have hit the brakes. I'm not sure if speeding up would work in every situation. Fortunately for our camper, it did.

If I had more experience, I would have used the brake controller's manual over-ride to slow the trailer to get it under control.

-Michael

[JHerzog]

Originally Posted by NewBlackDak

It works sometimes. It's not the best way, and actually has the potential to make it disastrous. If you pop a cheap trailer tire while making it handle all that sideways stress over speed you will be done. Foot off the gas, and trailer brakes.


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X2 Off the gas and manual trailer brake

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by JHerzog

X2 Off the gas and manual trailer brake

For this reason, I have always tried to mount the brake controller in the same basic location on any truck I've ever owned, on the lower dash above the accelerator so that I can find it quickly with my right hand. I want to be able to find it by routine if I would need to in an emergency.

[jloco]

Speed. Period. Way to fast. Probably got caught up in the draft of the big rig that filmed it.


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[JeremyFr]

This was on I-82 in Washington headed into Yakima which is a notoriously windy area, and I'm sure the 6 patio chairs and chest freezer hanging off the back bumper didn't help either along with speed etc.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by OttawaBob

I’d like to hear opinions on what to do if/when your trailer starts to sway a bit? Foot off the gas? Brake? Pray?

IMO........, Manually activate/apply trailer brake control 'then' reduce vehicle speed by removing foot from accelerator pedal. I wouldn't apply any vehicle braking unless it was absolutely necessary.

Bob

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

Seems on those videos the folks either don't have a trailer brake controller, don't know how to use it or it doesn't work. As the previous post says, hit the lever, let off the gas and slow down. Looked like they had plenty of time to do this before it got out of control. They did look like they were going too fast.

[repacs0103]

As usual on JOF, every poster knows exactly how fast someone was going, exactly how far over on payload someone was, and whether or not they had a WDH, even though most don't understand how a WDH works and that if anything it will contribute to sway.



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[WVDusty]

Originally Posted by repacs0103

As usual on JOF, every poster knows exactly how fast someone was going, exactly how far over on payload someone was, and whether or not they had a WDH, even though most don't understand how a WDH works and that if anything it will contribute to sway.



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I would like to know how a WDH would contribute to sway. Please explain.

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[repacs0103]

Originally Posted by WVDusty

I would like to know how a WDH would contribute to sway. Please explain.

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Physics.

A WDH takes tongue weight and leverages it outward to both the trailer axles and the front axle of the truck. Tongue weight is what cancels sway, so when you reduce it, the potential for sway is inherently increased.

I don't expect anyone here to agree because the TT community has been brainwashed that a WDH is anything but a way for inadequate trucks to pull big trailers.


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[OttawaBob]

Originally Posted by repacs0103

As usual on JOF, every poster knows exactly how fast someone was going, exactly how far over on payload someone was, and whether or not they had a WDH, even though most don't understand how a WDH works and that if anything it will contribute to sway.



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I don’t think that’s a fair statement. There is some really good conversations going on here and I am learning quite a bit. N

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by WVDusty

I would like to know how a WDH would contribute to sway. Please explain.

Unfortunately a badly set-up WDH will contribute more to sway than having none at all in some circumstances.