Foiled AGAIN Starts AGAIN

[Foiled Again]

As most of you know I crashed on I-64 near Mt Vernon Illinois last Monday. By Tuesday evening my kid sister (PrudencePB) and Sue her "daughter" and our dear friend had shown up to rescue me. Little did I realize how much I needed rescuing until they DID show up. When we looked at the trailer and tow vehicle in full light on Wednesday morning - well the frame is bent on the tow vehicle and the hood and roof look undamaged. Pretty sure it's toast too.

Dear Foiled Again has gone to Airstream heaven, only the unlovely carcass remains for the vultures. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I have grass sticking out of the roof vents. I did salvage the stainless steel "home sweet home" grille from the door. Salvage value? Well the door opens and closes flawlessly but has a big scratch on it. Th screen door is fine, the steps work, both fantastic fans appear to work. not every window broke, some just popped out of their racked frames, and the refrigerator flew across the interior to meet the oncoming kitchenette. The bedroom overhead cabinet came apart and came loose. The escape window has no glass broken but is inserted about a foot into the roof, the shower door now opens inward... or is jammed inward but somehow the glass is intact. The bathroom door ripped loose from it's plastic hinges and a bottle of elmer's glue-all became a small stream down the hallway.

Lessons I've learned. Don't just throw out spare clothing, I had half a dozen different cleaners that I'd tried to get the hard water scum out of the shower. ALL of them leaked or burst along with a big bottle of Tide and another of DAWN dish detergent. Salvaging was complicated by slime!

In 100 degree weather the toilet worked, with a manual water wash down, but I pity da fool who wants to salvage the black tank!

Second lesson CARGO NETTING of some kind should be used EVERYWHERE in the truck and the trailer. I am glad to report that the only things I remember hitting my head when the truck rolled were my cell phone, my purse and a case of plastic water bottles. They say bottled water bottles are environmentally horrible, but I'd far rather get clobbered with a nice soft pillowy plastic bottle or two than one of the Evian glass bottles! When your truck rolls everything flies and has the potential to become a lethal weapon. It's just lucky that I'd put my big wrenches, 5 lb. sledge hammer, and torque wrench UNDER the rear seats... otherwise someone else might be writing my story. Cargo netting around my clothing, etc. would certainly have made the salvage effort faster and cleaner.

Now I have to go and wash all of the coffee grounds, water, and soap out of what we retrieved! Threw away anything with pebble glass in it. Actually had a braful of the stuff after they finally let me up off the backboard in the e/r.

see you later

[daymonjones]

Glad you're alright. I hope the insurance will replace your Foiled Again.

But at the least, you're alright.

[F450Harley]

We appreciate the fact that you were able to write your own headline. Glad to read from you again.

[overlander63]

Paula, will you be changing your user id to foiled again and again?

[SafariSS]

Glad you are upright. ..

What the heck happened?

[Lily&Me]

Paula, Paula, Paula.

How terribly dreadful an experience for you!

Seems miraculous you came out of this with only minor injuries.

Thanks for your tips for the rest of us.

Our thoughts are with you. Take it a step and a day at a time.


Maggie & Doug

[eljay]

Glad to hear from you. Glad your sister and entourage made the trip. Were you on your way to Kansas City? (I think I remember something about a trip in June).

[Bruce B]

Wow!
That is all that comes to me....... Wow!!!!!!
Glad you are ok!
Bruce

[PhilipKS]

Yes, Wow! I'm glad you are on your feet again, and able to express a bit of humor. Still sending positive vibes your way.

Philip

[gsmithii]

Congratulations on beating the odds and living to tow another day.

[slowmover]

I just hated reading this (and the earlier thread just now). One of our guys rolled a loaded tractor-trailer when the shoulder disappeared out from under him and he had to move over for an oncoming big load . . the trailer wanted to go down the slope and (he regrets) he didn't let the tractor "follow" it. Tried to correct, but that 2" height difference between pavement and soft grade was too much. A man with 40-years experience. It takes so little, relatively.

Keep us up to date. I'd like to help if I could.

.

[Foiled Again]

What the he** happened to make me run off the road?

• tired? nope. took a 2 hr siesta just inside the Illinois line at the rest stop - had been driving maybe an hour and 20 minutes.
• Bad equipment? Don't think so. Trailer 16" Michelins less than a year old, Tires on truck replaced within last 8 months.
• weather - for the first time in a week the sun came out after serial deluges.
• over speed limit- no, BUT, it's now over my personal speed limit. That part of I-64 has a 70 mph limit and I was going about 65. Road condition was good.

What happened? Well IT happened so fast I couldnt react fast enough.

Now I am headed to bed. Falling asleep as I write. Will finish tomorrow.

[RangerJay]

Even though your accident seems one of those mystery events it has still been quite a wake-up call for all of us - to not take our rigs for granted - and to take a bit more time with the morning hook-up and its checklist - to drive with a little more care.

So very glad you are OK - and I know we will be able to look forward to more of your continuing (accident-free) adventures.


Jay

[Foiled Again]

I was driving down the road and something pushed me from the right lane across a wide asphalt berm and as I tried to straighten up the right side trailer tires went off the pavement onto the soft soil. It had rained for at least 5 days prior and the soil was a deep soft loam. I caught just a glimpse of that in the rear view mirror, which means I must have already been in a bit of a jackknife with the trailer pointing somewhat left while I was more or less straight. I remember thinking (perhaps yelling) take it back up gently gently don't overcorrect. And then I was all over the road almost before I touched the steering wheel. When we went back and looked at the scene, I noticed that there was a bulge out in the berm - about the size of a big man's footprint. I think the trailer tires hit that and bounced straight up onto the pavement possibly just as or even before I started to correct. The trailer went up on the two left wheels - again just a glimpse in the rear view, but there it was at about 20-25 degrees. I think it was already a gonner at that point, but there were skid marks on the pavement over 1/3 of a mile long where I went left almost to the median, then went hard right heading for the ditch and hill. The truck went into the ditch at about a 45 degree angle, smacked the hillside very firmly almost head on... then slid left, rolled left all the way up to the roof, then settled back on the wheels more or less.

I don't know when the trailer parted company with the truck but the safety chains snapped and the trailer came off the ball even though the ball lock was still in place. The trailer was a good 15 - 25 feet away from the truck, it was also lying on it's left side low in the ditch, almost even with or even ahead of the truck. The trailer's tongue and/or propane tanks had rammed the truck's tailgate very firmly in the separation process.

LESSONS to be learned or SECOND GUESSING -
mighta... coulda... oughta...?

Well with the big drop-off between the edge of the road and the dirt, it might have been better to just stay in that configuration and let the speed ease down to nothing, then call a tow truck and get two new tires for the trailer, because they would have had their inside sidewalls chewed to ribbons. BUT... who knows? I think I was also dragging my gray & black tanks on the ground, so I could have simply rolled right there.

Did I over correct trying to pull it out of the drop-off and back onto the pavement. I actually had that happen to me one other time and made a completely uneventful recovery... at 30 mph on a very narrow country lane approaching a campground. It was a NON-event at 30. I think that says it simply enough... the time to even think of reacting is so much more limited at 65 than at 30 that it is just not funny.

What the HELL pushed me off the pavement in the first place? I just don't know. I didn't feel anything like a pothole, or road alligator (truck's tire tread) and while it was windy it wasn't really high speed gusts. Wash from a tractor trailer. NO? Had the road enough to myself that no innocents were harmed in the filming of.... And had the dual cams adjusted tightly enough. The lack of sensation itself makes me think I was losing air in a tire, or that maybe it was the trailer that locked a brake. Or maybe I didn't feel anything because I was already thinking eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Of course I'll probably never know exactly what went wrong.

My next trailer will have a Hensley or ProPride.
My next trailer will be driven at a maximum of 55 mph or slower if I can do that without endangering others on the road.
My next trailer will have a big sign across rear windows. "rolled the first one, so I'm driving like a fogey! Will pull over to let you pass whenever possible"

And now the search for a gently used Airstream and Tow Vehicle begins.

Hi Ho Silver!

Paula

[xrvr]

Sounds like a classic blowout scenario, probably on the truck. Usually not avoidable if road debris, etc is at fault. You did your best. Do not second guess yourself, be careful. May the Airstream gods be with you. Jim

[Foiled Again]

Heart's desire - 27 FB in either a Serenity or Eddie Bauer.

Why not hold out for one? But what's the odds of getting either used?

Alternate plan - get that big honkin' 34 Avion for sale in NC. and use it as a park model/move two or three times a year. Eventually take it to Colin Hyde to "de-whorehouseify" the interior. Also get a teenie Airstream - or Oliver - or Casita and take it out on my favorite two day trips. I could get a much smaller tow vehicle and save gas using it as a daily driver.


Two generous members have volunteered to let me use their "Sparestreams". Thank you from the bottom of my heart. But that might encourage me to delay getting one of my own.

TOW VEHICLE

I'm going back to a gasser - the performance issues between the two aren't that great any more nor is the price of diesel fuel low enough to save real money. Also if I get a 27 FB, It'll be a 2500 Suburban. It's lower, I don't have to buy a bed cover, and I've got access from the side doors as well as the tail gate.

If I get a little trailer, it's a Tahoe or something in the half ton class.

So input and advice - and if you know someone who wants to unload a 27 for cheap.... you know where to find me.

Any ideas for a modified Avatar?

• Toiled Again - Again
• Deja VuVu
• Roller Girl

And there'll never be another "mother truck" so what will I do there?

Sincerely, Paula

[Jim Clark]

Paula glad you are safe and seem no worse for the wear. Be sure to treat yourself good on the next truck and rig. Thank you for the debrief, it may or may not be therapeutic for you to relate the events of the accident but be assured we all benefit in a positive way from learning as much about your experience as you can provided, you may just save someone's life in the future.

BTW we love our Serenity, the interior feels calming and just aids in relaxation.

Not a Serenity but a Signature. Foley RV. Rick is a member here and I purchased my Serenity from his dealership. Talk to Joyce, Ron Lester is the sales manger and they deliver. Rick is also a Chevy dealer, one stop shop.

2010 - Airstream - INTL SIGN - 27FB - Travel Trailer - Gulfport, MS - Foley RV Center

Jim

[xrvr]

Used EB at jd sanders AS in Alachua Fl. But t is a 25 footer. Jim

[carl2591]

wonder if it was a rouge gust of wind.? I drove a tractor trailer some years ago, 20 + and got pushed over by wind gust myself. It was more noticeable when lightly loaded,, ie 25,000 lbs vs 79,000.

i have seen the wind come through opening in the trees blowing some 10 to 15 miles an hr faster.. my guess is a wind blast that catchs you off guard..


tough luck,, glad you are Ok for the most part... AS's come and AS's go.. but people are hard to replace..

if you don't mind my asking what was the hitch used... you mention getting a hensley or pro pride so i guess it was not one of them..??


so let the search begain.. good luck..

[noreen&sal]

Sorry to hear about your accident, but glad you got out of it OK. Sal