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John&Vicki · 08-26-2014, 07:53 AM

Good Morning...

Is it true that with a HA/PP hitch that you have to back up in more or less a straight line to hook up? I encountered a situation last night that made it impossible to do that. I had to hitch up at a fairly steep angle which turned out to be no big deal with my Blue Ox.

I suppose this is more of a convenience factor than a safety factor, but anything that limits your options in parking may cause safety related problems at times, such as an inability to get off the in some spots.

Cheers,
John

Edit: Here's a thread where this issue is discussed:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...up-124435.html

polarlyse · 08-26-2014, 07:59 AM

Hi Carl. With the breakdown of alcohol in the body if someone was 0.05% after 3 hours would put them at/over the 0.08% limit at the time of the collision. So the driver would have rung the bell if tested right away. Oh well it was probably too much effort to try to prosecute that one. With 25 yrs. as a police officer and responding to countless MVA's over those years I think it's fair to say that for whatever the reason speed is the contributing factor in so many collisions. Whether it's caused following too close or due to overconfidence due to ABS ( and other tech improvements), inattention or cell phones.
I too am caught up in this. We feel we need to drive to the flow on the road when sometimes that flow it too fast. I do try to drive to the conditions at the time and don't mind if it's below the speed limit. Most of the time, in good conditions, I'm comfortable with our rig at posted speed. That is except in those states that allow 75 & 80 MPH.

So, If you're behind me we just might be going a little slower than the rest. Let's keep a safe distance and get there safely.

SteveSueMac · 08-26-2014, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John-aka-Poppy

Good Morning...

Is it true that with a HA/PP hitch that you have to back up in more or less a straight line to hook up? I encountered a situation last night that made it impossible to do that. I had to hitch up at a fairly steep angle which turned out to be no big deal with my Blue Ox.

I suppose this is more of a convenience factor than a safety factor, but anything that limits your options in parking may cause safety related problems at times, such as an inability to get off the in some spots.

Cheers,
John

Hi - I can only speak about the PP - no, it doesn't have to be straight on necessarily, in fact if you have to back in at an odd angle between truck and trailer, you can back in at that same odd angle when hitching up to leave.

What you have to worry about is aligning an X, Y and Z axis which sounds ridiculously complicated - but I found that what it boils down to is simply adjusting the WD jacks up or down and the head literally slides right on to the stinger. That's only needed if it binds while backing in (for me that's about 1/3 of the time).

J. Morgan · 08-26-2014, 08:11 AM

Even in 75 and 80 states there are an abundance of trucks doing about 65. As a rule I get in their traffic flow while letting the faster traffic pass to my left.

75 and 80 is too fast for a tongue mount trailer sitting on ST or LT tires.

Protagonist · 08-26-2014, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John-aka-Poppy

Is it true that with a HA/PP hitch that you have to back up in more or less a straight line to hook up? I encountered a situation last night that made it impossible to do that. I had to hitch up at a fairly steep angle which turned out to be no big deal with my Blue Ox.

It stands to reason that if you can unhitch the trailer without the trailer or tow vehicle lurching as it comes loose, you ought to be able to hitch up again if you can get the tow vehicle into the same position it was in before, no matter if it's straight or at an angle.

But, if the tow vehicle lurches up or to either side, or the trailer tongue lurches down or to either side when the tow vehicle is uncoupled, then getting the hitch and tongue to mate up again becomes a lot more difficult.

John&Vicki · 08-26-2014, 08:19 AM

Pro...

There you go being logical again.

Cheers,
John

Protagonist · 08-26-2014, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John-aka-Poppy

Pro...

There you go being logical again.

What can I say? Occupational hazard of being an engineer. It's only for a few more months, and then I can try being illogical after I retire. Some people would say that retiring at the age of 56 is kind of illogical anyway…

xrvr · 08-26-2014, 08:36 AM

Illogicality after retirement. A way of life. No reason to have a reason to anything you do. No reason to rush, no reason to overthink things because you have all the time to redo it if you need to. Just remember what Jimmy Buffet says, don't go to jail! That can really cut into your retirement.jim

polarlyse · 08-26-2014, 08:39 AM

Too many put retirement off until they are not able to enjoy it. So I say go for it. I retired at 56 and never looked back.

Foiled Again · 08-26-2014, 03:19 PM

I've been pretty lucky hitching the Hensley. Except for 2 times when there were rubberneckers "helping". Both times I finally just drove AWAY - to a vending machine where I got a bottle of water, then came back and started from scratch.

I have been wondering if it might be possible to insert the stringer into the hitch, prop the hitch up to the right angle with the orange leveler blocks, then back the truck onto the receiver? Opinions? Any reason not to try?

Paula

J. Morgan · 08-26-2014, 03:24 PM

That would even be more difficult as the hole for the stinger in the hitch head is slightly oversize where the vehicle receiver is not.

I haven't had any trouble so far, I just get out and look multiple tines as I approach the trailer.

I agree people helping do this kind of thing usually makes things harder.

As far as I am concerned, so far, the difference in backing into the Hensley and dropping the trailer on the ball is negligible. Maybe two minutes difference on average?

dznf0g · 08-26-2014, 03:37 PM

It's all about your ability to think in 3 dimensions with a PPP, as opposed to 2 dimensions with a coupler-on-ball.

You have to be able to visualize height, angle of approach and tilt (both vertical and "twist" tilt relative to TV vs. AS, if that makes sense) All of those differences can be adjusted for with a combination of tongue jack and the use of the PPP jacks to exactly match the alignment between stinger and hitch box. And yes, you can hitch up easily when the TV and AS are in a "turn" alignment with each other AND on different tilts.

I'm not doing a good job with words here....hope it doesn't sound crazy!

Len n Jeanne · 08-26-2014, 10:48 PM

I've ignored this thread till now, but we were just in an accident yesterday. There was no way to prevent it, other than being a minute before or after the spot where it occurred.

Basically we were driving along a winding highway in BC to a nice lakeside campground, Bambi in tow, when we rounded a bend and saw a car stopped in the road in front of us. As Len brought us to a stop, I noticed a flipped car in the ditch next to me. Suddenly the truck and then the Bambi started bucking, to the horrible sound of breaking metal and glass. We didn't know what hit us-- or what we might have hit.

What happened was that the driver of the flipped car had dozed off behind the wheel, gone off the road, and hit a telephone/utility pole which snapped in half, just seconds previously. The top half of the pole was still attached to the wires, which had a lot of tension in them, and it was swaying out into the highway. We did not see it coming, and couldn't have evaded it if we did, due to the car stopped in front of us and cars coming the other way. This swaying top half of the pole grazed our truck and caused minor damage to it, but the Bambi took the full brunt of it. The whole front passenger-side area is badly smashed (with a telephone pole shaped dent) and the glass shattered; and then adjacent parts of the roof and front window frame got badly twisted.

The impact also snapped our sway bar in half, and threw the awning and one of the awning arms into the brush about 20 feel away. The interior cupboard above the front windows ripped loose from the wall, and fell on the dinette.

Fortunately we weren't injured at all, and the woman who flipped her car seemed reasonably OK with no noticeable injuries, although she was taken by ambulance to Creston. Another man and I got her out of her vehicle and sat her down while waiting for the paramedics.

I just want to second Paula's comment that an accident can happen so quickly-- and with things you can't even see-- that you can't necessarily prevent it.

We'll post some pictures. It's not a pretty sight. Now we're just waiting for the insurance adjuster to call. We've sent photos to the AS mechanics in Spokane and Penticton, BC, to get their sense of the Bambi's prospects for survival.

Happy to be alive and uninjured, Jeanne

p.s. We do drive with the propane turned off. Thankfully.

SteveSueMac · 08-27-2014, 02:55 AM

Len & Jeanne - so sorry to hear about your accident and very glad you weren't physically injured! That really is a freak accident. Ugh! Be well...

xrvr · 08-27-2014, 05:34 AM

You are okay! That's what counts. The rest can be fixed or replaced. Nothing you could have done, just an accident. Peace,,,jim

John&Vicki · 08-27-2014, 07:18 AM

Jeanne...

That is truly a freak accident. I know that you and your husband might be a little banged up emotionally but I'm so glad you're OK physically. After you take care of the details find a nice quiet place to unwind for a few days.

All the best,
John

Foiled Again · 08-27-2014, 07:54 AM

Dear Len & Jeanne - I am glad that the Bambi took the brunt of the damage, not you or your husband. Airstreams are replaceable, people aren't. I see by your page that it's a fairly new unit, so at least replacing it with a similar unit won't be a long futile hunt like it could have been for a vintage Bambi.

I do hope the person who caused the damage to the pole is insured to cover the loss. It's quite likely that it's a total loss. Airstreams LOOK better with fatal damage than any other RV, but you can't squash one side and the roof without affecting the other side too. Do let us know how it all works out - and if you can bear it, send pictures.

Let everyone know what happens with repair vs. replacement - and what you'd like to replace it with (It's an opportunity to go to a 23ft if you want to?)

When you start removing stuff from the trailer make sure you have a LARGE supply of medium size cardboard boxes, some plastic shipping tape to seal them, and a couple of markers to describe the contents of each box. ... This is also a good chance to lighten the load of things that invariably accumulate - so have a "DONATE" and a "TRASH" box too.

Paula

MrUKToad · 08-27-2014, 08:01 AM

Len and Jeanne,

You couldn't make that up!

At least you're all OK. As others have said, Airstreams can be repaired or replaced; you can't.

Good luck with the insurance and I hope that you're back on the road soon.

MrUKToad · 08-27-2014, 08:25 AM

I dutifully read this entire thread yesterday, and whilst I don't buy into some of the opinions expressed, it did make me think that we should all take in an interest in what happens when there's an accident, whether it involves us or not.

Paula was most eloquent in her re-writing of her recent incidents and she's to be applauded for having the courage to write it all down; we all benefit from that in the long run.

I have put a dent and a scratch in my Airstream; nothing serious, but I did go back through what happened and learned how to avoid it in the future.

A few years back I had an accident when on my motor-cycle. A guy in a car, who I'd seen weaving in and out of the lanes on the highway up ahead of me, side-swiped me as I came up alongside. It wasn't my fault, the car driver simply wasn't looking, but in my own analysis after the accident I realised that I had more than ample opportunity to avoid the crash, simply by hanging back and not moving up beside the guy, who was acting like an idiot and had been for a few miles. Lesson learned, and thankfully without injury.

I've also had the opportunity to review some very detailed case files on fatal (non-trailer) accidents; gruesome reading but the bottom line in all of them was that they all happened because of a series of small things that came together to make one big thing. The lesson there is that we have to sweat the small stuff to avoid the big stuff.

We should record our crashes, and near-misses, because we'll always spot something that we could do to prevent something similar again. Hopefully we can resist pontificating on people's mistakes by giving them a sympathetic ear; constructive criticism is better than destructive criticism.

John&Vicki · 08-27-2014, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

We should record our crashes, and near-misses, because we'll always spot something that we could do to prevent something similar again. Hopefully we can resist pontificating on people's mistakes by giving them a sympathetic ear; constructive criticism is better than destructive criticism.

Thanks for the thoughtful post Steve. The above paragraph is spot-on. My hope for this thread is that it will provide an opportunity to learn more about safety by providing factual information from veterans and from incidents. Also a place to commensurate with those who have the misfortune to have an accident. Stuff does happen as we all know.

Cheers,
John

Edit: Great blog!