Trailer sway, real time

[Troutboy]

Wow! Check out this video, not an AS, but incredible how sway and speed can create a safety hazard. I'm sure lots to analyze here. I hope that everyone is okay.

Please drive safe and don't be in a hurry to get somewhere when towing!

https://youtu.be/siVH_cr5ZnE

[Vantair]

Seeing this makes one wonder if YOU were immediately faced with same situation driving that rig and what to do?

A: Don't go so fast as to loose it.
B: Gently apply trailer brakes progressively followed by TV brakes.
C: Quickly (mash) on TV brakes
D: ?

[rmkrum]

A, always, else b, and pray

[Rich Jenkins]

Was that a washing machine tied to the rear bumper? As well as a large square container? And the TT spare tire as well.

That rig was swaying as it passes the Peterbuilt.

No bueno.

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by Llando88

Was that a washing machine tied to the rear bumper? As well as a large square container? And the TT spare tire as well.

That rig was swaying as it passes the Peterbuilt.

No bueno.

There certainly is a lot of stuff strapped on to the back. The TV looks like an F-150 with a topper but can't tell for sure. Cannot tell if brake lights came on or not.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the new thread Troutboy, and ditto to lots of stuff on the rear bumper and "no bueno!"

The action starts at time stamp 0:50 and is over by 1:10 FYI.

Peter

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

Cannot tell if brake lights came on or not.

At 0:57, trailer brake lights come on. But by then the roll is already too extreme for the brakes to do any good. On the very next roll the right-side wheels come off the ground. Brakes don't work if they don't bite pavement.

[kendrick.l.j]

Not tha it matters much but it appears as if the steps were still down as well. I could not see the brakes come on but they might have at 00:56 but by then he is already way out of control. Speed was up there for sure.

[RandyNH]

Originally Posted by Vantair

Seeing this makes one wonder if YOU were immediately faced with same situation driving that rig and what to do?

A: Don't go so fast as to loose it.
B: Gently apply trailer brakes progressively followed by TV brakes.
C: Quickly (mash) on TV brakes
D: ?

For those more experienced here,

StepC:, while seemingly counterproductive isn't it more productive to slightly accelerate the TV while applying max power to trailer brakes, to straighten out?

Thanks

[OTRA15]

PS -- Interesting voice-over on the trucker's dash cam after the wreck. His comments under the video indicate the driver and two kids were OK. The other comments are worth a read also IMO.

Article and video re-posted:

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/08/for...r-trailer.html

[Countryboy59]

The camper did pass the semi but didn't seem to be going unusually fast. Most people I know will pass someone if they are doing 64-66mph on the freeway.

In northern Michigan the camper would've had vehicles and class A motorhomes backed up behind him wanting to go even faster. I'm amazed how fast some of those class As go.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by RandyNH

For those more experienced here,

StepC:, while seemingly counterproductive isn't it more productive to slightly accelerate the TV while applying max power to trailer brakes, to straighten out?

Thanks

Pulling both ends of the rope method. Works as long and acceleration and breaking both are not overly aggressive. More like maintain speed while applying the trailer breaks. (do not stomp the TV breaks. The trailer is already trying to out run (going faster than) the TV. Also helps to squeeze really hard with your butt cheeks, while remaining loose in the seat

[ExStreamin]

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

There certainly is a lot of stuff strapped on to the back. The TV looks like an F-150 with a topper but can't tell for sure. Cannot tell if brake lights came on or not.

Looks like a Ford Excursion to me which is significantly heavier than an F150 (not that TV weight makes that much difference with sway).

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

At 0:57, trailer brake lights come on. But by then the roll is already too extreme for the brakes to do any good. On the very next roll the right-side wheels come off the ground. Brakes don't work if they don't bite pavement.

I did see the momentary glimmer at 0:57 but I thought it could just be the sun flashing the reflectors momentarily as the rig swung around.

[TravlinMan]

Originally Posted by RandyNH

For those more experienced here,

StepC:, while seemingly counterproductive isn't it more productive to slightly accelerate the TV while applying max power to trailer brakes, to straighten out?

Thanks

Well, I would personally say... sort of.
I'd start by hittin the trailer brake and usin the current momentum of the TV to see if that straightens it. If not, I'd start applying pressure to the TV gas pedal and see if that did it. If for some reason the trailer brakes are failin, then yes, accelerating the TV to straighten it out would be the best bet.

But option A is by far the smartest option. Cause once that swayin starts, ya gotta stay real calm and alert in order to do what I described above and ya still may not have the time or wits to do it.

In wheelin off road, a major mistake folks make is to slam the brakes when they start tippin when the best response is to accelerate and use the momentum to keep upright. Kinda similar here, but it's all real different when it's actually happenin. Ya never know what knee jerk reation ya might have.

Here is a video that shows a real extreme example of how accelerating can keep ya upright..... don't try this at home, folks!

https://youtu.be/t_EY6csLv_o

[Kilroy]

Originally Posted by Vantair

Seeing this makes one wonder if YOU were immediately faced with same situation driving that rig and what to do?

A: Don't go so fast as to loose it.
B: Gently apply trailer brakes progressively followed by TV brakes.
C: Quickly (mash) on TV brakes
D: ?

A 5 million mile trucker without an accident said that it is counterintuitive, but if the trailer is swaying, you should accelerate to stop the swaying. I just use a Hensley.

[james.mileur]

Looks like he forgot about the TT he was pulling, as he started to move into the right lane. Trucker moved right to match TV and TT moving right too soon.

[slowmover]

Hitting that big truck bow wave is "a problem".

Excursion is worst TV of past thirty years

Current SOB trailers are even higher off the ground what with slides and all.

Both suffer from inferior suspension and bad COG

This is the textbook example of what not to buy, and how not to operate (V2: lifted 4WD on mud tires yanking a toyhauler).

As the RVer is passing he's already been involved in keeping his trailer away from the truck as passing pulls it towards truck. He's already past the limits of what his rig can accomplish due to speed.

Add in the really lousy qualities present with that rig and it happens at a speed lower than what is shown here. But isn't felt at steering wheel. Once felt it's too late to correct. You're going over.

What we see on video is only the finale. It's past being under control.

You can be sure that truck driver was glad he didn't have to drive thru the wreckage.

I watch wrecks identical to this one several times yearly. Happily, usually not so close.

[jtwind]

Just yesterday I was passed by a similar rig going over 75mph. No WD and most trailer tires are rated at 65mph. People just drive too fast and throw in inexperience with towing and there are lots of disasters just waiting out there! Know your rig and take your time! Don't assume because somebody on some online forum told you no WD and 75mph is ok, that it is.

[OTRA15]

When passing -- or being passed by -- any big rig both semi and larger RV/trailer, I do my best to put my right hand on the brake controller and give it a slight tap to get my brain lined up for a further correction, if there is any hint of sway.

If you catch sway real early, you can control it. This also slows you down. Hitting the accelerator at the same time is counter-intuitive to most brains, but if you practice it over and over, it "makes sense" to the brain.

Gotta train the brain.

Brain train!

Reminds me of learning about locomotive engineers learning to "stretch" their long freight trains in mountainous areas, by using the air brakes to the rear car -- yes they are set up that way, or used to be IMO -- to stretch out all the couplings connecting the cars, to their maximum metal-to-metal limits. A 200-car freight train can have a large cumulative "slop" in all the metal couplings, which slop can really do damage if the train is not "stretched" at certain times.

Conversely, I think that coming down long downhill stretches the engineers try to "shorten" the train so that all the connectors don't "bang" together in a sudden stop. Similar to big oil semi tanker trucks having internal tank baffles to control the liquid.

Baffling amount of science to learn!



Cheers,

Peter