Check EVERYTHING On Your Hitch

[jmtandem]

[QUOTE= but what most aircraft accident investigators will tell you is that it is usually not just one thing that caused the plane to crash, but rather a series of three things including pilot decisions, equipment failure, and environmental conditions. So perhaps we should be looking at that fact that it wasn't one thing but several that caused this accident.


Rion[/QUOTE].


The driver was not flying an airplane. What happened here probably happened very fast and the driver had little time to react. I do agree that there likely was a chain of events that took place in perhaps a few seconds and the driver either could not or did not react and compensate quickly enough. How often do we go out and practice for an hour or so what we will do in case of sway, in case we have a mechanical hitch malfunction or if we blow a tire on the TV or TT. The answer is probably never as we deal with things as they come along. Unfortuantely the automatic response to most anything driving is to hit the TV's service brakes, perhaps the totally wrong thing to do in a sway condition. Watch professional pilots on the job, they don't panic, they think through their actions before doing something, they plan and stay mentally ahead of the plane and they practice for the unexpected.


We will likely never know what happened. Even the driver may never know what really happened but it is probably a safe bet that it caught him by surprise.

[Ag&Au]

I am wondering where this thread is going and why it is going there.
I understand the left handed part, as I am a member of that rare and exalted part of our society.

However the rest of it seems to be thrashing away at the same stuff repeatedly. Albeit from slight different directions. Kind of like trying to kill a venomous snake with a stick.

Let's face it, if any vehicle is involved in an accident there is undoubtedly something the driver could have done to prevent it, even if we have to go so far as to not get in the car that day. As I drive, I am continually amazed at the either lack of understanding or else total disregard of traffic laws and common sense constantly on display. One can only assume that this carries forward to the understanding of basic principles of safe driving. There is no reason whatsoever to expect that those who tow trailers are any different percentage wise from the general population.

So you are not going to solve the other drivers problems. You can only work on solving yours before they occur. There are a lot of good suggestions brought forth here about this one particular situation. However the solution needs to go far deeper than that. First a driver needs to stop taking driving and/or towing for granted and decide he/she is going to learn to do it correctly. This needs to start right from the basics of understanding how the vehicle operates and how and why it is constructed like it is. Reading these forums it a good way to accomplish some of that once one knows enough to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Since you can't force feed knowledge and care to all the drivers and those that tow trailers on the road, that brings up the most important detail of all. Assume that everyone else on the road with you has no clue whatsoever what they are doing, let alone how to do it. I estimate that you won't be far from 90% correct. Make all your driving decisions based on that.

Like so many other things in life, towing a trailer safely requires a lot of time and work both beforehand and during.

That concludes my morning sermon.

Ken

[jgerardi]

This thread provides some great perspective on towing in general. As a newbie to towing, I now realize that I have had an unrealistic sense of security. It seems sooo easy. I now realize the importance of all the "preflight" precautions. I would really appreciate someone reviewing the emergency procedures for what to do when you suspect you are going into a sway situation.
Thanks again to all the contributors for all the great advice
Joe Gerardi

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by jgerardi

This thread provides some great perspective on towing in general. As a newbie to towing, I now realize that I have had an unrealistic sense of security. It seems sooo easy. I now realize the importance of all the "preflight" precautions. I would really appreciate someone reviewing the emergency procedures for what to do when you suspect you are going into a sway situation.
Thanks again to all the contributors for all the great advice
Joe Gerardi

Keep in mind what is really going on. The trailer is trying to pass the truck. As sounds logical, the worst thing to do is to slow the truck before or more than the trailer.

Do not let up on the accelerator. in fact a slight increase can help.
As soon as you possibly can (instantaneously?) apply the trailer brakes only. This is done with the manual lever on the brake controller. That is why it is important that it be located within easy reach.

(There is a school of thought, to which I belong, that says it should also be in ready reach of the front seat passenger. That is assuming that they know what to do if you are occupied with both hands attempting to steer.)

Applying the trailer brakes firmly should get the sway under control. Then gently brake normally and pull to the side of the road. Check your drawers and then examine the truck, trailer and hitch to see if it was an equipment problem or just something you induced.

This is assuming that you are not on ice, snow or other slick surfaces. In that case, even though you follow the above advice, you are probably going to crash. Just hope you survive to benefit from the lesson you just learned.

How to avoid sway in the first place is probably even better knowledge to possess, as there are many ways to induce it. That is important enough to be a good subject for a thread of its own.

Ken

[slowmover]

The rule with the old Kelsey-Hayes brake controllers as we learned in the 1960's was: slam the accelerator down, and slam the brake control to full lock if the trailer decides to pull out and pass.

This .pdf scan of the 1966 manual shows it mounted to the underside of the steering wheel column (something no longer possible after collapsible steering columns were introduced). We always mounted the controller to the left of the steering column then and later. The right hand may be called upon to steer and/or change gears. (ABS brakes no longer permitted this superior controller; and K-H was carved up by the vultures. That .pdf is a good read for it's thoroughness of how things used to be).

The left hand is for the trailer brake. Manipulating the transmission should always be an option . . but swapping hands can prevent it. Hasn't been a left-hand transmission since the Chrysler push button operated trans was last seen in 1963 (we all got stuck with the inferior GM column shifter).

[batman]

Thanks Rednax,

That Kelsey-Hayes pdf is priceless. I especially like the car and trailer illustrations.

It as still great information to have on file. Other than the newer technology we have now, towing principals are the same then as they are today.

[Road Ruler]

I recall my dad having one of those KH brake controllers on his new 61 Ford.
He had an RV dealership in Ontario at the time and we spent a lot of time in that car picking up new travel trailers in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

[Friday]

The technology for a trailer-based stability system must exist, no? Something that can apply the trailer brakes independent of the TV?

[bilby05]

[QUOTE=Wingeezer;1051888]Hehe!

I have a renewed fear of my motorcycle since fracturing a vertebrae trying to lift all 900+ pounds of it when it fell over when parked in a field last June!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I crashed my Vespa Rallye 250 exiting my driveway and spent 8 weeks sleeping in my recliner before I could lay down horizontally. BTW Boy! those 2 cycle engines can really make a scooter hop!
I appreciate the cautionary tale since we are leaving on a trip Monday. No matter what the mechanics are the weakest link, in my case, would be the driver if I fail to be diligent.
cheers, bill b.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Friday

The technology for a trailer-based stability system must exist, no? Something that can apply the trailer brakes independent of the TV?

Search this site for Saf-T-Tow; posts by Inland RV (Andy).

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by Friday

The technology for a trailer-based stability system must exist, no? Something that can apply the trailer brakes independent of the TV?

My brake controller allows independent braking of the trailer ... I check that every time I hook up. Aren't most controllers designed that way?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by mefly2

My brake controller allows independent braking of the trailer ... I check that every time I hook up. Aren't most controllers designed that way?

YEP..all.

Bob

[Friday]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

YEP..all.

Bob

Sorry... I mean an integrated brake controller that not only uses the TV's brakes for sway control, but also will activate the trailer brakes automatically.

I know Toyota is adding sway-control to their stability programming for the 2012 Tundra and Sequoia... and that Ford already has it... but my understanding is these systems only manipulate the TV's brakes...

Even better would be independent braking of the left and right wheels on the trailer... linked to the TV's stability system...

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Friday

Sorry... I mean an integrated brake controller that not only uses the TV's brakes for sway control, but also will activate the trailer brakes automatically.

I know Toyota is adding sway-control to their stability programming for the 2012 Tundra and Sequoia... and that Ford already has it... but my understanding is these systems only manipulate the TV's brakes...

Even better would be independent braking of the left and right wheels on the trailer... linked to the TV's stability system...

Any system which would significantly alter the TT brakes would require major electrical and/or hydraulic changed to the TT. A TV program alone could only pulse the electrical signal to the brakes, collectively. In the case of electreic brakes, the mechanical actuating system at the drum is slow and would not lend itself to ABS pulsing rapid enough to be effective. (stability control is a function of ABS pulsing for all practical purposes. TVs utilize other systems as well, which TTs don't have)
Disc brakes on AS are hydraulic and could lend themselves to ABS functioning, but would require a much faster and smarter actuator. Hydraulic lines would have to be redesigned as well. Even then the controller would have to be extremely compatible, fast and the connections would need to be aricraft quality.

[Airperson]

rednax,
That pdf file is an awesome read. Thanks for sharing a great part of trailer history with us.
ap

[bycrom]

Wow I am so happy everyone was fine, thank god.

This thread has halted my purchase of a new 27FB for reasons stated in this thread I just started...

Not killed but halted while I review my thinking if I am OK with my 1/2 ton and my TV thinking... hmm...

[LaBigDogs]

Not Good..... Pictures like this tell us, it can happen.... Ouch...no one hurt Good Thing! Drive slower and I love my sway control on my F-150.... it rocks.... just knowing I have something that can react much quicker than I....