Airstream pulled by Expedition crashes...

[qqq]

Does somebody know more about this accident ? I read the article with picture in the "in the news" box of our homepage

Hart

[RoadKingMoe]

There was a thread about this on the Yahoo! Groups AirstreamList. Some there know the lady.

[Porky Pig]

You may be referring to this:

Accident Story

Also, she was towing with an Expedition.

[Pick]

See what happens when you don't have a Jordan brake controller?

[RoadKingMoe]

I'm betting she had one of those time-based ramp controllers that increase the trailer braking the longer you have the pedal pressed. They're worthless in a panic stop, leaving the tow vehicle trying to stop the entire rig.

Compounding this, the tow vehicle will be nose-diving, taking weight off it's rear, without the trailer brakes making the trailer nosedive too and keep weight on the tow vehicle rear tires. Obviously the tow vehicle tires aren't going to have the traction and will wind up skidding all over the place. And the rears will go first, resulting in the vehicle fishtailing in front of the trailer.

Regardless of how fast the tow vehicle is braked, a correctly adjusted Jordan will keep the trailer braking slightly more than the tow vehicle, thus pulling back on it and keeping it straight, just like the fletchings on an arrow. An inertia controller can only do this if it has a boost circuit tied to the brake light switch and the circuit is turned on. Otherwise, it's playing catch up with what the tow vehicle brakes are doing.

[Pick]

Agree with RoadKingMoe 110% on that! I tow my equipment trailer hauling farm equipment that grosses the trailer out over 10,000 lbs on the tandems, several times a week. The Jordan brake controller is a godsend. I wish I would have known about them years ago. The fact that the Jordan applies the trailer brakes FIRST makes a world of difference. I feel much, much safer with the Jordan.

[Silvertwinkie]

You see what the heat from that fire did to the Airstream. Kind of like throwing an alum can in a fire.

Glad no on was injured...even the pets...but I feel awful bad about that Airstream......the Ford....ah....

Eric

[dmreilly10000]

Originally posted by qqq
Does somebody know more about this accident ? I read the article with picture in the "in the news" box of our homepage

Hart

I originally posted the article (link) to the newsgroup. Unfortunately, the discussion quickly degenerated into: "My Hensley Hitch is better than your ......"

I think the real problem causing this accident were the Highway Dept. workers forcing traffic into one lane. It was on a curve giving inadequate time to brake. The article said that a semi-truck had just had an accident at the same spot.

[RoadKingMoe]

Originally posted by dmreilly10000


I originally posted the article (link) to the newsgroup. Unfortunately, the discussion quickly degenerated into: "My Hensley Hitch is better than your ......"

A more accurate description is that one of the anti-Hensley/anti-Pullrite group jumped at the chance to point out a situation where the advanced hitches didn't help, and had to be set straight.

[dtbw]

I am on that forum as well and it was posted by someone that knows the unfortunate lady, that the local yocals had traffic totally stopped just on the other side of the curving bridge with a downhill grade making it impossible to see what lay ahead. They did not have anyone warning approaching traffic and the whole thing occurred at 9:30AM or so. This was out in the country, so normal highway speeds were appropriate. The local newspaper reports ignored the fact (and failed to report) that the local police were blocking the road without proper posting officers or flares a distance from the road closure caused the situation leading to the two accidents. I never did hear why they had the road closed in the first place. Also, it was never clear exactly why the Expedition caught fire as it was posted that the fire started after the accident.

As has been reported, the whole thread quickly devolved into the the religion of hitch design. I find it interesting that those that seem to have the most negative view of Hensley hitches also have NEVER towed with one. There is no doubt that you can tow with relative safety using other designs, but the added safety of the Hensley or PullRite is also irrefutable (it is a matter of physics not magic or myth). But as with religion, most people have to take such matters on faith as the underlying truths are complex and arcane in nature, so the Hensley flaming will continue. But for the record, I am a TRUE believer.

[59toaster]

Originally posted by Pick
See what happens when you don't have a Jordan brake controller?

Or a Kelsey Hayes

[RoadKingMoe]

I was installing KHs when dual master cylinders came out. One of the problems we had was that the volume of brake fluid pushed by each piston onto one of the lines was less than when one piston pushed it all. The other problem was that attaching the KH to one line meant that line had to push more fluid for the additional slave cylinder in the KH and that created a a balance problem. Not all vehicles were a problem, but many were.

Given these problems, as well as the liability incurred by tieing into and altering a vehicle manufacturer's braking system, hydraulic brake controllers rapidly fell from favor. The crude time-based controllers took over until inertia systems came out.

I still believe that properly installed with a master cylinder that can use them, hydraulic controllers are technically the top of the heap. But the Jordan is so close in function, without the risks or problems of altering a braking system, that it's my top preference now. As you said, a KH would prevent these problems just like the Jordan.

[Pick]

I had a KH on my 1977 Chevy C20 pickup, worked great. As far as Hensley and Pullrite hitches go, they seem to be the "cats meow" to me. I just can't afford one right now, may look into a used one some time in the future.

[59toaster]

Originally posted by RoadKingMoe
I was installing KHs when dual master cylinders came out. One of the problems we had was that the volume of brake fluid pushed by each piston onto one of the lines was less than when one piston pushed it all. The other problem was that attaching the KH to one line meant that line had to push more fluid for the additional slave cylinder in the KH and that created a a balance problem. Not all vehicles were a problem, but many were.

Given these problems, as well as the liability incurred by tieing into and altering a vehicle manufacturer's braking system, hydraulic brake controllers rapidly fell from favor. The crude time-based controllers took over until inertia systems came out.

I still believe that properly installed with a master cylinder that can use them, hydraulic controllers are technically the top of the heap. But the Jordan is so close in function, without the risks or problems of altering a braking system, that it's my top preference now. As you said, a KH would prevent these problems just like the Jordan.

I'm happy with it and it was on the truck when I bought it. 3/4 burb has PLENTY of brakes. One of the reason I went with a 3/4 is it basicly has the same brakes as a 1 ton (but you can't buy a 1 ton burb).

IF it didn't have the KH when I bought it I would have gone with the Jordan. Everybody here, Especialy You, has me sold on that controler.