Bad weekend

[Hicksjay]

So this summer I rebuilt the trailer. New hubs/bearings, wheels, tires, upgraded to 2" ball, new chains. First trip out...

The tongue sheared from the frame sending sleds airborne into a field. Trailer is totaled, sleds, not too bad, set of bars, controls, and a crack in the cowl.

The straps i always place across the back of the sleds saved the day as they kept the machines on the trailer and it protected them a bit.

 

[Mafesto]

Sucks!

Thank goodness it did not collide with other traffic!

 

[Racer220]

That's crazy man. Good to see the carnage was limited. Looks like it's just a single beam tongue correct? Don't think I've ever seen something like that happen. Hope you get it all fixed back up.

 

[volcano buster]

As you piece together what happened, keep us informed. There are likely some future accidents you could help prevent with the right information.

 

[Hicksjay]

More detail

We were really lucky. An hour before we were trucking through the twin cities on 8 lane at 75mph.

We left the trailer at the cabin. Ill post some more pics.

There was a little more stress on the tongue as they are two 153" machines hanging off of an 8' trailer. We hit a bump in the road (not a major one) and the trailer just flew off with the tongue still on the truck. My friend realized something in the rear view so we braked a bit, but it was too late.

The rear pin from the beam to the frame (where it tilts / anchors) just tore off, and it snapped the front tilt pin bracket. We think that the rear bracket tore first as the trailer didn't tilt up then leave, it was level until it took a 70 degree turn and went into the field. When it hit the ditch, the front of the trailer speared the ground and caused a rather dramatic flip over. We had the sleds strapped across the back so they stayed on for the ride. The salt shields absorbed a lost of the impact.

The frame of the trailer is totaled with one of the axle brackets torn off due to the impact / flip in the field. I'm going to scrap it (it wont ever see the freeway again.)

 

[Roost 'Er]

Is it a true Floe Trailer? Id be contacting flow. Regardless of there track size they are probably much lighter then two touring sleds on there, that seems like a nightmare. Goodluck.

 

[rmk685]

I thought cats landed on their feet all the time?


Sorry about your luck, but sounds like you are very fortunate as it could have been much worse.

 

[vdo1948]

Tilt point on tilt sleds are weak points. I've had two tilt bed aluminum trailers over the years - both used when I bought them. Both of them I eventually took to the welding shop, had a tube welded inside the tongue and collars welded outside the sleeve. That extruded aluminum isn't strong enough to keep the pivot bolt from wearing out the holes. They need more support, IMHO.

 

[JETJOHNSO]

check this out, brand new $ 25,000 triton, fuel tank, propbane heat ect

only a few weeks old, special ordered trailer with about everything you could put on one, ended up in fowler creek , cle elum wa. area. broke off the tongue, munched both sides of the Suburban, over $ 2000 tow bill , very ugly

 

[towngrunt]

I have a Triton enclosed and had to have the cross members welded up and reinforced due to some cracking where the torsion axles are. Maybe Triton should address some of these issues.

 

[907to406]

My buddy has that exact same trailer and last year when we were loading some sleds on it, it broke in half...Just lucky it happened in the driveway and not on the road. Turns out with a little re-enforcement and welding its back in action.

 

[spark'd]

That sucks sorry to see that carnage. As for alu trailers they need special att as alu will fatige diff then steel

 

[xj1978]

Had it happen to me in the driveway a couple years back loading the wheeler. Same trailer and the pivot point broke. The aluminum was week and brittle. Welded in some plates to the inside and drilled a new pivot hole and away she went. Sold it a few months after. Gotta watch to those tilt trailers for structural issues! All trailers for that fact. Glad no one was hurt!!!