Ok thus far you win...........what in the world happened ?
Was driving up the road 2 miles from the snow park at about 2 am when the next thing I know were starting to slide backwards. Well the trailer jumped out of the rut and over the bank taking the pickup with it, I thought we were rolling. Once all the commotion stopped we were jacked knifed with the trailer straight up and down and the pickup sitting at about a 65 to 70 degree angle (Try sleeping in the pickup like that for a couple hours. The next morning had to have an excavator and cat to pull the whole mess out, then we got to drive 6 hours back home.
Your worst trailering story..................
- Thread starter Rprecision
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Puddy Tat
Well-known member
that did not look like any fun...
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snengineer
Well-known member
Had a 20’ open trailer with three sleds on it, beautiful day with damp roads. Coming around a long bend in the highway and the bright yelllow 4-runner coming at me plowed right into the front corner of our trailer, missing the truck completely by about 6”. We both were doing 60mph so it was basically a head on collision with the 4-runner and our trailer. All three sleds were totaled and the trailer was disintegrated to nothing, the ball broke clean off the truck with the hitch still in tact, chains still connected to the hitch but dangling having been ripped from the trailer. Craziest thing was we didn’t even feel a bump on impact, I looked back thinking “wow the dude just missed us” and I couldn’t see the trailer/sleds or anything! The dude feel asleep at the wheel, broke his neck but came out fine other then that, his 4-runner right side was ripped completely off…miracle everyone was o.k. considering! On a side note UDOT uses this guy’s 4-runner as the campaign visual aid for Zero Fatalities on Utah roads.
2 stories:
1.) pulling my 2 place open Range trailer down hill around a corner in the neighborhood and it comes disconnected and goes off the side of the road and into the brush. Not being positive about the latch and not having the safty chains connected was the most foolish thing I've ever done...what a wake up call.
2.) kinda like Maul, friends 4 place enclosed goes off the road coming out of Gold Creek just east of Missoula. Needless to say we were late for dinner that night.
1.) pulling my 2 place open Range trailer down hill around a corner in the neighborhood and it comes disconnected and goes off the side of the road and into the brush. Not being positive about the latch and not having the safty chains connected was the most foolish thing I've ever done...what a wake up call.
2.) kinda like Maul, friends 4 place enclosed goes off the road coming out of Gold Creek just east of Missoula. Needless to say we were late for dinner that night.
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Extreme-One
Well-known member
Pulling a 2 place trailer up a pretty good hill towards Half Way Oregon one night about 11pm. About halfway up the hill I pass a cop going the other way, just as he passes his lights come on and he starts to turn around I'm thinking ticket for speeding so I keep going a bit further. Just as I crest the hill I see him slow down and back off. I'm sitting there wondering what he was doing and then I saw the sparks... lost the axle on the left side of the trailer and sparks were going everywhere... I pull into a pull off and he finally shows up with my tire and wheel with the hub still attached and red hot. He was pretty cool... he said he turned around when he past me because he thought he saw sparks or flame and it was my hub glowing bright orange... he slowed down when he saw the tire about to come off... He waited until a tow truck could come get the trailer and others from my group brought another trailer.
Reading these stores I'm glad I don't have to trailer through the mid west... sounds spooky with the wind and snow.
Reading these stores I'm glad I don't have to trailer through the mid west... sounds spooky with the wind and snow.
Going illegally up Teton Pass with a group of trucks and trailers with 6" of snow on the road. Made it up just fine, but going down hill was out of control for most of the way down.
Even going 5mph downhill the truck would lose traction at times.........
I would not recommend it........
Even going 5mph downhill the truck would lose traction at times.........
I would not recommend it........
After closing the dealership I had a boat load of current parts to return to Vermillion SD. Rather than ship them I loaded up my 12ft enclosed H&H trailer and delivered them myself. I forgot to put the hairpin clip in the hitch and yep you guessed it, trailer decides I'm not going fast enough and decides to pass. This wouldn't have been too bad if I wasn't in the middle of 3 lanes of traffic in Council Bluffs, Ia. Fortunately all the folks around managed to dodge it as it went across all 3 lanes into the chain guard rail. $1200 later--good as new.
I happen to know that when they close I-80 going over donner pass, you can head north out of Reno and catch another highway over the top. I ran for 3 hours in a storm where I could only see about 20 feet in front of me. Snow started out like 4" deep, and was over a foot of fresh by the time I was headed down the other side.
The only real mishap was when I was driving through folsom on my way home. Had a guy tell me my tire was smoking....The inner wheel bearing siezed and broke at 7pm. I couldn't get the inner bearing off the axle to save my life, but there ended up being just enough threads left to get the axle nut on with the new bearings so I could limp home.
why I like sled decks
Pullin my 20' camptrailer (tandem axel) down hwy 95 with my '76 f-250 (w/sloppy steering!) no trailer brakes (dumb) trailer starts wagging the truck, I proceede to excellerate to straighten the assembly out but by the time I'm reaching 70 things are not going as planned. The trailer is just wagging faster and wipping the truck harder. Next thing I know as I'm crossing a narrow bridge I'm standing on the brake pedal with both feet as the trailer is jack-knifing and we come to rest facing the opposite direction in the ditch. Amazing thing is the trailer had come far enough around to dent the bed of the truck and still be attached to the ball, and now the trailer is sitting in the ditch on its side still attached to the ball !! I couldn't believe how strong the coupler would hold. Trailer broke away from the frame so the tow truck had to strap around it to get it back on its wheels. Luckily the semi that was coming toward me saw what was happening and had slowed down and no one was injured. I now know trailer brakes are cheaper than tow truck fees and driving infractions
Pullin my 20' camptrailer (tandem axel) down hwy 95 with my '76 f-250 (w/sloppy steering!) no trailer brakes (dumb) trailer starts wagging the truck, I proceede to excellerate to straighten the assembly out but by the time I'm reaching 70 things are not going as planned. The trailer is just wagging faster and wipping the truck harder. Next thing I know as I'm crossing a narrow bridge I'm standing on the brake pedal with both feet as the trailer is jack-knifing and we come to rest facing the opposite direction in the ditch. Amazing thing is the trailer had come far enough around to dent the bed of the truck and still be attached to the ball, and now the trailer is sitting in the ditch on its side still attached to the ball !! I couldn't believe how strong the coupler would hold. Trailer broke away from the frame so the tow truck had to strap around it to get it back on its wheels. Luckily the semi that was coming toward me saw what was happening and had slowed down and no one was injured. I now know trailer brakes are cheaper than tow truck fees and driving infractions
Long time ago, reach broke off.
Boat trailer story
About 7 years ago, my wife and were heading out on a fishing trip to a lake about 180 mi. away. We have to drive down a dirt road for about 3/4 of a mile before we come to a stop sign that intersects the main highway in which we have to turn either left or right. We turn right and start heading to the interstate about 5 miles away. About a mile away from the interstate I finally notice that my beautiful 19' Baja is not behind the truck anymore. I flip a u turn in the middle of the road and start driving back to the last place I remember seeing it. I am in a total F**king panic. I'm looking on both sides of the road just waiting to see my little fiberglass boat shattered and spread out over someone's field. I don't see it anywhere and about to have a total meltdown. I go flying around the corner back to the stop sign at the intersection of the highway and dirt road to see my boat sitting there without a scratch on it. It was like I had got out and unhooked it right there. The hitch and ball were still hooked to the tounge of the boat trailer. In my hast to get on the road, I forgot to put the pin in that holds the hitch to the receiver. I had been hooking this same boat up for 15 years and had never made this mistake. I made it 3/4 of a mile before the little incline at the intersection was enough to cause it to slide out. I can't hook up a trailer ever without having a reminder of that day and how it could have turned out. Ever! My wife still gives me grief about it till this day. I wonder how many cars drove by and went" Wtf" is going on there. I can laugh about it now.
About 7 years ago, my wife and were heading out on a fishing trip to a lake about 180 mi. away. We have to drive down a dirt road for about 3/4 of a mile before we come to a stop sign that intersects the main highway in which we have to turn either left or right. We turn right and start heading to the interstate about 5 miles away. About a mile away from the interstate I finally notice that my beautiful 19' Baja is not behind the truck anymore. I flip a u turn in the middle of the road and start driving back to the last place I remember seeing it. I am in a total F**king panic. I'm looking on both sides of the road just waiting to see my little fiberglass boat shattered and spread out over someone's field. I don't see it anywhere and about to have a total meltdown. I go flying around the corner back to the stop sign at the intersection of the highway and dirt road to see my boat sitting there without a scratch on it. It was like I had got out and unhooked it right there. The hitch and ball were still hooked to the tounge of the boat trailer. In my hast to get on the road, I forgot to put the pin in that holds the hitch to the receiver. I had been hooking this same boat up for 15 years and had never made this mistake. I made it 3/4 of a mile before the little incline at the intersection was enough to cause it to slide out. I can't hook up a trailer ever without having a reminder of that day and how it could have turned out. Ever! My wife still gives me grief about it till this day. I wonder how many cars drove by and went" Wtf" is going on there. I can laugh about it now.
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Rock dog, you lucky bastard. BTW, got safety chains?
The safety chain was wrapped around the hitch. It was a bad set up from the git go but if the chain was tied into the frame, I would have dragged it along causing alot of damage. It was one of those situations where a bad set up caused a good outcome. I don't like trading skill for luck so it's done correctly now. If I ever leave the pin out again, it will just get dragged for awhile. lol
A couple years ago I was trailering 14k worth of interlocking bricks to our cabin. On a borrowed trailer rated for 11k. With no brakes.
I was coming down a hill to a set of railroad tracks that was known for being a huge crater of a hole. I was downshifting as best I could to try and slow down. The truck was a POS and couldn't slow the load down both with the brakes and downshifting.
I hit the tracks with the truck and then the trailer hit the tracks. The front end of the truck left the ground briefly and slammed back down. The trailer did the same.
I looked in the mirror to see tire smoke pouring out of the trailer fenders.
I snapped both rear leaf springs at the shackle and the axle pivoted forward, causing the tires to touch.
I had to load the truck up with brick as best I could and leave the trailer. I went to the cabin and got some tools, came back and unloaded some of the bricks into the truck. I removed the rear axle and towed the trailer with a single axle the rest of the way.
It was quite the experience. The trailer is now mine, has 2 new leafs and has brand new brakes on all 4 wheels.
I was coming down a hill to a set of railroad tracks that was known for being a huge crater of a hole. I was downshifting as best I could to try and slow down. The truck was a POS and couldn't slow the load down both with the brakes and downshifting.
I hit the tracks with the truck and then the trailer hit the tracks. The front end of the truck left the ground briefly and slammed back down. The trailer did the same.
I looked in the mirror to see tire smoke pouring out of the trailer fenders.
I snapped both rear leaf springs at the shackle and the axle pivoted forward, causing the tires to touch.
I had to load the truck up with brick as best I could and leave the trailer. I went to the cabin and got some tools, came back and unloaded some of the bricks into the truck. I removed the rear axle and towed the trailer with a single axle the rest of the way.
It was quite the experience. The trailer is now mine, has 2 new leafs and has brand new brakes on all 4 wheels.
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600xc4me
Well-known member
Were just back to the city after a good ride in the mountains. Unloaded one buddy and his sled off at his place, and had to unhock the rental I was using to get his sled off. So we moved mine out of the way, unloaded his, and were going to continue to the rental place to drop my sled off. (rental place was like a block away) So we only threw one stap on it to make it look safe for the cops. Stopped at a red, once green we started driving, made a left hand turn doing maybe 20 kph and the rental falls off the trailer. Dragging behind upside down by the one strap we HAD put on it. Ended up being about $3000 in damage to the sled. Sled wasn't even worth that seeing as it was a pretty beat up rental. Wanted to buy it from the guy and maybe part it out, but he still wanted like $7000 for it. So I swallowed bill and moved on. I later added up the amounts for the parts he had to buy, and it SHOULD have cost more like $1500. Including labor to fit it. That wasn't a very fun end to the trip to say the least.
Trailering story
Heading to lake Wenatchee with two just purchased Summit X's zero miles on a POS Yacht club trailer heard a scraping sound followed by an axle, wheels, and tires cartwheeling past us on the drivers side into oncoming traffic it ended about one hundred feet ahead of us when we came to a stop. We unhooked from the truck and left the sleds and trailer on the side of the road to borrow another trailer returned load up and proceeded to our destination, not enough snow came back to the scene, trailer and axle gone! I think that I've seen it for sale in Gold Bar this summer at the other end of town, buyer beware.
Heading to lake Wenatchee with two just purchased Summit X's zero miles on a POS Yacht club trailer heard a scraping sound followed by an axle, wheels, and tires cartwheeling past us on the drivers side into oncoming traffic it ended about one hundred feet ahead of us when we came to a stop. We unhooked from the truck and left the sleds and trailer on the side of the road to borrow another trailer returned load up and proceeded to our destination, not enough snow came back to the scene, trailer and axle gone! I think that I've seen it for sale in Gold Bar this summer at the other end of town, buyer beware.
i'm sure theres more
Maul was your "trailer incident" at Stampede Pass a few years back, I remember riding by a scene like that.
no it was up by Halfway OR
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