mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jul 16, 2018 10:38:58 GMT -8
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Ten
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Post by Ten on Jul 16, 2018 14:19:05 GMT -8
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Post by bigbill on Jul 16, 2018 17:36:45 GMT -8
My vehicle is rated to tow it, what is the problem? This is an example of towing too much with to little. Everything was fine until she got in trouble, lucky no one was injured or worse yet killed. If they would have cited her, it should have been for lack of sense.
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Post by danrhodes on Jul 16, 2018 20:33:12 GMT -8
Unfortunately, most folks wouldnt know this thing was rebuilt with heavy lumber where lighter materials were originally. The Grand Cherokee has a high tow rating, but this camper was just a disaster waiting to happen. Very few people are experts so the rest rely on people being essentially good and not selling something so dangerous. My vehicle is rated to tow it, what is the problem? This is an example of towing too much with to little. Everything was fine until she got in trouble, lucky no one was injured or worse yet killed. If they would have cited her, it should have been for lack of sense.
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oakback
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Post by oakback on Jul 17, 2018 5:27:10 GMT -8
That's my thinking as well. If a person buys a used car from a car dealership, and it explodes 20 minutes down the road due to a faulty aftermarket nitrous installation by the previous owner, do you blame the driver? I wouldn't. Most car buyers don't poke around under the hood, they rely on the salesperson to tell them everything about it.
It's easy to say "they should have known", but should most people learn everything about car repair and modification before buying one? Should most people know how to build a house before buying one? I think it's the same with a camper. Is it a good idea to learn these things and do a thorough inspection? Yes, but buyers shouldn't be expected to.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Jul 17, 2018 7:53:56 GMT -8
That's my thinking as well. If a person buys a used car from a car dealership, and it explodes 20 minutes down the road due to a faulty aftermarket nitrous installation by the previous owner, do you blame the driver? I wouldn't. Most car buyers don't poke around under the hood, they rely on the salesperson to tell them everything about it. It's easy to say "they should have known", but should most people learn everything about car repair and modification before buying one? Should most people know how to build a house before buying one? I think it's the same with a camper. Is it a good idea to learn these things and do a thorough inspection? Yes, but buyers shouldn't be expected to. What a buyer "should" and "shouldn't" be expected to know is no excuse for ignorance. This kind of thing is what ignorance brings on. I am trying to educate people on the dangers of buying and or towing a trailer. Never buy a trailer you can not physically inspect first. ie; Ebay. Never buy a trailer that has been modified or restored without seeing the rebuild photos. No photos? No deal. Know what to look for before buying a trailer. ie; do your homework and educate yourself. Same goes for a house, boat, car or any other large purchase. And finally, when it comes to anything used, "Buyer Beware"...
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Post by bigbill on Jul 17, 2018 10:47:37 GMT -8
The above trailer is not a little trailer it is in the twenty foot plus range with tandem axles. Just trying to determine length by eye ball scale it is a 24 to 28 foot rig and the liquid tanks had water in them. Not knowing the specs on the jeep it could have been to or exceeding its limits. Also did she purchase it from a reputable dealer or an individual. As mobiltec said when buying used it is up to the buyer to make certain what they are buying. i'm not trying to be mean but not knowing or not investigating could have cost their or somebody's lives. After you see this type of thing happen several times, many times with tragic results you realize it is time to stop blaming other people and start excepting responsibility for what happens to you. I operate with the thought that anyone selling something is either not honest or may not know what they are selling.
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Ten
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Post by Ten on Jul 17, 2018 17:34:34 GMT -8
There are two things that strike me from the story and the photos:
1. The lumber that was added seems like it was installed from stem to stern. From a logical standpoint, if that were the case (and the photos are inconclusive), it would add some weight to the trailer but would not change the balance of the weight and cause the sway problem... I suspect the sway was more influenced by the length of the trailer vs the length of the towing vehicle, among other possible variables.
2. They do not reveal in the story any clues as to the towing experience of the operator. It was a new purchase, but was it a new tow-driver? The factor of inexperience can't be taken lightly, for anyone getting into towing any type of trailer. Sometimes I can't believe the stuff I got away with while I was learning... and by the way, I still consider myself to be learning. When you let your guard down about anything and especially sharing the road, karma can really bite ya.
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SimonTuffGuy
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Post by SimonTuffGuy on Jul 18, 2018 5:54:23 GMT -8
Lucky that nobody was injured. I think in addition to Ten's #2 above - the Cherokee itself, did it have a tow package, brake controller, etc?
I remember a story that my boss told me when he was towing his 30' trailer with his family loaded up in their 2500 GMC a few years back. They had a semi fly by them and the wind breaking/changing from the rig to the trailer caused it to start swaying. He was experienced, he's towed this thing all over, and instantly reached for the brake controller to active the trailer brakes to straighten everything back out. He said it was the scariest driving situation he's ever been in.
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Post by danrhodes on Jul 18, 2018 6:26:21 GMT -8
You are right about the size. I regularly see people towing up to 30 foot trailers on the Tacoma forum yet many of the trailer wreck videos I've seen are tacomas with long trailers. After thinking about this wreck and others I finally pulled the trigger on the expensive sway control hitch I had been considering. If it makes towing slightly safer and less stressful, it will have paid for itself. The above trailer is not a little trailer it is in the twenty foot plus range with tandem axles. Just trying to determine length by eye ball scale it is a 24 to 28 foot rig and the liquid tanks had water in them. Not knowing the specs on the jeep it could have been to or exceeding its limits. Also did she purchase it from a reputable dealer or an individual. As mobiltec said when buying used it is up to the buyer to make certain what they are buying. i'm not trying to be mean but not knowing or not investigating could have cost their or somebody's lives. After you see this type of thing happen several times, many times with tragic results you realize it is time to stop blaming other people and start excepting responsibility for what happens to you. I operate with the thought that anyone selling something is either not honest or may not know what they are selling.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jul 18, 2018 9:10:47 GMT -8
OK, I like to be safe on the road, and although I rarely am the driver while towing Hamlet (ham style Compact), I know there’s some sway when we get passed by a semi or three. At around 1400 pounds fully loaded, Hamlet comes well within the towing capacity of our BMW X-3. Hamlet didn’t have brakes to start with and my hubby isn’t too keen on adding them. Would a sway bar help?
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Post by danrhodes on Jul 18, 2018 9:34:57 GMT -8
I didn't have much sway, but a lot of porpoising and bounce. I went with the Andersen hitch because it's simple, lightweight, controls both bounce and sway, allows you to back up and comes well recommended by Tim Heintz. It seems ideal for a smaller camper and I'll post an update to my thread in the towing section once I've installed and towed with it. OK, I like to be safe on the road, and although I rarely am the driver while towing Hamlet (ham style Compact), I know there’s some sway when we get passed by a semi or three. At around 1400 pounds fully loaded, Hamlet comes well within the towing capacity of our BMW X-3. Hamlet didn’t have brakes to start with and my hubby isn’t too keen on adding them. Would a sway bar help?
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CorvettCrzy
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Post by CorvettCrzy on Jul 18, 2018 19:32:11 GMT -8
danrhodes I will check back in the towing section and look for a link in addition to your post. We just pulled the Vette 4700+ miles through mountains and desserts and cities, never even knew it was behind us. Not sure it's needed for the Vette, but the Franklin would be a different story.
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aslmx
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Post by aslmx on Jul 21, 2018 17:01:48 GMT -8
Bet they had it loaded heavy in the rear and not enough tongue weight. That usually makes them fish tail
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datac
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Post by datac on Jul 21, 2018 18:24:29 GMT -8
IMHO it's less about the tow vehicle and more about questionable modifications, namely adding a lumberyard's worth of pressure treated 2xs. When I go to tow something I generally have a reasonably accurate idea of what it weighs, and I choose the tow vehicle accordingly. This guy may well have done the same, unaware that there was an extra gazillion pounds of lumber along for the ride.
Just to play devil's advocate, there's no shortage of examples of towing disasters behind sizeable trucks, either. If the tongue weight is screwy or the driver's an idiot the difference between that Jeep and a 3/4 truck isn't going to save the day.
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