wheel horse carnage.......wrecked tractors

[Adam Bish 34]

Does anyone here know who the unlucky guy is that lost two tractors off his trailer on the way to Scott's M&G?  They were pretty banged up.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,337]

This is why I always check and double check all of my straps when I'm transporting anything on my trailer.  Plus most states make it illegal to transport anything on a trailer unless it's secure with binding of some type, straps, chains, etc.  Still straps can come loose, so it's a good idea to stop and check your load from time to time, especially over a longer distance.  And if you back your tractor onto a trailer or truck, it would be wise to strap down the hood.  I've seen a few that were back on and the hoods popped up going down the highway.  I've passed a couple that way and either the hood was popped open, and in one case, the I passed the hood along side the road and then the stopped truck and trailer with a hoodless tractor.

[Aldon 4,826]

They were strapped properly.

 

Just bad luck. 

 

I overheard that the trailer started fishtailing and the resultant forces caused the straps to rip the trailer apart where the straps were attached.

 

I do not know the fella who suffered this unfortunate loss.

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,337]

I often worry about when I'm trailering and some idiot who thinks he's in a hurry and tailgates me.  I can imagine if something does happen and something does come off my truck or trailer (my responsibility, btw), he will be pretty upset.  It's best to leave plenty of space between you and truck/trailer hauling cargo if you're behind one.

 

I also worry about someone on the interstate not paying attention and not noticing or recognizing I do have a trailer and try to occupy the same spot in my lane as my trailer.  Can you say texting while driving?

 

Accidents to happen even when we're ultra careful.  Stay safe out there.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

  Not trying to be morbid here...     

but, did anyone capture any images of the injured 's? 

[Wishin4a416 2,185]

Very unfortunate news. I hope passengers were fine.

[lynnmor 6,762]

A "fish-tailing" trailer is often caused by the tongue weight being too low.  Move the weight to the front.  Demo

 

I pull a travel trailer and look at how others are set up, needless to say, I keep as much distance as possible from any towed vehicle.

[Elkskin's mower junkyard 1,117]

couple weeks ago i had a b80 on front of trailer and then my sears suburban in middle to back of trailer. well on way home trailer was all over the lane. i knew it wasnt load weight though. well i made it home no issues. but next time i went to use trailer i thought oh ill check tire pressure left side was 20 lbs ( supposed to be 60). and there was 2 huge bubbles in tire lol.

[JAinVA 4,619]

One thing I stress to my wife when she passes a trailer on the interstate is to get around it as quickly as possible.I always try to minimize time spent next to any type of trailer.A lost wheel,blown tire or bad bearing can make any trailer a handful.Best not to be next to one when it happens.JAinVA

[Aldon 4,826]

Don't forget road and weather conditions were pretty bad if not at time horrendous. Event was almost a rain out. As I was driving into area the night before I hit severe winds and downpour. I don't know who was driving or What they encountered but I will give the benefit of the doubt. 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,487]

Wow, horrible news. Heck with the tractors. I just hope no one was hurt. That would be real bad news.

 

Glenn

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

A "fish-tailing" trailer is often caused by the tongue weight being too low.  Move the weight to the front.  Demo

 

I pull a travel trailer and look at how others are set up, needless to say, I keep as much distance as possible from any towed vehicle.

The video was GREAT. thank you for posting that.

 

Glenn

[Adam Bish 34]

The trailer in question at the show was quite obviously improperly loaded. It was at best a 4 tractor trailer, with 6 tractors on it. Nothing looked to be overly well secured. Why people spend countless hours and hard work restoring these things, and then haul them like that, I will never know. I felt bad, as I am sure he had planned on having a great day. There were some neat , nice looking units on that trailer, some with rather unique custom diesel conversions. Hope no one was hurt, and that the individual learned a little something from the crash.

 

On a side note all my tractors have a minimum of 2 straps each, and always get hauled in the forward position. As the owner of many Deere's, I can tell you ,hauling them backwards get real expensive real quick!

3 hours ago, Aldon said:

They were strapped properly.

 

Just bad luck. 

 

I overheard that the trailer started fishtailing and the resultant forces caused the straps to rip the trailer apart where the straps were attached.

 

I do not know the fella who suffered this unfortunate loss.

So the tractors at Scott's show were yours?

[JAinVA 4,619]

If any of you remember the pictures I posted when I brought the 312a home you know serious I am about hauling.Strict adherence to DOT regs and constant monitoring has kept me out of trouble so far.I have been haulin home all types of equipment all up and down East Coast for over 20yrs.I don't how I could live with knowing I didn"t do everything I could to keep from hurting someone.

If you aren't familiar with the photos they are listed under attachment on my profile page,JAinVA

[Aldon 4,826]

26 minutes ago, Adam Bish said:

 

So the tractors at Scott's show were yours?

NO.

 

not sure how you read that.

 

If they were mine and I was driving My narrative would be reporting the experience from first  person perspective.

[Adam Bish 34]

7 minutes ago, Aldon said:

NO.

 

not sure how you read that.

 

If they were mine and I was driving My narrative would be reporting the experience from first  person perspective.

Ok, I guess I read the first part of your first incorrectly. SORRY.

[lynnmor 6,762]

Since trailering may not be a big part of the interest on this forum, many might not know that 100 percent of ST (special trailer) tires are made in China or Thailand now.  They are mostly junk.  I replace them with LT (light truck) tires.

[BESTDOGEVER 218]

Having been a commercial driver for over 20 years everything from single axle delivery trucks to local delivery semi trucks to pickup and trailer I have had my share of scary moments and seen improbable things happen  (wheel fracture in center and end up passing me at 50 mph on main highway ).The scariest was  having a 5x10 trailer heavily loaded start fishtailing at 50mph and take me all over 2 lanes and both shoulders of I-94 not as experience I want to repeat. The forces involved would quite likely be able to throw a tractor off the trailer. Thankfully no injuries in this instance, sometimes even if you are careful stuff happens. 

[Adam Bish 34]

7 hours ago, lynnmor said:

Since trailering may not be a big part of the interest on this forum, many might not know that 100 percent of ST (special trailer) tires are made in China or Thailand now.  They are mostly junk.  I replace them with LT (light truck) tires.

I have a new corn pro stock trailer, made right here in Indiana. It has Goodyear tires on it, and they too are made in.........china.

 

 

 

 

[Don1977 604]

It's not just trailers you have to watch out for! I was headed home and met a log truck coming my way. I noticed something lift up from to top of the load. I hit the brakes just as it came off the truck. As I got stopped a 16 foot long slab landed in my lane about 15 feet in front of me. The rest of the load looked to be logs, don't know why that slab was on top.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Don1977

[WHX?? 46,707]

On ‎10‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 0:19 PM, lynnmor said:

Since trailering may not be a big part of the interest on this forum

Wrong you are Lynn ... we all haul horses and most everything else in trailers since we have them. So most of us always willing to learn new trailering tactics. Good link to the you tube demo by the way.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

To lessen the chance of having the trailer fishtail, serious consideration should be given toward a product like this. Pricey but could save a tractor, or a life.

https://www.weigh-safe.com/

 

I know that I have a 6x12 single axle trailer. But even though I have all that deck space, I could only put a 5xi tractor and a classic Wheel Horse tractor on it without overloading it.

[TDF5G 2,051]

On 10/9/2016 at 9:14 AM, lynnmor said:

A "fish-tailing" trailer is often caused by the tongue weight being too low.  Move the weight to the front.  Demo

 

I pull a travel trailer and look at how others are set up, needless to say, I keep as much distance as possible from any towed vehicle.

I saw this the other day.  It's a great video!

On 10/9/2016 at 0:19 PM, lynnmor said:

Since trailering may not be a big part of the interest on this forum, many might not know that 100 percent of ST (special trailer) tires are made in China or Thailand now.  They are mostly junk.  I replace them with LT (light truck) tires.

Yes they are.  Pure junk.  I've replaced 4 of 5 new ST tires on my 5th wheel camper since purchasing them 3 years ago due to tread separation.  Something else that many may not know is that all ST tires are rated for a max. speed of 65 MPH.

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by TDF5G

[tunahead72 2,335]

I don't have a huge amount of experience pulling a trailer, and this seems like an excellent thread to add some comments and ask some questions...
 

On 10/9/2016 at 10:14 AM, lynnmor said:

A "fish-tailing" trailer is often caused by the tongue weight being too low.  Move the weight to the front.

 

And also by excessive speed, or more specifically, excessive speed for the load you're pulling and the way it's distributed.  The only time I ever had a problem with fishtailing occurred when I was carrying a trailer full of large timbers for a shed I was planning to build.  I was well under the weight limit for my trailer and truck, but most of these timbers were very long and I could only do so much to push the weight toward the front of the trailer.  Everything went fine until I got to the interstate, and quickly realized that I couldn't do more than 55 mph without causing the tail to wag the dog.  It made for a much slower trip, but there's no sense trying to push it, it can only end badly.

 

On 10/9/2016 at 1:19 PM, lynnmor said:

Since trailering may not be a big part of the interest on this forum, many might not know that 100 percent of ST (special trailer) tires are made in China or Thailand now.  They are mostly junk.  I replace them with LT (light truck) tires.

 

I have to confess, I didn't quite believe you, so I just went out and checked the tires on my own trailer.  Sure enough, made in China.

 

I'll consider replacing them with LT tires when the time comes, but are there any adverse effects from using LT tires on a trailer?  Handling/braking/steering/stopping, tread life, comfort, anything?

 

20 hours ago, shallowwatersailor said:

To lessen the chance of having the trailer fishtail, serious consideration should be given toward a product like this. Pricey but could save a tractor, or a life.

https://www.weigh-safe.com/

 

Interesting product, but probably more money than I went to invest for the little bit of trailering I do, and the light loads I'm usually carrying.  But it does make me wonder...  I've seen other adjustable hitches like this, does lowering the ball a notch or two increase the tongue weight?  I know you'd want to keep your load reasonably level, but is this a way to improve the distribution of your load's weight if you can't do much to move things around on the trailer?

 

5 hours ago, TDF5G said:

Something else that many may not know is that all ST tires are rated for a max. speed of 65 MPH.

 

I may have read that a long time ago, but I certainly haven't been watching my speed much lately.  Thanks for the reminder, I do need to slow down.  Please don't tell my wife she was right.

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by tunahead72

[TDF5G 2,051]

49 minutes ago, tunahead72 said:

I'll consider replacing them with LT tires when the time comes, but are there any adverse effects from using LT tires on a trailer?  Handling/braking/steering/stopping, tread life, comfort, anything?

 

Here is info on ST tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=219

Edited October 11, 2016 by TDF5G

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

2 hours ago, tunahead72 said:

https://www.weigh-safe.com/

Interesting product, but probably more money than I went to invest for the little bit of trailering I do, and the light loads I'm usually carrying.  But it does make me wonder...  I've seen other adjustable hitches like this, does lowering the ball a notch or two increase the tongue weight?  I know you'd want to keep your load reasonably level, but is this a way to improve the distribution of your load's weight if you can't do much to move things around on the trailer?

 

 

 

Ed, the Weigh Safe is primarily intended to check for the proper 10-15% tongue weight. That helps with distributing the load properly. It is far easier than putting a scale under the jack to weigh the tongue after the trailer is loaded. It is designed to be adjustable because of the different heights of vehicles and trailers. How many times has anyone seen a trailer tongue up in the air because the ball mount doesn't have enough drop.