[s/b Master Tow] Roadmaster dolly skid plate jumped... :(
I've got an old Roadmaster dolly we use to tow our car behind our truck. It's given great service for 3 years or so and we've towed at least 5K miles if not more.
Last night I was stuck in a parking lot and made a 90 turn a bit sharp (though still not as sharp as possible) and heard a loud CLUNK and then heard a guy in the lot shouting STOP STOP STOP.
It turned out that the skid plate had jumped the stop, over rotated and the fender put a healthy dent under the door. Worse, it was stuck that way and I could no longer tow... I was able to at least get off to an empty corner of the lot and barely able to unload the car. As I was pondering my plight a wonderful gentleman came over and we pondered it together. Using a ratchet strap, a tire iron and brute force we were able to pry the skid plate back up over the stops and rotate it back to center. I loaded the car again and pulled it another 500 miles without incident.
Looking at it this morning with the car unloaded, the skid plate is now bent up and sitting 2 or more inches above the slide pads (it used to sit on the pads).
Has anyone ever had this happen? Any idea what I did wrong? I know I turned a bit sharp, and I knew I was turning sharp when I did it. But I figured that only turning 90 would not be as tough as some of the 180's I've done OK before?
Aside from the "reminder" dent under the door and making an 18 hour trip into 19 hours - I'll consider myself fortunate it was not worse.
Last night I was stuck in a parking lot and made a 90 turn a bit sharp (though still not as sharp as possible) and heard a loud CLUNK and then heard a guy in the lot shouting STOP STOP STOP.
It turned out that the skid plate had jumped the stop, over rotated and the fender put a healthy dent under the door. Worse, it was stuck that way and I could no longer tow... I was able to at least get off to an empty corner of the lot and barely able to unload the car. As I was pondering my plight a wonderful gentleman came over and we pondered it together. Using a ratchet strap, a tire iron and brute force we were able to pry the skid plate back up over the stops and rotate it back to center. I loaded the car again and pulled it another 500 miles without incident.
Looking at it this morning with the car unloaded, the skid plate is now bent up and sitting 2 or more inches above the slide pads (it used to sit on the pads).
Has anyone ever had this happen? Any idea what I did wrong? I know I turned a bit sharp, and I knew I was turning sharp when I did it. But I figured that only turning 90 would not be as tough as some of the 180's I've done OK before?
Aside from the "reminder" dent under the door and making an 18 hour trip into 19 hours - I'll consider myself fortunate it was not worse.
