Video of TT flips over on Parkway Monday

GordonThree wrote:
Why does the video and the original post say a SUV overturned, am I not watching the same video? the link provided by the OP is wrong maybe? I see an RV trailer overturned, but the SUV remaining upright.

No. That first line is a quote off the video from the police/reporter.

I just copied it and didn't catch that it said the SUV flipped. It was a typo on the part of the author.

Putting on the trailer brakes will increase the tongue weight...opposite of a drag car doing a wheelie. Yes the increased pull between the two will help decrease the sway but not as much as more tongue weight.

I hate threads like this. Almost zero information about how the accident happened, but there will be several pages of heavily inferred reasoning.

Zero info? The whole process was video taped. :B

In all my years on this forum this is the first video I have seen where the ENTIRE process of a TT flipping over was video taped from start to finish. Most of the times all we see is partial cop pictures of the end result.

IMHO, JHMO this video is priceless to show others just what can happen. AND at the end seeing the full view of what he was towing with was well priceless.

There is no inferred reasoning on this one. It is what it was.
Yup, you can tow it, but can you control it when something happens.

When the TT started to sway just a little, he neither slowed down or tapped the brakes. And then the tail just started wagging the dog, till it flipped over.

What is the speed limit on that parkway? Because he sure looked like he was sure keeping up with everyone at the beginning.

AND, I think 'some' drivers, don't know that there is this little thing on your brake controller that if you start to sway you reach down and (on mine) you squeeze both sides where there are 2 buttons. Which will get a little sway under control right away.

I just hope posting/viewing this video helps just one RV'er think about all what can happen when you tow more than you should. :C

I have read several responses that indicate speed was a factor.

When I view the video it is clear to me the subject trailer was going considerably slower than most of the traffic.

In the USA line markers are 10 feet long with 30 foot spacing.

I timed how long it took to go 20 line marks and came up with about 8.6 seconds.

My math equated that to about 63 mph.

I suspect many on this forum tow that fast.

I know when I tow 62 mph I almost never pass any trailers but have many pass me going 10 or more mph faster than me on Interstate highways.

gmw photos wrote:
On both of my tow vehicles, Ford with IBC and Nissan with tekonsha prodigy, the brake controller manual lever activates the brake lights on the trailer.

I think that is probably code for any brake controller. I cannot imagine allowing a vehicle to initiate full braking without notification of the vehicle slowing to the drivers behind. It would make for some spectacular brake checking techniques for tailgaters.

It is a legal requirement that manually activating trailer brakes illuminates the brake lights. Saw a teaser on TV that tonight's... err, maybe Inside Edition will have more info on the wreck.

This gets my vote for best post in the thread. I'm glad that OP posted this video. Regardless of what some posted, after seeing this I want a big truck to pull a trailer that big, which looks like about a 35-foot bunkhouse to me. That's a lot of trailer; probably over 10,000 pounds.

rockhillmanor wrote:

I hate threads like this. Almost zero information about how the accident happened, but there will be several pages of heavily inferred reasoning.

Zero info? The whole process was video taped. :B

In all my years on this forum this is the first video I have seen where the ENTIRE process of a TT flipping over was video taped from start to finish. Most of the times all we see is partial cop pictures of the end result.

IMHO, JHMO this video is priceless to show others just what can happen. AND at the end seeing the full view of what he was towing with was well priceless.

There is no inferred reasoning on this one. It is what it was.
Yup, you can tow it, but can you control it when something happens.

When the TT started to sway just a little, he neither slowed down or tapped the brakes. And then the tail just started wagging the dog, till it flipped over.

What is the speed limit on that parkway? Because he sure looked like he was sure keeping up with everyone at the beginning.

AND, I think 'some' drivers, don't know that there is this little thing on your brake controller that if you start to sway you reach down and (on mine) you squeeze both sides where there are 2 buttons. Which will get a little sway under control right away.

I just hope posting/viewing this video helps just one RV'er think about all what can happen when you tow more than you should. :C

afidel wrote:
Unless my understanding of physics is wrong slamming on the brakes is the exact wrong thing to do. It's the same situation as a blowout, you want to gently accelerate to put the dominant vector in the proper direction (forward), hitting the independent trailer brakes also helps to align the vectors through the tow vehicle, just in a smaller total momentum, so the ideal solution is likely to gently accelerate AND hit the trailer brakes, none of that would visibly illuminate the taillights.

This is exactly how I avoided disaster when I had a similar incident. My first instinct was to hit the brakes, but I could hear the salesman in the back of my head telling me the way to correct sway was to give it gas, not to brake. I wasn't experienced enough towing with a brake controller (was first non-local trip) to use the manual override and I wanted to keep both hands on the steering wheel.

My incident occurred when a tractor trailer passed me right after I hit a pot hole. I-476 back then was full of pot holes and I could feel the trailer wiggle every time I hit one. The passing truck just pushed it over the edge.

I had to accelerate from about 60 mph to 80 mph, but the trailer finally straightened out and I was able to slowly pull over. My undies were clean, but I was shaking for a good 10 minutes. I was fortunate that traffic behind me gave me room and I didn't have to worry about hitting anyone. My incident lasted a good bit longer than the driver in this video, but I imagine speeding up helped prolong my incident.

I was surprised to see this video on USAToday.com yesterday. It would be nice to find out exactly what happened and what caused the sway.

-Michael

I think having a larger tow vehicle is just masking the problem. If you're going to be hauling something that big, presumably with family, friends, pets, plus the lives of everyone around you, in YOUR hands - you need to know how to control the thing. I suppose if that's beyond someones capacity, then yes - they should certainly buy a larger tow vehicle, and I guess I don't really have a problem with that mantra in such a situation since they've essentially admitted that they can't safely haul any other way.

I guess the problem with some TT / RV rigs is that for some, it's their ONLY hauling experience of their lives, and in many cases they're doing it for the first time later in their life.

There isn't much instinct involved yet - they've been doing the "gas is go, brake is stop, turn is turn" driving their entire life.

I see the same thing in snows around here. Most of the new neighborhoods and developments in Loudoun County (Northern VA) are almost exclusively IT and medical families of a certain two or three ethnic groups, all moving here within the last few years. Every time it snows, it's a complete disaster - I guess many can say that about any location, but the complete and utter lack of understanding for basic vehicle physics is amazing. Crazy speeds, people slamming on brakes and gas, changing lanes and running one side of axles through the slush and losing control instantly, tailgating with zero traction, cutting ME OFF when I allow correct following distance, etc. Every season there's a new group/ development / neighborhood of people who are seeing snow for the first time.

I've been hauling most of my driving life, and have had some CLOSE calls (biggest with a diesel F350 I might add, not even an SUV). In that situation on a long 7% down-grade, the POS brakes on the '03 just simply lost it. I already had the gain up and the trans had downshifted a while ago, traveling at slow speeds the whole time, but eventually if you even tapped the brake pedal the steering wheel would rip out of your hands. I reached down and grabbed the manual gain lever knowing it was this or the runaway truck ramp, and luckily the trailer brakes saved our a$$. Nothing like putting your life, the kids behind you, and four ponies into the hands of a little $10 trailer plug. Wasn't my rig (and this was probably 10yr ago) but wow, also blew turbo hoses, nearly overheated upon reaching peak of climb grade (fully floored, decreasing speed the entire time down to 20mph, and locked-up clutch fan). Actually that's the same VA-KY run I just did with my 30' TT and LR3 which was far more uneventful. :)

Anyways, this stuff is a dangerous business - lots of physics at play, lots of momentum, and lots of people in the mix. Most first-time drivers don't even know what can happen or what the warning signs are. Again - gas=go, brake=stop, turn=turn. What could go wrong?


I actually see a lot of parallels to general aviation accidents. Good pilots never lose respect for physics and just how quickly things can go down hill. Every stupid routine flight requires professionalism and complete attention. The people that jump in, turn the key, skip checklists, or break rules (especially trying to beat/underestimate weather) don't last too long. Same thing as the SUV vs. truck debate, doesn't matter if you're flying a 1960's 172 or a multi-million turboprop - gotta know what you're doing.

It almost looks as if they started drifting a bit to the right and over steered in an attempt to correct it... Maybe spilled hot coffee on their lap or dropped something (insert any distraction) It only takes a second...

Possibly a driver without experience pulling a trailer. Panic can do many things and usually not with a good or desired outcome.
I guess that is why they are called accidents as you typically don't plan on them.

About a month ago, I had to pull a trailer with a car on it to Indiana and the tail wagged the dog the whole way. Couldn't help the load. Going through Atlanta with the narrow lanes kept me on my toes that is for sure. Morning rush hour didn't help either. I was glad that I didn't allow my son to drive that part.