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rexlion's avatar
rexlion
Explorer
Jun 17, 2013

Sway caused accident on I-75

Just a reminder to be careful out there, especially with the longer trailers. Some folks in Michigan were traveling on I-75 when their 30' VLite started to sway, and they lost it in the ditch. The couple are ok, but their dog is currently missing. Here's a writeup in the Ogemaw Herald:
upside down trailer

It would be interesting to know what, if any, sway control was being used.

This TT must have had a substantial tongue weight. Looking at the specs for VLite models, dry tongue weight for a 30' model is over 600 lbs. Yet it still oscillated. Scary!
  • WI_Bowhunter's avatar
    WI_Bowhunter
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    rexlion wrote:


    It would be interesting to know what, if any, sway control was being used.




    I am wondering the same thing. Very scary!
  • gmw_photos's avatar
    gmw_photos
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    I'm certainly glad to hear the folks are going to be okay. And I sure hope the dog is found and returned to the owners.

    However....to say that sway "caused" the accident is possibly incorrect. Homestly, all we really know is there was an accident, that involved a trailer and a Chevy Avalanche. We have no way of knowing what really caused the accident. It could have been simple driver error, so to blame it on "sway" is really just taking a wild guess.

    Again, glad the folks are gonna be okay.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    gmw photos wrote:
    I'm certainly glad to hear the folks are going to be okay. And I sure hope the dog is found and returned to the owners.

    However....to say that sway "caused" the accident is possibly incorrect. Homestly, all we really know is there was an accident, that involved a trailer and a Chevy Avalanche. We have no way of knowing what really caused the accident. It could have been simple driver error, so to blame it on "sway" is really just taking a wild guess.

    Again, glad the folks are gonna be okay.


    ".....when the driver of the truck, Mary Crawford, 65, of Swartz Creek, reportedly felt the 30-foot trailer she was hauling begin to sway, causing her to go off the roadway while traveling northbound on I-75"
  • campigloo's avatar
    campigloo
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    M GO BLUE wrote:
    A Chevy Avalanche towing a 30' trailer???

    X2 but the dealer and the tv commercial told me it will pull anything
  • Bucky_Badger's avatar
    Bucky_Badger
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    campigloo wrote:
    M GO BLUE wrote:
    A Chevy Avalanche towing a 30' trailer???

    X2 but the dealer and the tv commercial told me it will pull anything

    What's the issue? It's the same thing as a crew cab short box truck that millions are towing with.
  • popupcamping's avatar
    popupcamping
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    Bucky Badger wrote:
    campigloo wrote:
    M GO BLUE wrote:
    A Chevy Avalanche towing a 30' trailer???

    X2 but the dealer and the tv commercial told me it will pull anything

    What's the issue? It's the same thing as a crew cab short box truck that millions are towing with.



    x2


    why shouldn't a Avalanche tow a 30 footer?

    the only different type of truck that MAY reduce a sway situation is a dually.

    So you are in effect saying only dually's should haul 30 footers?


    She obviously was inexperienced and likely cranked the wheel....
  • skipnchar's avatar
    skipnchar
    Explorer
    Jun 17, 2013
    It would be interesting to know what, if any, sway control was being used.

    Not likely to find out from the article. They think the guy was 'hauling' a 30 foot trailer with an Avalanche :) Didn't see where anyone was reported to have been injured and that's fortunate.

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