This morning on my way to work I saw a scary scene of an SUV towing a travel trailer. The SUV was a Jeep Cherokee and they were towing what looked to be an 18ft travel trailer. The were also using a Hensley Arrow hitch and the tv looked pretty level. What concerned me was that the tt was throwing the Jeep all over the road. We were on a four lane and they were taking the entire road and shoulder. I eventually had to risk passing them because they kept throwing rocks from the gravel edge into my windshield. The man driving looked scared to death. If that was me I would have had to pull over. What could cause this trailer to track all over the road and drag the tv with it?

Driving too fast for conditions would cause the problem. Basic cause is debatable, but stupidity is my first thought.

coolbreeze01 wrote:Driving too fast for conditions would cause the problem. Basic cause is debatable, but stupidity is my first thought.Well they were going 65+

A Cherokee, much like many small SUVs and crossovers, sometimes has a surprisingly low weight CARRYING capacity so even though the trailer itself may have been within the towing limit, the tounge weight was just too high. Especially with a Hensley on top of it, they are not light.It was probably a one time tow. Maybe his regular TV was in the shop and that was all he had to tow it with. And doing 65 while it is dragging you all over the road makes me think perhaps some Darwinism going on, he he.

way too many dummy trailer towers on the road, why didn't he slow down? Last week, on our way to eastern WA going over Stevens pass, saw a bad RV accident. Based on the black "S" shaped tire tracks all over the road, it was clear that TT swayed out of control and put the TT on its side and destroyed the TT. The tracks were all over both lanes (two lane road), just lucky no one was coming the other way.

Towing Safety Question | Good Sam Community

coolbreeze01
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
Driving too fast for conditions would cause the problem. Basic cause is debatable, but stupidity is my first thought.
dee74
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
coolbreeze01 wrote:
Driving too fast for conditions would cause the problem. Basic cause is debatable, but stupidity is my first thought.

Well they were going 65+
sch911
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
Too little hitch weight...
keymastr
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
A Cherokee, much like many small SUVs and crossovers, sometimes has a surprisingly low weight CARRYING capacity so even though the trailer itself may have been within the towing limit, the tounge weight was just too high. Especially with a Hensley on top of it, they are not light.

It was probably a one time tow. Maybe his regular TV was in the shop and that was all he had to tow it with. And doing 65 while it is dragging you all over the road makes me think perhaps some Darwinism going on, he he.
LVJJJ
Explorer
Jul 22, 2014
way too many dummy trailer towers on the road, why didn't he slow down?

Last week, on our way to eastern WA going over Stevens pass, saw a bad RV accident. Based on the black "S" shaped tire tracks all over the road, it was clear that TT swayed out of control and put the TT on its side and destroyed the TT. The tracks were all over both lanes (two lane road), just lucky no one was coming the other way.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jul 23, 2014
He was delivering it for a buddy a few miles down the road ??
naturist
Nomad
Jul 23, 2014
Um, flat tires?

If he didn't check his tire pressures, and get them up to carry the load, it would do exactly that.

Went out to the countryside once with a bud in his van. Loaded up a mess of firewood in the back of the van, and got exactly that behavior. Stopped at the first gas station, and low and behold, he had 20 psi in his rear tires. pumped 'em all up to speck plus some more for the load, and it straightened right out.
RinconVTR
Explorer
Jul 23, 2014
Another stupid thread that results in ZERO known facts and 100% speculation and debate. Great fun. But leave me out of this garbage.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Jul 23, 2014
If he had a Hensley hitch then it was not installed properly. The hitch WILL NOT allow a trailer to throw any tow vehicle all over the road when being towed if there is tension between the tow vehicle and trailer.

In my opinion, the only way that could happen is if the struts between the hitch head and the frame brackets were not tightened down properly or even not installed. It does not depend at all on the amount of weight distribution. You could even tow without any spring bars attached and it would still not allow the trailer to throw the tow vehicle around.
Barney
fla-gypsy
Explorer
Jul 23, 2014
BarneyS wrote:
If he had a Hensley hitch then it was not installed properly. The hitch WILL NOT allow a trailer to throw any tow vehicle all over the road when being towed. The only way that could happen is if the struts between the hitch head and the frame brackets were not tightened down properly or even not installed. You could even tow without any spring bars attached and it would still not allow the trailer to throw the tow vehicle around.
Barney

Perhaps even the Hensley is no match for a bad set up?