Couple wrecks trailer 20 minutes after buying it

[Eric_Lisa]

Link

Curious what the forum's opinion is on who should be liable. Seems to me like the dealer has some responsibility.

-Eric

[wa8yxm]

I have said it for years. To a salesman the only thing that is a problem is a blank signature line on the contract. If you ask "Can my vehicle tow this" the answer is NO PROBLEM.

A jeep Cherokee is not big enough to tow that trailer.

[Grit_dog]

Some of the responses here are more ridiculous than the wreck.
And for the csi rvnetters in training, no, that is nowhere near a new camper, Poulsbo RV is not in Poulsbo WA and that floor repair is backwoods.....

[rightlaneonly]

Ron3rd wrote:
Fake news. There was no wreck

That's funny!

[rockhillmanor]

Hmmmm, if it were me after seeing all those boards underneath I would be having that end loader pick up and 'save' each and every piece of that TT and weigh it.

The tow vehicle was a Jeep Cherokee. A small SUV.

The Jeep may have been within weight limits based on the 'specs tag' of that TT but could have been over the weight limit with all those boards underneath.

IMHO bottom line it was probably the same o same o case of the salesman telling these people..."Sure your tow vehicle can tow this trailer safely".

Added weight from boards, too small of a tow vehicle, and operator error. This set up didn't have a chance 😞

[wanderingbob]

Their vehicle insurance will only cover liability on trailer not collision !

[valhalla360]

1) The weight due to 2x4 floor is likely irrelevant. If it was a newly purchased unit, it was most likely empty and a few boards are unlikely to put it overweight. If anything, that's a lot of weight down low which would help with stability.
2) Unless they have clear evidence that the dealer was responsible for setting up the tow combination, dealers generally don't take responsibility for that.

This sounds like a typical newbie mistake. It started swaying and she likely reacted poorly making it worse.

[Ron3rd]

Fake news. There was no wreck

[ScottG]

We don't have enough information.

[T18skyguy]

It's just a guess, but she probably had little to no experience towing. Once serious sway sets in, it can be very hard to bring it under control, especially if full water in the back. The Grand Cherokee's short wheelbase doesn't help. Glad she walked away from it.

[spoon059]

Look at the bright side, it appears that trailer was a piece of garbage with poor repairs. Insurance will cover it, assuming the tow vehicle had insurance.

Dealerships have ZERO liability to assume that the driver or tow vehicle are competent for the task at hand. The Dept of Motor Vehicle's hands out a license if you pass a test and a short driving track and doesn't do any follow up to make sure you can drive. My FIL drove trucks for a living. I am sure he could safely drive a Ford Ranger pulling a 5th wheel from Maryland to Florida. My MIL gets lost in her driveway. I don't think she could safely pull a popup with a class 8 OTR truck. The dealer has no way to appropriately assess the ability of the driver or vehicle, therefore no liability.

Carry on...

[Terryallan]

They were not charged. No speeding ticket, no way to tell how fast they were going, No way to tell how much it weighed, No information as to what caused the sway.

Be thankful you weren't hurt, and try again.

[Bobbo]

The driver specifically stated that trailer sway occurred that couldn't be corrected. That is driver error. It is incorrect setup for towing and/or excessive speed. Floor repairs, whether or not they are properly done with proper materials, would not have been the cause of trailer sway.

article wrote:
the travel trailer began to sway behind their Jeep Cherokee, according to Trooper Chelsea Hodgson. The driver told troopers she was unable to regain control and the trailer flipped over in the left land and landed on its top.

[TNGW1500SE]

To me, the dealer would be the last one on the blame list. The driver comes first, then if anyone else at all, I'd blame the state for allowing any idiot with a valid drivers license, a few bucks and decent credit to drive/tow whatever they want to. That's all you need to hook onto 10,000 pounds of trailer with your 1992 Jeep Cherokee and take off down the interstate. It's stupid! If I want to ride a motorcycle on the road, I have to have an endorsement, but my regular standard license lets me drive/tow the biggest RV on the lot. Even at 16 years old. Testing should be required.

[NRALIFR]

Eric&Lisa wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
Why did the op and others assume there was a dealer involved? The article said nothing about where they bought it.

The article references Poulsbo which is a big RV dealer in the Pacific Northwest.

All the article says is that they bought it in Poulsbo, the city. They didn’t mention Poulsbo RV at all.

:):)

[CA_Traveler]

Sold as is with no warranty?

Sticker weight does not include any equipment added by a dealer or anyone else. Being just purchased it was likely under the gross weight. Who is responsible for determining the actual weight at time of sale - dealer or private sale or new owner or no one?

Unfortunately many buy a rig based on their car purchase experience which has little in common with a RV purchase.