Cleanup of 5th wheel accident in California

[GordonThree]

Any details on what happened here?

https://youtu.be/DOnxT1S4Irw

[valhalla360]

I'm shocked at the condition of the trailer. Looks like you could pull up with a new truck and head out.

[valhalla360]

2oldman wrote:

Travlingman wrote:
"Driver comments:

"Update to incident: I was traveling 40 mph and the light went to yellow switched in less than 2 seconds. I did run the light, it was my fault 100% however after talking to CHP he says these lights are not timed correctly. I could not stop in time,"

I drove by this on Thursday morning.

Perhaps this particular light was faulty. However, 40mph is well below the speed limit on that road. I've driven this route many times and cringed every time I approached one of these signals, praying it didn't turn yellow at the worst moment. This is essentially a freeway with stoplights, and the CA highway dept won't install impending signal change warning lights several hundred feet before the stoplight. This is common practice in many areas of WA where speeds are 50mph or greater. It's very nice to KNOW that the light is about to change.

I wrote the state of CA about this earlier this year, and their response was essentially "it's not in our code book."

I'll give you 1000-1 odds if you go out there with a stop watch, it's much longer than a 2 sec yellow and there is likely an all red period after the yellow.

[smurfs_of_war]

I gotta admit, watching those operators walking around and poking their heads and bodies under the nose of that trailer while it was suspended with only that single chain bothered me immensely.

[GordonThree]

old guy wrote:
I saw this this morning, it was a 3/4 ton ford and he was trying to tow 24K with it. it upset me that the guy on the right shoulder didn't move and had to be told to move by CHP so the traffic could get by savely.

Referring to what looked like a landscaper truck and trailer?

I think they were giving refuge to the truck occupants, since you see later in the video the family run across the highway from that direction.

100 percent agree other driver could have parked further off the road rather than directly on the shoulder.

[1320Fastback]

goducks10 wrote:
I wonder if the lift kit and larger tires aided in the roll over?

From a physics standpoint, yes.

[goducks10]

I wonder if the lift kit and larger tires aided in the roll over?

[jerem0621]

Sad, glad the Family was okay.

That Husky Hitch is stout! And there are only four class 8 boots holding the hitch head cradle to the Legs.

I’m concerned that the rails ripped and let go like they did.

I took a screen shot and zoomed in on the rail still in the truck. It looks like it was a 4 boot install vs a 10 bolt rail install. Do you all think this is what lead to the rails ripping out like that?

Seems to be a whole lot of fiver for a four bolt install.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[old_guy]

I saw this this morning, it was a 3/4 ton ford and he was trying to tow 24K with it. it upset me that the guy on the right shoulder didn't move and had to be told to move by CHP so the traffic could get by savely.

[Travlingman]

mich800 wrote:

F-TROUP wrote:
I commend you Travelingman for posting the explanation of what happened and very glad you and all your family came out ok. It happens now and then when a light hits you just at the point of go-don't go.

I don't thing Travelingman was the driver. They just posted from the youtube comments or other source. At least that is the way I read it.

Correct, I wasn't the driver. The comments I posted were from another forum were they said the driver had posted from some kind of site about Glamis. I guess that is where he was going.

[steveksfc]

Did notice truck bed had the cross bars for universal hitch mount. Looked to be hitch came loose from cross bar tie downs. Maybe pins slid out while pulling.

[cbshoestring]

Passin Thru wrote:
Now you're the DOT! I'll bet none of you know Ford is actually spelled FeORD either. Look at the Ford Oval and see. It has a Cursa e in the F.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ford+logo&id=BDD5D41562B3551D35C29016D0F23A3ABB3B415A&FORM=IQFRBA
It can't eat the pickup back window. The whole front of the trailer hangs down below the frame of the truck. The trailer rams into the back of the truck. Better to come loose.

Not sure if the DOT comment was meant for me (nor what warranted the comparison).

As for the bed "catching" the trailer before it eats the cab...if that thing comes loose, you better hope it goes frame to frame and stays behind you. I have seen trailers come off the pin....they normally stop when they hit the windshield

[Passin_Thru]

Now you're the DOT! I'll bet none of you know Ford is actually spelled FeORD either. Look at the Ford Oval and see. It has a Cursa e in the F.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ford+logo&id=BDD5D41562B3551D35C29016D0F23A3ABB3B415A&FORM=IQFRBA
It can't eat the pickup back window. The whole front of the trailer hangs down below the frame of the truck. The trailer rams into the back of the truck. Better to come loose.

[cbshoestring]

Question for you 5er guys.

Being a truck driver, I have seen a fair amount of truck roll-overs in my day. The 5th wheel is normally still attached to the frame rail. What is left of the truck and trailer are still attached to one another.

So why did his 5th wheel come unattached from the frame?

I know you guys remove them (not fixed like on a semi) but I would think it should be affixed in a manner that could take a bit of twisting and shaking.

Is this a normal weak point in the removable system? If it can't take a bit of left/right twisting...is it also suspect to be weak with forward/backward motion?

Meaning, you could eat the trailer via the back window if you jarred it with a hard stop.

Seems to me that there would be a lot less damage if the 5th wheel kept them attached to each other...as the trailer would have helped to keep the truck upright.

Doesn't sound as if the impact would have flipped both (conjecture on my part)

Came back on the edit to add a second question.

I hear you guys talking about sideways articulating hitches. I guess this is a more comfortable ride Factor?

Having only pulled the big boys, I have only experienced with forward/ backward moving hitches, not side to side.

Is it possible that the sideways tilting motion of the fifth wheel allowed to truck to get tilted far enough under the trailer that the entire assembly snapped off?

[Me_Again]

guidry wrote:
Pulled the pucks right out!

NO, it was a rail mounted hitch, rear rail came out with hitch and front one was bowed up in the truck bed.

[DaveF-250SD]

Looks like he was t-boned when he ran through the red light. Only thing I see that would possibly be an issue with the setup is the aftermarket wheels. They hopefully have the same weight rating of the stock Ford rims. Many aftermarket wheels do not have the same capacity, an important thing to look for when purchasing them.