Cleanup of 5th wheel accident in California

[GordonThree]

Any details on what happened here?

https://youtu.be/DOnxT1S4Irw

[ShinerBock]

So now a semi is not enough to tow a 14k GVWR trailer? Wow!

[Tom_Barb]

RinconVTR wrote:

Now two joke posts about a bigger truck preventing this roll over!

Funny stuff man!

Now it's a joke

[Tom_Barb]

RinconVTR wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
This accident proves to me you can never have too much truck.

Now two joke posts about a bigger truck preventing this roll over!

Funny stuff man!

Most any truck can be made to pull a heavy loaded trailer, But when it comes to handling one a in a accident situation you best have a truck equal to the job.

[RinconVTR]

Tom/Barb wrote:
This accident proves to me you can never have too much truck.

Now two joke posts about a bigger truck preventing this roll over!

Funny stuff man!

[Tom_Barb]

DSteiner51 wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
This accident proves to me you can never have too much truck.

So how much truck should he have had?

IMHO,, a semi wouldn't have been enough.

[DSteiner51]

Tom/Barb wrote:
This accident proves to me you can never have too much truck.

So how much truck should he have had?

[Tom_Barb]

This accident proves to me you can never have too much truck.

[Tom_Barb]

gkainz wrote:
Not going back to re-read the updates after watching the video (was a quiet morning here yesterday so I got to watch the whole thing), but there were some comments attributed to (second-hand comments?) that he got hit (rear-ended?) in the intersection. I didn't see any evidence of damage to the rear of the trailer ... hard to tell about the truck, since the trailer ran over the passenger side and the truck was sitting on the driver side, but once righted, I still didn't see any obvious evidence of a collision with another vehicle.

My armchair quarter back guesses are the trailer brakes where not set up properly and didn't apply adequate braking power, and the trailer ran over the truck. Did anyone notice skid marks in or before the intersection?
???

I also did not see any damage I thought was due to any other vehicle being involved.

I also wondered about skid marks from braking, then again I wondered how you would get skid marks with anti skid brake system.

Lots of things I wonder about that can't be proven in this case.

[goducks10]

gitane59 wrote:
You know, I suspect everyone is missing an important factor that caused this accident to be much more damaging to the TV and trailer than needed. The question needs to be asked what forces caused the driver's rear rim to snap? I damaged a OEM aluminium wheel on my truck and seriously considered going to fancy aftermarket wheels. I contacted several dealers of aftermarket wheels and not single one would sell me aftermarket wheels as soon as I told them what I towed.
Everyone dealer stated unequivocally that aftermarket wheels are not strong and would not make a sale to me knowing I towed a large fiver.
I think we all agree he was already overloaded for the truck before the lift and wheel are taken into consideration.
I would be willing to bet that the drivers side rear wheel snapped from either the initial impact or from being forced sideways after the initial impact.
Once the wheel snapped that corner of the truck would have dropped and the hub would then have immediately dug into the pavement creating a severely twisting action causing the truck to flip and the hitch rails to give way.

After seeing this I am glad I took the aftermarket wheel dealers advice and source a replacement OEM wheel for my dually.
Glad everyone was uninjured. Be safe out there.

I went looking for after market rims when I wanted to up grade tires on my truck. While at Discount Tire picking out rims from a book, the tire rep was on the phone with each brands rep to see if they were compatible with towing a 5th wheel. Amazingly several of my 1st choices were denied. The rims I ended up with were the only ones that I liked enough and that the rep said wouldd be fine.

Whether or not the driver got broad sided or how the wreck took place really doesn't grasp the fact that he had a 5+" lift kit and oversize tires on his new truck and at the same time pulling overweight. The 5th wheel had to be running nose high which would cause the tail wagging the dog syndrome. All those factors along with a possible weak rim contributed to the wreck.

[gkainz]

Not going back to re-read the updates after watching the video (was a quiet morning here yesterday so I got to watch the whole thing), but there were some comments attributed to (second-hand comments?) that he got hit (rear-ended?) in the intersection. I didn't see any evidence of damage to the rear of the trailer ... hard to tell about the truck, since the trailer ran over the passenger side and the truck was sitting on the driver side, but once righted, I still didn't see any obvious evidence of a collision with another vehicle.

My armchair quarter back guesses are the trailer brakes where not set up properly and didn't apply adequate braking power, and the trailer ran over the truck. Did anyone notice skid marks in or before the intersection?
???

[gitane59]

You know, I suspect everyone is missing an important factor that caused this accident to be much more damaging to the TV and trailer than needed. The question needs to be asked what forces caused the driver's rear rim to snap? I damaged a OEM aluminium wheel on my truck and seriously considered going to fancy aftermarket wheels. I contacted several dealers of aftermarket wheels and not single one would sell me aftermarket wheels as soon as I told them what I towed.
Everyone dealer stated unequivocally that aftermarket wheels are not strong and would not make a sale to me knowing I towed a large fiver.
I think we all agree he was already overloaded for the truck before the lift and wheel are taken into consideration.
I would be willing to bet that the drivers side rear wheel snapped from either the initial impact or from being forced sideways after the initial impact.
Once the wheel snapped that corner of the truck would have dropped and the hub would then have immediately dug into the pavement creating a severely twisting action causing the truck to flip and the hitch rails to give way.

After seeing this I am glad I took the aftermarket wheel dealers advice and source a replacement OEM wheel for my dually.
Glad everyone was uninjured. Be safe out there.

[BCSnob]

Is there a red light camera at this intersection?
There have been several cases of shortened yellow light times that yielded increased red light camera revenues. Fremont CA is offering refunds for tickets at certain intersections. Chicago was caught short timing to increase red light tickets.

[rhagfo]

BurbMan wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
The yellow time is typically set to account for perception/reaction time plus the time to come to a stop.

The issue is that many yellow light times are set too short...compounded by the fact that many roads regularly run faster than the speed limit.

It's not uncommon for the traffic on a 45 mph-limit road to run 55-60 on a regular basis. Cars today, even the cheap ones, perform so much better than the cars we drove when speed limits were set on these roads, it's no issue for a car to run 60 in a 45 and stop with ease, even in sub-par road conditions (rain, snow). The big rig guys (semis and RVs) run with the traffic and now don't have sufficient time to stop on yellow.

Not sure why state DOTs are determined to set yellow times at the minimum calculated times instead of making them a little longer and a little safer.

I think that was touched on earlier, in trying to increase revenue from red light cameras.
Then there are those that push lights all the time, I have been pulling our 5er and had a light change to yellow, and stop easily, only to have a car next to me run the light, after it changed to red.
There is no way around it some drivers just do Stupid things.

[BurbMan]

valhalla360 wrote:
The yellow time is typically set to account for perception/reaction time plus the time to come to a stop.

The issue is that many yellow light times are set too short...compounded by the fact that many roads regularly run faster than the speed limit.

It's not uncommon for the traffic on a 45 mph-limit road to run 55-60 on a regular basis. Cars today, even the cheap ones, perform so much better than the cars we drove when speed limits were set on these roads, it's no issue for a car to run 60 in a 45 and stop with ease, even in sub-par road conditions (rain, snow). The big rig guys (semis and RVs) run with the traffic and now don't have sufficient time to stop on yellow.

Not sure why state DOTs are determined to set yellow times at the minimum calculated times instead of making them a little longer and a little safer.

[ford_truck_guy]

troubledwaters wrote:

cbshoestring wrote:

PDX.Zs wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

cbshoestring wrote:
Once that point is crossed, I'm coming through the intersection no matter what color the light is.

I pray in reality you're really smart enough not to kill someone; because that statement represents a pretty irresponsible attitude for a big rig driver.

Read the whole post again.

He is talking about the simple physics of driving a big rig.

Thanks for clearing that up. I was busy trying NOT to kill someone in Cincinnati's rush to leave the city.

Too keep it RV related...those physic apply to just about any heavy vehicle. In my opinion...those lights are sequenced for passenger vehicle traffic. Hence all the skid marks others have mentioned seeing.

Skid marks normally occur when the trailer is EMPTY...if the light truck locked them up, what chance does a fully loaded semi..or RV
..have? ????

If you're saying you are not smart enough not to kill someone, then I guess my prayers for you are in vain. Generally big rig drivers are a pretty smart, responsible, and safe lot. Your statements depict something less. Do you really fear you'll lose the load by stopping for a red light?

Walk a mile in someone else's shoes . ....

I drove big rigs for years, and YES... There is a point of no return with ALL vehicles.. It just so happens that the point is far different with a loaded big rig..
Have I run 1 or 2 lights because of it, yes... did that make it right.. no.. but it is a fact of life..
Not because I wanted to injure someone.. because I had just no other choice.. sometimes what is behind you dictates the decisions you make.