posted 08-14-2003 01:18 PM ET (US)        

I was just a mile from my destination to drop off the trailer and in heavy traffic driving in the left lane traveling at 45 mph on a curve when I hit a bump in the road and the trailer let loose. The trailer was swinging back and forth and rocking my Suburban bad. I could only think that this is going to be a bad accident. I knew it was just a matter of seconds before I heard the crashing sounds and the uneasy feeling of loosing control of my vehicle. I held on tight and remarkably nobody got hurt. Cars where scrambling all over the highway while they were breaking to avoid my unfortunate situation.

The trailer rolled forward into the back of my Suburban and then bounced back before the trailer brakes took hold. I had my vehicle in the median and I finally came to a stop. My heart was pounding and I was getting the shakes when I stepped out to see the damage. I looked at the traffic to see if anyone was involved. After that I looked to see what happened and why the trailer broke loose. This is what happened. The ball lock was unscrewed. I knew right then that I made a big mistake by not checking the connection before I left.

I have learned a few things about trailer brakes today. One, the brake chain or cable needs to be shorter than the safety chains for it to work if the trailer breaks loose. Secondly, if the trailer is loose and is not heading in the same direction as the tow vehicle when the brakes are activated the ability to control the tow vehicle is just about gone.

I will always make my own connection and will never trust my safety in the hands of someone else without double-checking.

posted 08-16-2003 01:45 PM ET (US)            

The U-Haul I used last week didn't have a hitch lever. The connection is made by turning, what amounts to a big nut on a treaded shaft. As you turn the nut it draws up the lower jaw of the ball receiver. I think U-Haul uses this type of receiver to accommodate a range ball sizes.(1-7/8" - 2-3/6"?)

Inhernet,

posted 08-18-2003 09:09 AM ET (US)            

GNR - You have been watching too many Scary Police Chase shows. I know you are being facetious with the Corolla jibe but what would be wrong with pulling a 17' with a Forester? The tow capacity is 2000 lbs. And talk about leading the witness with "in your estimation".

posted 08-18-2003 10:53 AM ET (US)            

My question was a sincere question.

"The trailer was swinging back and forth and rocking my Suburban bad. I could only think that this is going to be a bad accident. I knew it was just a matter of seconds before I heard the crashing sounds and the uneasy feeling of loosing control of my vehicle."

and this was at 45 mph.

This is a perfect case in which to try and draw some comparisons. If the 5000lb Suburban was "rocking bad" isn't it reasonable to assume that a vehicle of less then half that weight and wheelbase would have been pushed around much worse?

I am not leading anyone and I am not trying to be facetious. I used the Corolla because that was an actual question a few weeks ago on this forum.

The fact of the matter is that your reference to me in your post is pure trolling, plain and simple. It had nothing to do with the original post and its purpose was purely to take a jab at me.

Please tell me exactly what your problem with the "in your estimation" comment. The man just went for a wild ride in his Suburban. He knew exactly how it reacted. Now if it was me I'm pretty sure I could come up with an "estimation" of how things may have been different with a significantly lighter, shorter vehicle.

Seems to me you may have reacted more to my screen name then my post. Ayup you are a class act yessiree.

No he wouldn't have changed my mind because my opinion is based on twenty-five years of towing experience.

FYI I have towed my Guardian 17 three times with my wives FORESTER. Yup, it'll pull it. It is definitely back there though. Works to hard on the hills and it adds considerably more to the stopping distance then the same boat does to my F250. I would never buy a used Forester from someone who towed with it. Course I don’t take for granted everything the salesman tells me when he is trying to sell me a vehicle either.

I guarantee you that if your 17 breaks loose from your Forester on a corner at 45 miles an hour you will be very lucky to keep that rig on the road and upright.

Course that only happens to other people right?

Let me ask you a question. If you have an outboard with a max rpm of 5500 do you run it right there all the time with no fear of overworking it or do you tend to cruise down at 4200 or 4500 rpms? Kinda the same thing as towing at the vehicles max rating. Sure it will do it but there is a price to pay.

In the future you might wish to take a deep breath and re- read the post with an objective eye before you set your lines for a little trolling.

posted 08-18-2003 09:01 PM ET (US)            

I am too busy to go trolling, unless it is for fish on a weekend. My reaction to your comment strictly relates to the prevailing wisdom that you need to tow with a Ford/Chevy/Dodge pickup/suv or you are asking for trouble. I will certainly agree that it is EASIER to tow with such a vehicle, but it isn't always warranted.

For a 17' whaler, you are in the 1400-2000 lb range depending on model. This weight isn't going to place a great deal of stress on a modern car/truck. The engines are far superior in horsepower, cooling and reliability than 10 years ago. The braking department has made HUGE leaps from even 5 years ago. Vented 4 wheel discs offer proven, repeatable braking performance. Tires and suspensions are also night and day better.

The post from a few weeks ago that I remember seeing, asked about buying a Honda CRV to tow a 17'. I never saw any mention of a Corolla. The responses were that the vehicle only had a rating of 1000 lbs, obviously not enough.

By no means was I taking a jab at you and I have no clue where you were going with the reference to your screen name.
When you ask for an estimation of what would have happened if he were pulling with a Forester, shouldn't you be able to answer it since you own one and have towed with one? Does this not sound like a troll?

Any vehicle that loses a trailer will be pushed around, simple physics at work. A 5000 Suburban will take more to push around versus a lighter vehicle, simple physics again. But how much vehicle weight is enough? Should the tow vehicle be able to handle twice the weight? 1.5 times? If a driver of a Suburban was very concerned, should he upgrade to a commercial grade dualie so he has even more weight and towing capacity?

In regards to the stopping ability or a Forester vs a F250, a trailer will add more to the stopping distances, but you also need to figure in that the smaller vehicle would stop much sooner than the F250 to begin with.

Example - A Subaru WRX STI has 300 HP, 300 lb/ft of torque, huge vented disc brakes and a towing capacity of 2000 lbs. It can stop from 70mph in approx. 160 ft versus over 220 ft for an F250 (no trailers on either at this point). If, for arguments sake, the trailer now degrades the STI's braking by 20% (never happen, but lets play along) the total is still only 192', a full 28 feet less than the unladen F250. Wouldn't the STI be a better hauler for a 17' whaler than the F250? Better power to weight, better handling, better braking, and far superior fuel economy.

I was very sorry to hear of the trailer troubles that InHerNet experienced. No one wants to see any trouble like this happen to anyone. I appreciate the fact that he shared the experience with us, as it is a good lesson for everyone.