We Survived....don't know how.

[Denny_A]

I awoke suddenly to the sound of gravel.

Grass to the left, gravel center, and concrete to the right. Startled, I yelled "what's happening?". She wrenched the steering wheel to the right, in an attempt to regain the concrete of the left lane of I-74. That sealed our fate. The trailer whip-lashed left, the TV jerked left. Unrecoverable sway set in at 65 MPH!

We rode it to a stop as interested(!!) observers....totally unable to have any further effect on the outcome.

The trailer overtook the TV as our heading changed from 270 deg to 360 deg, whilst still tracking due west. The TM left tire caught a small concrete culvert. It rolled 180 degrees whilst sliding to a messy, muddy stop.

Inside the TV it felt like Godzilla was trying shake us out of the vehicle. The whole time she was saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry......". Suddenly the motion stopped. I looked around and saw the TM inverted, the hitch resting aginst the right tail lamp fixture. The TV pointed straight uphill towrd the same lane from which we had come....and all 4 wheels still on the ground! The TM bumper was facing the original direction, 90 deg angle to the TV, resting inverted and encased in mud.

I am very happy. No one was hurt. The dog, in his well secured kennel seemed a bit nervous (catatonic, really), but uninjured. So, all-in-all, a good day to be (still) alive.

When the wrecker/recovery guys rolled the TM over with a cable and winch, it remained in one piece. They said most TT's fall completey apart when righted. Small consolation.

Was able to start the 4Runner, select Lo-4wheel and drive right up a 20 deg incline of wet mud. Toyotas are tough. It had slid about 100 feet at 90 deg to the diretion of motion w/out rolling over. Left a 100 foot double strip of black, muddy earth, and a pile of turf on either side or the mud strip. Heavy rains the previous day and resulting loose turf meant the the friction on the tires never rose to the point of causing the TV to roll! The TM would probably have made it safely also, but for the concrete pipe the tire struck.

Total loss. Righting the trailer finished the destruction of the shells. The hitch was ripped fron the ball and twisted 90 deg. One chain remained connected and had the rear of the TV hoisted about 4-6". All in all, a very memorable day.

Seems my DW was moving into the passing lane whilst closing on a truck. Can't piece togther (in her memory) how she ended up sliding to the soft gravel just off the shoulder. When I awoke and interjected, she overcontrolled.....I think my sudden, loud question probably startled her into the reaction.

Five hours later we were on our way home, towing our stuff in a U-Haul. In the wrecking company's yard, we opened the shells. Tough work, but got both up and stabilized with the fore/aft stabilizer bars. Both shells are broken, peeled back, etc. All latches sheared and/or bent.... and so on. OTOH, the box remained intact. Toilet, reefer, wardrobe, etc. stayed in place, mostly unharmd. A structurally sound unit. Other than a few glass containers and the oven door glass, none of our 'stuff' was harmed. Telly still works, etc.

So, we're out of the trailering game for awhile.. maybe forever. DW is thinking that Flying holidays may be a better solution, since we can travel nearly anywhere for $20-$30 (Airline retiree). At least it happened on the last day of our trip to the Gulf coast. Were only 250 miles from home. Managed to get home last night.

Moral of this story: Stuff happens. Stay vigilant. At 65 mph you can become an unwilling participant w/out the means to affect the outcome. Very, very scary!

In my military combat flying and instrument flying I never felt as helpless as I did whilst taking our "crack the whip" ride.

Wondering what the insurance adjuster will say... re. their idea of my TM's fair market value!

Happy Trailerin' for y'all.
Denny(:new_all_c Glenlivet helps)_A

[RockyMtnRay]

My deepest condolences on the loss of your trailer...sometimes losing a prized possession is almost as bad as losing a family member.

But really, really happy you, DW and the pooch came though it unscathed (other than the emotional damage). Also really glad the loss was just of the trailer and that your 4Runner survived...losing that would have really been difficult. (though you might want to get a front wheel alignment pretty soon)


Moral of this story: Stuff happens. Stay vigilant. At 65 mph you can become a unwilling participant w/out the means to affect the outcome. Very, very scary!

Good points. Thank you for sharing the details of this accident with us...as a fellow aviator (and often the organization's safety officer) I know that reading aviation accident reports made me a heckuva lot safer pilot and helped me avoid situations that got other pilots into deep trouble. So, in that vein, were there possibly any other specific contributing factors (e.g fatigue, end-of-trip lowered vigilance, time-of-day, road/weather/traffic conditions, etc.) that we all can learn from? Clearly there's one lesson here...namely never make any radical moves with the tow vehicle even when towing a relatively stable TrailManor.

I do hope you replace the trailer with a new(er) TM. But in any case, I echo T-C's wishes that you remain a part of our on-line community.

[Dixielou]

So thankful you all survived! Your accident account highlighted the thin line between being in control of our lives and being at the mercy of circumstances unforseen. Reading your note was very sobering. It made me think of the good things we enjoy in life and how quickly it can all change. Many insights are realized by your harrowing experience.

Stay on the board Denny. You are much appreciated. And take a look at the '05 TrailManors. They get better every year.

[Larry_Loo]

Wow, Denny, that's some account of your terrifying accident!

I am very glad, though, that all of you came through it without any injuries. Material objects can always be replaced but our bodies are irreplaceable. I'm sure that an accident of this type would have frightened the wits out of any of us.

An accident like this occurred to a family in our church last year. They were towing a large 5th wheeler near Las Vegas when a gust of wind started the trailer jackknifing. Both trailer and truck rolled several times before coming to a stop. The wife sustained a neck fracture and the husband and two grandchildren had scrapes and bruises. The wife underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture, and, now about 8 months later is completely healed. The accident had a huge emotional impact on their lives, I'm sure.

We hope that time will ease the emotional trauma of your accident, and, you'll remain part of our TM family.

[Bruce]

Wow Denny - your life must have flashed before your eyes!
I'm glad you're both OK - and the dog too.
I have some friends who rolled their TM, a 3326, and it totally came apart.
Yours is a cautionary tale indeed.
We should all watch our speed and remember that we're hauling something big and heavy behind us.
Best wishes to you. I've enjoyed your intelligent and informative posts and hope you will get another TM in the future.

[B_and_D]

I'm glad you're all OK! What a scary thing to have happen. I'm not sure that I'd ever want to tow anything again if this happened to us.

I am so sorry to hear about your TM. But the most important thing is that you're unhurt. Material things can (usually) be replaced. I, too, hope that you remain on the board!

[Talley01]

Same thing happened to me a few years back Denny. I was pulling a 28 ft Sonnybrook up an onramp on I95. I had got to about 55MPH on the interstate when a 18 wheeler passed doing about 80. The trailer started to fishtail, then it was all over - the trailer wound up on its side near the tree line and my TV with my DW and kids inside finished at a 45 degree angle on two wheels. Verrrrry scary!!! - but no one was hurt. TV and trailer repair costs were about 10 gran. We didn't loose faith though. The insurance company took care of the repair and once it was fixed we took it back on the road and kept using it for another 3 years. I've since sold it and got a TM 3023. Hang in there - don't be discouraged - once camping is in your blood - your a camper for life!

[Bill]

I echo the thoughts of others, Denny. Relaying the story may not help you (or especially your wife) much, but it will do a lot of good for the rest of us.

I remember the time in 1969 when my parents (avid Airstreamers) and my 13-year-old sister were headed east across Ontario, my mother driving the Suburban with the Airstream behind. Somehow the same thing happened to her that you described, with everything suddenly upside down in the ditch. This was in the days before seatbelts were common, and they didn't have 'em. Fortunately the first impact somehow stuffed my little sister onto the floor, wedged between the front and rear seats. She was fine. Their little dog, built like a fluffy slipper, bounced around but was fine. My Dad got a couple cuts and bruises. My Mom got a back fracture (fortunately no nerve damage) that never quite healed right. She was in some pain for the rest of her life. Although they got a new Suburban and Airstream and camped for 25 more years, she never again drove the rig. It scared her that badly.

Whenever my wife and I are out in the TM, I try every day, at least once, to remember that day when my Dad called from Ontario to tell me about it. Constant vigilance, constant awareness, isn't a cure-all, but it sure helps.

My very best to your wife - it is an emotional trauma.

Bill

[Labs4us]

Good Lord,I am glad you folks are ok!!!
You both hang in there, one hellof a thing to go through.
I am keeping you all three of you in my prayers.

When I was 19, I was traveling down a highway and the tire from a boat trailer came loose & went up under my car, rolling it twice. Scared me to death, but I was ok, thank goodness.
Ever since, I have been really careful about making sure the lugs are tight., and very leery about boat trailers....., even though we have jet skis.

It's going to take awhile, but you'll be ok, even the puppy. You''ll just be cautious for a long time, and that's alright.
Hang in there.
I am so glad you are both okay.

Trish

[Denny_A]

Per RMRay's request: To wit - specifics about pre-accident conditions.

1. Stayed o'night in a Motel in Effingham, Il. Two hrs south of sway event (SE).
2. DW had 9 hrs sleep, I had 7.
3. DW took over driving one hour before SE. She has sciatic condition which requires driving sooner rather than later.
4. Cross-wind from LF, day, partly sunny, light traffic.
5. We never travel more then 350 mi's per day if o'nighting in the TM. Day before was a 350 mi day plus o'night in a nice motel. Fatigue definately not a factor.

Post SE: DW cannot imagine what distraction resulted in allowing drifting to the soulder of the hwy. Seems to have a complete memory void. Shock of the event itself likely makes the moments just before unrecoverable from volatile memory.

I have not said one word of criticism to DW regarding the SE. She is her own worst critic. Stuff happens. She deserves slack for putting up w/my gaffs during our 44 yrs. of bliss (not TIC, BTW). She's aways been a very conscientious driver. Since her sciatic problem I've been doing 85-90% of the driving. A little rust maybe? Don't know.

Irony: I was working on a FAQ regarding the dynamics of sway. Also appropriate response to. Never mind. Guess I'll stick to local politics. Min wage kerfuffle, statewide smoking ban, lack of math/science in public schools, etc.

Later,
Denny (:new_all_cClaret, too)_A

[Queeniereads]

Last summer our brand new Mercury Mountaineer and 3-month old Forest River Grand Surveyor TT were totaled after being hit by a huge gust of wind on the bridge ovet the Snake River Canon in Idaho. We did not go over the edge which would have been a 165 drop onto rocks. We lived! I have great empathy for you and am so glad you are all okay. We are still the subject of a law suit, but our insurance companies have worked well on our behalf. We thought we might never tow again, but we have just ordered a TM. Remember, it was an accident! Accidents happen. I am now heeding all the advice I have gotten for this forum and others about not traveling fast (we were not), knowing the conditions (we did not know about mico-gusts), and stopping frequently (we did). It was the wind that got us, and if that kind of information had been in the AAA guidebooks for Idaho, we might not have been caught. Glad you are OK -- Queen aka Judi

[hal]

Denny, we are sorry to read about your experiences and the loss of your TM. We all can benefit if you were to continue your article on sway. Your experince may prevent the repeat of this experience by one of us. You surely can say that your information was tested.

Spring is on its way. Its time to get back into a TM and pleasant camping.

Hal

[Steverino]

Denny,

Just wanted to add my condolences to all of the others. So glad you are all okay, if shaken. Your accident is a good reminder to me to be extra-vigilant when towing. My rig seems so stable - I can see that I could be lulled into an unhealthy sense of security.

I recall being in a 30 car pileup on the 101 freeway in LA some years ago. Saw a car flip end-over-end. Amazingly, my car (not two weeks out of the body shop after theft recovery) was unscratched. Totals surrounding me. I will never forget that incident, and it has informed my driving since. Around here the majority of drivers leave almost no space between cars even (especially?) when travelling at extra-legal speeds. People forget that the laws of physics are very real, and these are heavy things that we nonchalantly flit about in.

As I'm thinking about it now, maybe we should add a FAQ or forum for towing do's and don'ts (when driving). Maybe talk about towing dynamics, maneuvering, what to do if things go south, etc. Could be a good thing for newbies like me, and as a refresher for all of the experienced ones. I didn't check for this, if it is already up on the board, someone correct me...

Anyway, Denny, I'll just echo the others - hope you get another TM, but no matter what, hope you stay active on the board.

Steve

[G-V_Driver]

Denny,

I've been out of the loop lately, so was shocked and saddened (politically correct term for words that can't be used on this site) to hear about the skidding turn. Sounds like maybe she didn't get enough right rudder.

I'm not sure any of us ever know exactly what happened after something like that, given the speed at which it happens, but glad you are all OK. And tell her not to beat herself up too much. As nice as TM's are, they are just "stuff."

Wayne

[Civil_War_Buff]

Denny, I echo what has been said here, I am glad that all are OK. I too hope that you stick around and share your wisdom/knowledge.

Take care.

[fcatwo]

Denny. Although I'm late getting here I want to add my condolences to you and your wife. We were on the road that day plus several after and for whatever reason I've just found your post. I did see your sale post and knew something had happened but didn't know what. I have an idea how you feel having walked away from a totaled motorcycle a few years back and experiencing several close calls during 10 years and 80,000 miles of towing a 5th wheel trailer. I gave my wife the option of moteling it or getting something like a TM. She choose the TM and we've done OK so far. She also likes to drive to pass the time but I'm not sure whether to share your experience with her. We've caught each other nodding at times and maybe I'll just harp on that and discuss emegency procedures more often. I'm also leaning toward ordering an Equal-I-Zer hitch.

Some of us here are not getting any younger and I can certainly understand your plans for flying to places of interest.. especially since it's virtually free. Someone else mentioned that you may eventually change you mind but I'm not sure of that. I don't think I'll ever own another motorcycle; partly because I'm no longer attracted to them and partly because my wife has promised to leave me if I do :-).

I also want to add my thanks for your knowedgeable contributions to this site. You are part of our "bed-rock" and you'll be missed.

Take care.

[Denny_A]

.....and we have now irrevocably committed to abandoning trailering. Have already traded our tow vehicle (brand new tires..:mad: ) for a back-ordered SULEV.

Fuel prices are getting wierd rapidly.


Denny_A

[Still Readin', but will be leavin' soon]