Airstream Wreck

hummingbird · 11-11-2011, 11:08 AM

We had a guy travelling through our area a couple of weeks ago who was hauling an Airstream trailer. He wrecked and was killed, unfortunately. However, the Airstream was not badly hurt. It was a really horrible wreck. Poor guy.

Tubby · 11-11-2011, 04:34 PM

That's not a good thing. It's dangerous driving let alone towing a trailer. I don't like them much for that very fact. It's not you as much as it may be someone else, cutting in front of you, stopping short in front of you, letting their vehicle drift into your lane, etc., etc. Same thing with 18 wheelers. People think they can stop on a dime and they can't. I've seen people in "Smart Cars" cut in front of them. They were lucky that little tin can wasn't crushed.

wvbreamfisherman · 11-11-2011, 07:11 PM

Trailer brakes and west coast mirrors help a lot. You really need to stay on your toes and drive defensively when pulling a trailer. If you're new to it get some practice time in before taking a long trip. Especially practice backing the trailer up. It's a bit of an art, and it can be pretty humbling to try to spot a trailer in a slot or turn it around.

The other thing I'd recommend on a trailer of any size is a weight-equalizing hitch, where you use torsion bars to transfer weight off the tongue to the front wheeels of the tow vehicle. If you don't have one of theose, you mus be sure to load the trailer to me neutral to slightly tail heavy to keep from lifting the front wheels of the tow vehicle. This makes the trailer tend to fishtail and also makes it MUCH more difficult to control the trailer, especially with a front-wheel drive.

CatsEye · 11-12-2011, 10:01 AM

Good advice, Wvb. It's not something you want to do when you are falling asleep at the wheel. That's a certain recipe for disaster. It's difficult enough to watch what you are doing let alone when you are half asleep. Poor guy.

Joe S. · 11-12-2011, 12:07 PM

I wonder if he had sway bars connecting his hitch to his trailer. They make all the difference in the world as far as safety. If a trailer gets into "sway", it can make the driving very dangerous.