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Old 10-03-2016, 01:20 PM   #1
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Avoided a terrible accident

' Just wanted to share a rather frightening experience we had on the drive home from the Mississippi rally. . Perhaps reading about our experiences and choices will offer a cautionary tale, as well as assist anyone who is purchasing an Escape trailer and is considering size and certain options.

An old minivan pulling a large pop-up trailer was trying to pass us on route 80, and created a very dangerous situation which could have caused a terrible accident.

Fortunately, my DH is a very careful and aware driver, and insists on traveling at 60 mph or less, and usually below the posted speed limit. Anyway, he noticed this minivan coming up in our side mirror, and noticed that his trailer was fish-tailing. As this guy passed us, he was accelerating, and at this point was going around 67 - 70 mph. The sway in his trailer became much worse, arcing about 2 feet in either direction as he pulled up alongside us. He was obviously going too fast.
We were terrified that this trailer would hit us. As my DH carefully and gently put the brakes on, we steered halfway on to the shoulder as we decelerated in an effort to get out of his way. At this point, I could see that the other guy's trailer missed our car by mere inches.

My DH fortunately is a very controlled and calm person, kept his wits about him, and expertly got out of the other guy's way . When the van finally passed us, his trailer was in full fishtail, with his van swerving all over both lanes and the shoulder, totally out of control. At one point it looked like he was going to flip the entire rig. He finally managed to pull off the shoulder and onto the grass.

As we passed, I noticed he had a basic, simple hitch. Also, we surmised that his trailer surpassed his van's tow capacity. Excessive speed along with these and other factors all possibly came in to play here.

Lessons learned, at least for us:
We are extremely happy with the hitch we purchased; the full weight distribution anti-sway hitch. Technically, we could have gotten by with less, but we decided to be more cautious. In this situation it certainly prevented sway, instability, and aided in avoiding a terrible accident as we put it to the test.
Second, although we are technically qualified to tow a 21', we decided to keep the trailer weight and size well below our tow capacity. So, we opted for the lighter 19'. We believed this proved important in this situation for control as well.
Third, realizing that we have an extra load behind us, we don't go over 55-60 mph or so on the highways, and gage our speed according to the road, traffic, and conditions.
Finally, spatial awareness and frequent glances into the rearview and side mirrors to observe traffic can be a lifesaver! Good mirrors or a camera are invaluable in this regard. It's not only for observing who's coming up behind us, but also to scout out open areas for a "way out" should a situation like this occur.
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Old 10-03-2016, 01:27 PM   #2
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Excellent post. Glad you drive defensively and were OK.
I think all of us have witnessed the big stickes/toy haulers going by at 90+ and the countless towing questions about towing these trailers with marginal vehicles. We've even had some questions about towing Scamps with motorcycles believe it or not. All you can do is say I don't recommend it, but as you witnessed it's still gonna happen. You and your DH have the right approach to trailering and it will serve you well.
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Old 10-03-2016, 01:35 PM   #3
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Thank you, Greg.
I hope this does help someone, especially a newbie (like me). I see many forum posters asking about tow vehicles. It does concern me when someone has a V6 with a 5000 lb tow capacity talk about getting a 21'. But, perhaps I'm just being overly cautious.
Honestly, I don't know if I could have handled that situation as well as my DH...
I definitely plan on finding an empty parking lot somewhere, and will practice!
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Old 10-03-2016, 02:48 PM   #4
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Glad it turned out well for you! Good defensive driving and way to stay aware! Having to watch for the "other guy" decreases your chances of being involved in a wreck!

I'm sure there were a few choice words for him....between the two of you!
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Old 10-03-2016, 02:55 PM   #5
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Holy Cow, Addie! Glad both of you are okay. As well as that other driver. When we headed up to ETI recently we saw a truck with a trailer that was fishtailing and he pulled over as well. But he wasn't driving as badly as what you encountered. Holy Cow!

I would have had to change my shorts, so to speak, afterwards.

Yeah, there is something to be said for driving slower and getting somewhere safely, isn't there?
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Old 10-03-2016, 03:03 PM   #6
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I would have had to change my shorts, so to speak, afterwards.
Do you know where you're going to store all those extra shorts in that 21 yet, Laura?
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Old 10-03-2016, 03:39 PM   #7
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Do you know where you're going to store all those extra shorts in that 21 yet, Laura?


Yeah, in a cabinet.
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Old 10-03-2016, 05:51 PM   #8
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Thanks for sharing your experience hopefully that should be a wake up call for the owner of the mini van.
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Old 10-03-2016, 07:15 PM   #9
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... It does concern me when someone has a V6 with a 5000 lb tow capacity talk about getting a 21'...
There are a number of owners on this forum who are successfully and safely towing an Escape 21' with a 5000 lb tow capacity V6. That is not the real issue here. The problems with trailer sway as described by the OP are usually related to improper load distribution on a trailer rather than tow capacity of the tug.
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Old 10-03-2016, 07:23 PM   #10
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Glad you made it home safely and hopefully you will continue to venture out camping regardless of some of those who tow carelessly.
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Old 10-03-2016, 07:36 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by ice-breaker View Post
There are a number of owners on this forum who are successfully and safely towing an Escape 21' with a 5000 lb tow capacity V6. That is not the real issue here. The problems with trailer sway as described by the OP are usually related to improper load distribution on a trailer rather than tow capacity of the tug.
Makes perfect sense to me.

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Old 10-03-2016, 07:39 PM   #12
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Thank God for you guys being able to avoid an accident!
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Old 10-03-2016, 08:36 PM   #13
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California law limits trailers being towed to 55 mph ( 60 without a ticket ). Many times I have cursed having to drive so slow, but in retrospect, I feel that even 55 can be too fast for the circumstances. Drive with awareness. There's a lot of weight and money behind you.
Jerry
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Old 10-03-2016, 09:20 PM   #14
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Lots of good comments. First, it's nice to hear of everyone's kind concern...thanks! CPA and Red Dog, I'll echo the same for you guys, especially since we just met. I appreciate your concern and support! Many thanks!!!

Reetired, you're correct. A long string of angry expletives reflexly came out. But, only from me, as my DH is ultra-composed. In fact, he rarely toots the horn. He leaned on it this time!
Laura, that almost happened, but thank goodness it didn't! It was quite a stressful ordeal, and the both of us were very shaken. DH brought it up tonight at dinner, still wondering aloud, "what the heck was that guy thinking?!
Yes, Mark, I imagine the mini van guy was probably counting his blessings as he sat on the side of the road trying to figure out what exactly went wrong. (Laura, maybe HE had pants "problems"!!!)
Ice-Breaker, you're absolutely correct regarding the load distribution. I looked up several expert resources, and this was one of the top contributors to the fishtailing. DH and I are going to research this a bit further, and learn what's the best and safest way to load our Escape for accurate distribution, weight, location, etc.
Now, these experts also said that any excessive tow weight that approaches the vehicle's tow capacity IS a contributing factor (along with a few other things). Even though people with such trailers may not have difficulty in normal driving conditions, there may be times (similar to our situation) where this higher load will be put to the test. Stressing/testing the tow vehicle with a larger trailer weight may prove to be too much, and thus contribute to fishtailing, and other problems.
Jerry, I hadn't realized that some states placed such speed limits on towing an RV. So happy you're "staying safe". After this experience, I know that I certainly will be very careful, cognizant of the weight and $ behind me!
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Old 10-04-2016, 12:48 AM   #15
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Hi Addie,
Thank you for sharing your "narrow escape" from an accident. Reading about your experiences can be a great learning experience for us all. Thank you for sharing!


I too, as a newbie, had a very narrow escape from a severe accident after returning from the Escape Rally last year in Osoyous. I'd like to share with others so all may learn. I hope this thread can stay alive so we all can learn and live with out trailers longer.


Its late and tomorrow I have an early work day (you have no idea how much I'm jealous of you Reeetired folks) so I will tell my story tomorrow night.


All take care,


Tom
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Old 10-04-2016, 09:15 AM   #16
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avoid accidents

A tongue scale will let you know just how safe you are loaded after you have weighed the total trailer.
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Old 10-04-2016, 09:38 AM   #17
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A tongue scale will let you know just how safe you are loaded after you have weighed the total trailer.
Jack
Thanks. We'll do so!
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Old 10-04-2016, 10:46 AM   #18
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If you ever experience fishtailing which is very rare in these trailers, but still can happen, take foot off gas and do not hit your vehicle brakes. At the same time throw the manual trailer brake lever on your brake controller and it will bring your trailer back under control. Had this happen only once towing a Scamp 13 going down a huge mountain pass and it's amazing how quickly this regains control of the trailer and restores normalcy.
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Old 10-04-2016, 10:52 AM   #19
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If you ever experience fishtailing which is very rare in these trailers, but still can happen, take foot off gas and do not hit your vehicle brakes. At the same time throw the manual trailer brake lever on your brake controller and it will bring your trailer back under control. Had this happen only once towing a Scamp 13 going down a huge mountain pass and it's amazing how quickly this regains control of the trailer and restores normalcy.
Whoah - good to know.

I dont know if I would have thought of that.

I'll have to do pretend (sitting in the living room) drills with my family, so we all know what to do.

It is amazing what happens when you practice a few times before a crisis.... the brain will likely remember what to do!
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Old 10-04-2016, 12:25 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Greg A View Post
If you ever experience fishtailing which is very rare in these trailers, but still can happen, take foot off gas and do not hit your vehicle brakes. At the same time throw the manual trailer brake lever on your brake controller and it will bring your trailer back under control. Had this happen only once towing a Scamp 13 going down a huge mountain pass and it's amazing how quickly this regains control of the trailer and restores normalcy.
Greg, I wasn't aware of this, and how it can regain control. Thanks for this very Important bit of information! Don did press on the brakes during our weekend mishap, but he did so very gently, which did regain some control for us. But I will explore this method more closely.
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