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Old 06-27-2018, 09:33 AM   #1
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Know what you are towing....

Couple wrecks trailer on Silverdale freeway 20 minutes after buying it | KOMO
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Old 06-27-2018, 10:37 AM   #2
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Is the floor some kind of joke? It looks like a bunch of misc. 2x4s and 2x6s each held on by little brackets.

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Old 06-27-2018, 10:46 AM   #3
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The article says, unbeknown to the new owners the trailer was heavier than expected due to the pressure treated 2 x 6 boards. I have never seen a mass produced travel trailer built like that! Amazing.
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Old 06-27-2018, 12:13 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Mike G View Post
The article says, unbeknown to the new owners the trailer was heavier than expected due to the pressure treated 2 x 6 boards. I have never seen a mass produced travel trailer built like that! Amazing.
It isn't very clear whether or not the trailer was new but my guess is not, and someone repaired a bad floor that way, and they went by the weight on the registration to see if they could tow it. And were likely going too fast, besides, though since the woman ended up not being cited maybe not.

But it does look like if they'd crawled under it they'd have seen the 2x6s.
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Old 06-27-2018, 01:36 PM   #5
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Wow, I don't know if this is stupidity on the part of the owners, or ignorance/apathy on the part of the dealer, or both. None of these accidents need to happen. Easily preventable.

EDIT: looks like it was not new and was modified?
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Old 06-27-2018, 01:41 PM   #6
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Maybe this thread should be renamed to "Know what you're towing, know what you're buying."
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Old 06-27-2018, 02:13 PM   #7
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And finally

Quote:
Originally Posted by CADreamin View Post
Maybe this thread should be renamed to "Know what you're towing, know what you're buying."
And it would not hurt to add “ Know what you are doing.” There the towing concepts involving backing up, three point turns, lining up on driving lanes etc. AND then there’s the concepts involved in rigging up and readying both tow and trailer for the journey with proper weight distribution, tire pressure, tire balance etc. One of the best concise towing tutorials I know of is on the Sherline Scale website. As least it was there last time I looked. Lots of us have towed for over 50 years. Experience, common sense, accurate measurements and patience prevent towing accidents. Walk around the rig, without distractions, and concentrate. Nothing wrong with a checklist no matter what your age. Never quit learning.
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Old 06-27-2018, 02:28 PM   #8
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so what, thats about a 30' trailer, looks like? so the 'floor' is maybe 8' wide, 26' long?

pressure treated 2x6's are (looks it up), 3.2 lbs per board foot. at 5.5" wide, it would take about 17.5 2x6's to go across (I note some 2x4's in there but we'll just round down to 17), so 17 boards * 26 feet long * 3.2 lbs per boardfoot... thats 1400 lbs of lumber. give or take for all the estimating I did.
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Old 06-27-2018, 02:42 PM   #9
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so what, thats about a 30' trailer, looks like? so the 'floor' is maybe 8' wide, 26' long?

pressure treated 2x6's are (looks it up), 3.2 lbs per board foot. at 5.5" wide, it would take about 17.5 2x6's to go across (I note some 2x4's in there but we'll just round down to 17), so 17 boards * 26 feet long * 3.2 lbs per boardfoot... thats 1400 lbs of lumber. give or take for all the estimating I did.

Judging from all the growth on the boards I'd say the boards might still be wet too. Which would add even more weight.
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Old 06-27-2018, 03:20 PM   #10
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Judging from all the growth on the boards I'd say the boards might still be wet too. Which would add even more weight.
Hi: wetzk... I'm board with all this "Stickie talking". In my youth I appeared before a Judge who said " You must have your vehicle under due care and control at all times". Therefore there is no losing control...period Alf
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Old 06-27-2018, 03:23 PM   #11
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Looking at the photos, you have to wonder:
Had to be a "Craigslist" or similar purchase. Even a really bad dealer wouldn't let something like that off the lot. Just too many liability issues.
Was speed a factor? There are a lot of folks that don't consider speed when towing. Add an inexperienced driver and the risks multiply.
Was the tow vehicle big enough? Just because the vehicle manual says you can tow 6,000 lbs., doesn't mean you can SAFELY tow 6,000 lbs.
If speed and tow vehicle aren't factors, was the proper hitch system used? Can't really tell from the photos, but doesn't look like any weight distribution or sway bars.
I have to say, the driver was really lucky there weren't any other vehicles involved or anybody injured. She was also lucky there were no tickets issued or charges filed by the responding law enforcement.
Whatever the circumstances, this was an expensive lesson learned.
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Old 06-27-2018, 05:03 PM   #12
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I was also thinking, how much more weight is that? Seems to me it would be similar to what gear in a fully packed trailer would weigh, anyway, so odds are too much for the vehicle pulling it. Or could just have been an inexperienced driver. Hard to guess from the info provided.
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