Be Careful Out There

[rmitch]

Headed north on I-15 today and came across this in Mesquite Nevada. I think it was brand new. As we were going by I think it had a paper ( temporary ) license plate. Hard to tell I did not want to be a lookie loo. Be careful!

[Ditchrider]

Was it windy?

[kstock11]

I remember back when I ordered my 19 back in 2013, someone on the forum suggested waiting to see if a weight distribution hitch was needed until getting home.(3000 miles) That (experiment) didn’t make sense then or now. Try towing without-what could go wrong?!

[escape artist]

Hi: rmitch...Strange how so many of these so called accidents happen on dry pavement and a sunny day!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[HABBERDABBER]

Hard to tell from the photos.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Was it an Escape?
Hard to tell from the photos.

Looks like an Airstream to me

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

Looks like an Airstream to me

Yup, probably.

[GregandTeresa]

Originally Posted by kstock11

I remember back when I ordered my 19 back in 2013, someone on the forum suggested waiting to see if a weight distribution hitch was needed until getting home.(3000 miles) That (experiment) didn’t make sense then or now. Try towing without-what could go wrong?!

We got the same advise in 2016. And we almost had the exact same experience as that airstream on our first trip. Thank goodness I remembered the manual lever on the brake controller. That was the last trip we did without one.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by kstock11

I remember back when I ordered my 19 back in 2013, someone on the forum suggested waiting to see if a weight distribution hitch was needed until getting home.(3000 miles) That (experiment) didn’t make sense then or now. Try towing without-what could go wrong?!

The only time I’ve towed our Escapes without the fully installed WDH has been in the yard from the garage to the driveway. You never know what’s going to happen out there that is not your “fault”.
Iowa Dave

[HABBERDABBER]

There are the folks that say they don't need a WDH, mostly because they don't have one. I never understood the reasoning. Some gripe about the hassle, others may be pinching pennies, but it always seemed like a prudent device to use....along with anything else that makes towing safer and easier.


But what do I know?

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

There are the folks that say they don't need a WDH, mostly because they don't have one. I never understood the reasoning. Some gripe about the hassle, others may be pinching pennies, but it always seemed like a prudent device to use....along with anything else that makes towing safer and easier.


But what do I know?

If I know or meet someone who has an opinion on something I’m considering buying I usually ask them about their experiences and listen and look at them when we are talking and ask questions. I feel I can pretty readily determine whether they know what they are talking about. Then I make my own decision. I do not get too excited about product ratings, especially where
the product can change greatly with small modifications. Most worthless are criticisms of waitress or waiter staff in restaurants that are over about a month old. WDH equipment loading, tires, suspension all need to work together for safe, enjoyable towing.
YMMV
Iowa Dave

[johnnyv]

Hi Dave, whats your opinion on the 2020 f150 with max tow package in regards to wdh.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by johnnyv

Hi Dave, whats your opinion on the 2020 f150 with max tow package in regards to wdh.

I haven’t kept up on pickups since I traded my last one in 2012 but I would estimate that there are probably more Escapes are being towed by F150s than any other vehicle. If the max tow package and the “adjacent” trim packages fit your liking and budget I’m sure the F150 will work fine. I have made it a policy in the last 40
plus years not to knock another man’s equipment. When I shot clay birds for money a guy showed up one night with a beat up 870 Remington. There was some eye rolling and a few side comments. Then he took about four or five events and a couple hams and the eye rolling stopped. At the same club a few months later I got paired with a fellow who had a very expensive trap gun. He thought he was going to pair with a friend when he signed up for the event but the friend signed up with someone else. He was critical of me and my shotgun,
“You’re shooting that?” So we shot together and I picked up his miss three times out of five and shot my five birds and he got two of his and we won the event and the money. About 45 minutes later he sought me out to shoot again. And we did and we won again and he became a friend. So I don’t criticize other people’s equipment. but when I know I have superior equipment because I’ve owned both, I don’t hesitate to defend mine. I’m sure you’ll be fine with the F150.
Iowa Dave

[HABBERDABBER]

.I thought you had a story coming.
Yeah, F150...that’s the ticket.

[JeffreyG]

I have one of those Rem 870's myself, but sadly I'm not going to wow anyone shooting clays. One nice thing about an 870 (with the "genuine hardwood" stock) is that you don't feel too much of a twinge when you wind up submerging the gun entirely when trying to cross a flooded area.

[gbaglo]

Had a fellow challenge the pool table in a Washington state bar. He slapped down his dollar for a bet. I suggested a raise, his cap for my cap. His was a ratty, plastic gas station cap, mine was felt and embroidered with Vancouver Sun.

Should mention, our group had already visited every bar between our motel and the waterfront and I was seeing double. He opened his fancy leather case and screwed his cue together. He won the coin toss too and the break.


I stepped back, sipping my beer; he leaned over the table and dropped the 8-ball in a side pocket on the break.
Having lost the table, he retired to the bar, with his greasy cap still on his head. He sat there for some time before leaving the bar.

[Iowa Dave]

Those feel good moments are memorable but not frequent enough. Although I’ve had my share.

I was in a tavern one night when a fellow for some unknown reason went off on the fact that Iowa had too many counties. We have 99. And they all have an alphabetical number. He said nobody can name half of them. I said I could do that easy and in fact could name 70. He wanted to bet and we settled on the choice of a quart of beer or a call drink from the bar. As soon as I agreed this loudmouth called out to the whole bar that we had bet and that I would take their action too. Dick the bartender took down the names of the betters and gave me a piece of paper and a pencil. I started by writing the numbers 1-99. Then I filled in all the ones I knew for sure. And then started going through the ones I knew existed but not the number. I stopped at 85. 17 drinks and quarts of beer were too much for me but my friends enjoyed the surplus. Probably should have warned him my Grandma had a bank calendar with all the counties colored in and I studied it every summer when I stayed with her on farm when I was a kid. But he didn’t ask.

A couple winters ago I renewed my quest and got to 94 before I had to look. An active mind, even on unimportant things can’t be bad. It’s better than TV. It’s
pretty quiet on the prairie these days.
Iowa Dave

[Mike G]

I have owned and utilized an Equal-i-zer as well as an Andersen No-Sway. I have also towed without any anti-sway device for, probably, a couple hundred thousand miles. The one and only time I had scary sway was when I was just starting out in towing, with an improperly loaded (too little hitch weight) 4x8 utility trailer! I learned my lesson: always make sure a trailer is loaded with 10-15% of its total weight on the hitch. However, back when I had a 23' Rockwood and a short wheelbase SUV, it felt unsteady towing it home (20 minutes slow and easy) so I always used the Equal-i-zer with it from then on. So my personal rule of thumb is, I don't feel the need for anti-sway with a trailer under 18' in length when I know it's loaded correctly, but for any trailer 20'+ I definitely want sway control.


That said, everyone who feels more comfortable with an anti-sway hitch should have one; they certainly can't hurt. And WD smooths out the ride, which is why I had the Andersen for a while (my wife complained about the rocking motion).

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

There are the folks that say they don't need a WDH, mostly because they don't have one. I never understood the reasoning. Some gripe about the hassle, others may be pinching pennies, but it always seemed like a prudent device to use....along with anything else that makes towing safer and easier.

I don't have one. I don't feel I need one. It has nothing to do with money.



I tow with a 250/2500 series vehicle. I my tow vehicle has a 13,500 lb GCWR and over 3000 lbs of payload.

I don't drive like I'm driving a racecar. Though i use to be a firefighter and have driven much larger vehicles more aggressively.

[h2owmn]

I think Nebraska has about 90 counties also, and back in the day the car license plates began with the county # by population. 1- (and 59-) were Omaha area, 2- Lincoln, etc etc. It was a car trip game to see how many counties we could spot. I don't know if it's still that way.

Edited to add that further research indicates that the numbers represent the number of registered vehicles in the county (not population) in 1922 when the system was implemented.