10" Drop Hitch = Leverage

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Rich said:
On a lighter note - Wolfpack - the answer to the last line in your signature - They're mounted behind the bumper of my tow rig. :D
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Hehehe. :beer: :shaking:
 
Hobie pretty much nailed it, but there's also the change in vehicle ability with a lift. It won't turn like it used to. It won't stop like it used to (because of the tire size). You can't swerve around an object in the road like it used to. Becuase most lifts "level" the vehicle, they typically sit ass-low when loaded, reducing weight over the steer tires. Lifting a tow rig affects every single aspect of the vehicle, not to mention further reduces MPG.

I understand some people NEED a more agressive tire because they pull alot off-road.. Maybe his dad is one of those people, but that truck is a little pretty / clean for something that sees alot of work duty.

Even if he was going 15-20, it was too fast for conditions. How do I know this? He wrecked. Pop quiz - what do you do if you start to slide? LET OFF THE BRAKES. let 100% of the available traction go for steering. Oops. Never know, he may have been able to negotiate that curve.

On the upside, at least the truck stayed on the trailer.

It's just one of those things where a bunch of little things add up to one BIG one.
 
LET OFF THE BRAKES. let 100% of the available traction go for steering.
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This is something that really needs to be taught, and never will. Brakes have never gotten anyone out of anything. They may just prevent you from getting to it as quick. Steering is where its at.
 
Its hard for folks to over come that first reaction. Oh crap hit the brakes. Same thing when a trailer starts to sway its hard to keep your foot off the brakes but its what you gotta do.
 
jeepinmatt said:
This is something that really needs to be taught, and never will. Brakes have never gotten anyone out of anything. They may just prevent you from getting to it as quick. Steering is where its at.
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And that's why ABS was invented, to overcome the natural reaction of bad driving. On the video a week or two ago with a harley missing a corner and dropping into a gulley, if he had been riding one of the better jap or german bikes with linked ABS, he probably could have slowed and made the turn at the same time.

This whole post is another reason my Grandpa always says, "you don't need 4wd to tow your ________." A 2wd has better payload capacity, is lower to the ground (easier to load) and generally cheaper for the initial purchase. Unless you have a ranch/farm i can't see needing a 4wd tow rig.
 
You're absolutely right lugnut...

It would require a complete revamp, and a requirement for driver's TRAINING, not just "ride around and don't hit anything and you'll pass".

Spend a little time in mainland Europe, and you'll find some of the best 'regular' drivers ever.. 'Course, it costs upwards of $2000 to go through the training to GET your license... and that's just for a car.

ChrisM - I disagree.. that rider target fixated. all that would have saved him was for that H-D to convert into a KTM.. :D I would LOVE ABS on my bike though..
 
Rich said:
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Spend a little time in mainland Europe, and you'll find some of the best 'regular' drivers ever.. 'Course, it costs upwards of $2000 to go through the training to GET your license... and that's just for a car.
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Damn !! I have always thought we need to rethink our whole policy on drivers license. If I pass a little test in a Yugo I get my license and can now hop in my crew cab dually with 40ft trailer in tow and legally drive :confused: . That just aint right.
 
lugnut said:
If I pass a little test in a Yugo I get my license and can now hop in my crew cab dually with 40ft trailer in tow and legally drive :confused: . That just aint right.
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How about grandpa in his spankin new 30,000lb diesel pusher RV with trailer in tow? Class C license only.

You'd at least need a class A for the dually & trailer.. legally. But ask me sometime about my 14 hour ordeal trying to take my class A road test that never happened.. :shaking:
 
:lol: I don't see why every one is coming down so hard on you, You only did made 3 wrong moves. 1 hooking up to a trailer hitch with a 10' drop. 2 pulling said trailer with no BRAKES on a pubilc road. And finally #3 Telling everyone what kind of JACKA$$ wound do such a thing. You are the kind of persons that get new laws passed for those lacking COMMAN SENCE.:bounce2: :bounce: :gay:
 
mann i didnt realize there were so many experts on this board that have never made i mistake just a bunch of people willing to talk alot of bs about others...is it that time of the month for some of u???..Its people like RICH that make this board worth reading. but that just me and my .02
 
Rich said:
If a 1/2 ton did the same thing, it would have been ALOT worse.
15-20mph? I think a little faster... maybe 15-20 when he hit the porch!
Lifted tow rigs are dumb. Real dumb. So is a tow rig with MT's, which suck ass in the rain. Towing with one without trailer brakes is even worse. Damn, what if the guy sitting on the porch couldn't move quickly? How does manslaughter grab ya?
How many damn kids are gonna keep doing this shit before someone actually does get killed?
And yes, his father is just as much to blame for letting him do it. :shaking: He should know better.
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I was following him when he hit that house. He really was going 15-20 around that turn. You're right that it was too fast because he didn't make the turn but I can see how he could have made the mistake. He didn't lose *any* speed while sliding downhill on wet grass.

He said his father normally tows a boat. I'd guess the lift was to keep the truck out of the water while getting it off a boat ramp. It was a horrible day and I'm glad that nobody was hurt. AT tires and trailer brakes would have probably made all the difference.
 
It is a fact of life on the internet today: do something someone views as dumb, stupid, dangerous or all three -post it- and you will get flamed. Period. I think talk about the subject is a good thing. It gives someone something to think about the next time a situation arises. If he posted and one person said "umm I think that was not good, watch out next time." it wouldn't mean shit. If a dozen people voice their opinion and views it means more. (Granted, on the internet everyone becomes an expert and a critic because the event is after the fact.) Consider it a virtual spanking per say. Flaming to a certian extent is good and useful. If you open yourself to being flamed: prepare for the result. Can't stand the heat? -Leave(the little X in the upper right of your browser window). I think Ricky did a good thing, even though he didn't use good judgment he is taking the critisim well and I hope he has learned a life lesson, one that could have cost him a whole lot more to learn.
-Josh
 
good thing is is one less retard on the road. The bad, is one hit a house. Hopefully one day these dumb fawk kids will learn.
 
vanguard said:
I was following him when he hit that house. He really was going 15-20 around that turn. You're right that it was too fast because he didn't make the turn but I can see how he could have made the mistake. He didn't lose *any* speed while sliding downhill on wet grass.
He said his father normally tows a boat. I'd guess the lift was to keep the truck out of the water while getting it off a boat ramp. It was a horrible day and I'm glad that nobody was hurt. AT tires and trailer brakes would have probably made all the difference.
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We've all done stupid shit, and your buddy isn't the one to be singled out. He's not here bragging, and he's not even asking for pics of the wreck to be put up. He's got his own issues right now (court, probable lawsuit, possible injury to himself).

-- Let's get back to bashing Ricky, who is still planning on towing with a lifted tow rig.

J
 
Wolfpack OffRoad said:
It is a fact of life on the internet today: do something someone views as dumb, stupid, dangerous or all three -post it- and you will get flamed. Period. I think talk about the subject is a good thing. It gives someone something to think about the next time a situation arises.
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Yes it's a good thing posting now that now that I think about it. It throws comansence out there for those that don't have it. PS when down shifting so much and not using brakes, Guess what no brake lights to see till you get your foot back on the brakes, If you HAVE too down shift that much, reach up and hit the 4=way flasher untill you can use foot brake.
 
Being the newbie here i might not have a place to speak yet. But i dont think hes (Ricky) taking this the right way, ive had friends hurt badly becasue of stupid crap just like what you pulled, please try to take this more seriously. Ive read the "What it means to sponser a kid" and i hope that the mods and admins take that seriously

"If the kid posts something, stupid, or just wrong information, not once, but over and over, then the person who sponsored him should take him aside and have a talk with him. If that doesn't work, then the mods will be talking to him."

Again being relatively new here but been a moderator on other boards, I would hope that either he needs a talking to to get that smart ass, trying to be funny attitude out of his head, or figure out another way to educate this kid. Im no ones father nor do i play one on TV, its just my opinion.
 
Good point... Mods should discuss this a bit more. Galen (lomodyj) is his sponsor. I'll be PMing him (and possibly seeing him tonight for a CNC thing).

J

edit: In general, chit chat is almost anything goes. We're not going to police him, but we're going to make damned sure that what he is doing endangers the lives of everyone on the road including himself. (Even with the smaller tires and trailer brakes, he's running a lift on a rig barely able to tow a car stock).
 
Dude the so called "smart ass" attitude I was taking was to try and lighten the mood to the thread so It didn't become another shouting match, I'm all for keeping things here friendly since were all here to help each other out anyway.

As far as taking it the right way I would think I am. I have stated already that I had just put new hubs and brakes on my trailer b4 I went on that trip. The only reason the brakes weren't working is because after an hour of messing with the wiring I couldn't figure out how to get it to work. Then of course I have other things to do during the week like working and didn't have any more time to mess with it before I had to head up to get the stuff that sunday. I even mentoined trying to take it to a trailer place but like I said the only place that my self and several other places I went to know of is Carolina Hitch, and they moved and no one knew where they moved to.

Then earlier I found where they moved to and even posted a few posts ago that I'm gonna take my trailer to them to get the brake wiring fixed. Looks to me like I am making an effort to fix the situation. Granted my Truck is not great at towing, and the lift doesnt help but I am making efforts to make it better, don't take the opinoin that I am laughing the situation off and thinking you are all stupid in the back of my head, becuase thats not the case.
 
Ok, 7 pages of insanity is enough eh? Reading above post, sounds like it got thru...

Basically, FIX IT...and know better in future...and for the rest of us, I have done dumb things too AND posted them here and admitted I was an idiot too, we can just hope HE and OTHERS have learned.

Towing IS more dangerous than not towing and you can compound the danger by several factors... our hope is to reduce as many of those factors as possible for all of our safety.

So...locking the thread down just so it can die a merciful death at this point?!?!?
 
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