Ever had a trailer break loose?

yoder519

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Location
Abingdon, VA
well I did yesterday. Scariest thing ever happened to me in my life. I was hauling a truck on my trailer, I figure I was pulling about 8k vehicle and trailer. I hit the interstate, get up to 55, and the trailer starts to shake a little, next thing I know, its sliding side to side, and jerking my truck all over the road. I looked out my window, and seen the side of the back bumper of the truck I was pulling, trailer axles where in the other lane. Then I look back and see a tractor trialer hauling balls coming down toward me, he locks it up and gets stopped. Then we turned around, and unloaded the truck and chose plan B.

Question- What causes this? Its a home built 16' trailer. Had the truck on the trailer forward. noticed before we unloaded it the rear axle trailer tires were squated. And also noticed it was a hair high in tongue, but my truck was squated. Also, the trailer axles are centered under the trailer. Is this the main problem? or did all of this work against me to cause it? There was no wind at the time. I was planning on adding 4' to the front of the trailer and redoing the tongue to balance it out better. I think Ill wait til I do this before I haul another vehicle.
 
Tongue was too light... Or maybe equal balance.

Had this happen once with a load in a dump trailer, never again. Someone else loaded, and i drove off without checking it closely.

Some vehicles will surprise you -- you can get more tongue weight by loading backwards.

You need a longer trailer...
 
Not enough tongue weight. If the tow rig was already 'squatted', then it was also too much weight for the tow rig.

Moving the axles rearward would help the tongue weight, so would adding to the front of the trailer...so long as you're adding deck that lets you pull the load further forward.
 
Trailer axles should be mounted 40/60
 
Question was the trailer for sure hooked up and latched that is something that is easily overlooked
 
What do you mean break loose? My first thought was come uncoupled, but I think you are describing it swaying and losing traction.
 
my 16' trailer came off the ball once. I was running an 1 7/8" ball when i should have been using the 2 5/16" ball. Trailer was empty, but still exciting. glad i had good safety chains.
 
My grandfather once had a trainer come completely off. He was hauling the 4-wheeler behind his van with a small trailer and he hit a big bump as he was slowing down for a curve, said the next thing he knew the trailer was passing him on the shoulder. :lol:

I've almost lost it a couple of times back when I towed a 16' flatbed with cars behind a 92 2-dr Yukon, but always got it backed down in time.
 
" you can get more tongue weight by loading backwards". Kaiser 715, I don't understand,what your saying? The end of the vehicle, that holds the motor,will be the heavy end, & the heavy end,goes towards the hitch.

I too, thought he meant, "came off the coupling"! Yep, I had the "too small" ball, mounted once! Carrying an engine on the rear of the trailer, hit a bump, she Un-hitched, safety chains held, as the tongue hit my tailgate. Worse, the rear trailer tire, caught a steel mail box post, planted in concrete,
which bent the rear axle! AND, No, I didn't offer to straighten up that post!:mad:
 
I was hauling 15k in hay and the idiot loaded the grass up front and the alfalfa in the back making the tail very heavy geting on the hwy the trailer started wipping back and forth to the point i could read the sidewall of the trailer tires i was in my 05 c5500 kodiak and dropped two gears and slamed the throttle to the floor and was able to bring it back my gf and friend had to change their pants and i had permanent dents in my steering wheel from holding the wheel straight.


Always try to load the vehicle engine first and put it as far forward as you can it is better to be nose heavy than tail heavy but like with my friends burban i load it backwards cause how heavy the ass of that thing is

81 w250 clubcab 318mag 300hp d60F&R 4.11 35s
94chevy silverado 350 4l60 325hp 3.73 32s

sent by telegraph from my w250
 
rodney eppes said:
" you can get more tongue weight by loading backwards". Kaiser 715, I don't understand,what your saying? The end of the vehicle, that holds the motor,will be the heavy end, & the heavy end,goes towards the hitch.
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Really. Had to do it once a few years ago...old chrysler wagon...trailer perfect balance with it nose-first and all the way forward...loaded backwards the ass end went further forward on the trailer (rear overhang over front of trailer), enough to get at least some tongue weight. Broke down on 40 in g'boro, got it home.
 
One time I was pulling 4x8 single axle trailer from the back yard to the front, to mow, and I forgot to latch it. Man when it came off, well, wasn't very exciting but it left a long scrape in the gravel because I did remember the chains.
 
Yea the trailer axctually broke traction, and was sliding back and forth. It never came un coupled, and the safety chains never came loose. My truck is a 3/4 ton chevy so I dont think it was over loaded, it was my trailer and a 4 door full size short wheel base truck. So yall think not enough tongue weight and uneven balance right? Thanks for all the replies.
 
I was pulling a 5x10 utility trailer once with just a couple of kayaks on it on interstate. The trailer started going left and right all over the road. I was able to get it over on the shoulder and upon inspection, the ball was loose. That's when I learned to always check the ball.
 
Black Bear said:
my 16' trailer came off the ball once. I was running an 1 7/8" ball when i should have been using the 2 5/16" ball. Trailer was empty, but still exciting. glad i had good safety chains.
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We got lucky that day
 
I did the same thing when I was young pulling a f/s bronco loaded backward w/ a 1/2 ton 77 model ford truck. Needless to say It spun me around in the interstate, broke a tire down on the trailere and flipped bronco w/ the trailer still attached to it. Worst thing was looking west bound in the east bound lane seeing an eightteen wheeler smoking all it's tires coming at me. Talk about shitting your pants.
 
We had a 4-door JK loose it in the pouring rain yesterday on I-81. He was pulling a 25' travel trailer? If memory serves me the JK has a 2500# tow cap so he was way over that. The guy and his family somehow survived the roll over into the medium. God looks out for fools and their children.

In your case, its got to be a weight distribution issue
 
yoder519 said:
Yea the trailer axctually broke traction, and was sliding back and forth. It never came un coupled, and the safety chains never came loose. My truck is a 3/4 ton chevy so I dont think it was over loaded, it was my trailer and a 4 door full size short wheel base truck. So yall think not enough tongue weight and uneven balance right? Thanks for all the replies.
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I think earlier in this thread you said it was home built.
Problems that cause extreme fish tail as you described.

Axles mounted to close to center.
Weight distributed incorrectly over said axles.
Not enough tongue weight.
Poor driver skill.
Sudden aggressive jerking of the steering wheel
Receiving a blow job whilst driving.
Lack of bacon in your diet causing loss of man points.

:flipoff2:
 
Happened to me twice and I've seen it once.
1st time I was loading my bronco on to the trailer and about the time the front wheels hit the deck the trailer came off the ball and slammed the tailgate of the truck.
2nd time I got a really old cheap trailer from.a buddy. The tounge was just a pipe that had the two pieces of flat bar on top and bottom. All I had that would make it through both was a bolt. The nut stayed on for a while but I was going among about 30 and the whole deal came off. I saw it plow up somebody's front yard. Went and hooked back up and went home.
 
I was pulling a log splitter one time that had a 2 5/16 coupler. I thought it was a 2". Came loose and put a nice dent in my tailgate. Safety chains held and no other damage. Now ALL of my trailers are 2" balls.
 
Echs332000 said:
Was pulling a 18 wheeler with a wrecker attachment. Fucking truck came lose at 55 mph on I-85. Slammed into a guard rail.
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Leave it to the black guy... Thats a good one Shawn!
 
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