Dutch Oven Man
Tennessee
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Joined: 05/10/2007
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I was traveling today down I-40 heading West between Cookville and Symrna TN and saw a terrible accident right in front of me. A guy pulling a brand new 30+ foot travel trailer (still had the stickers on it) lost control of his rig and totaled both the truck and trailer. I was about a mile behind him and saw his trailer start to sway going around a bend in the interstate. It looked like he over corrected and took out 200' of guard rail and flipped his rig over about 300' from where he hit the guard rail. We didn't stop because several others stopped, but I did notice he had no sway control on his trailer. Since there was a dealership at the last exit, it looked like he either just bought it or was taking it for a test tow. Either way, I cannot imagine leaving my driveway without my sway bars. Since there were no other vehicles around when he wrecked, I cannot help but think sway control would have helped prevent this accident.
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kknowlton
Wisconsin Border Country, IL
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Joined: 05/27/2005
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Ouch!! BIG time!!
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fourcamping
Columbia, South Carolina
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Joined: 07/10/2007
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That is just my worst possible nightmare. What a terrible thing. I hope everyone got out with little to no bodily injury. And yes, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SWAY CONTROL!!!!!!!
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Joined: 06/16/2004
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IMO there are those that have sway control already, and those who will one day wish they had it.
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Pete D
Washington
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Joined: 11/19/2005
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Sounds to me like that guy's rig needed some fundamental balancing work, not just sway controls. Get it right before throwing hardware at it or you're just masking the problem.
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chadsalt
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Joined: 04/04/2005
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Pete D wrote:Sounds to me like that guy's rig needed some fundamental balancing work, not just sway controls. Get it right before throwing hardware at it or you're just masking the problem.
I agree, if it was new heading home or going for a pre-buy test pull there is no reason to need sway control. I always test pull my trailers "naked", then decide what extra equipment is necessary..........sounds like that trailer would not have make my cut.
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PrivatePilot
Courtice, Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 11/02/2007
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If the guy had sway problems right out of the gate something was terribly awry to begin with. Sway controllers might have only bandaged the situation, or perhaps simply delayed the inevitable.
It's entirely possible to tow without sway control - I've never used it, and there's lots of others that don't either. Proper hitch setup, proper weight distribution in the trailer, and a proper TV (no balloon tires, etc) can make the difference between needing it to cover up an underlying problem, or not needing it at all.
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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I suspect it's pretty close to impossible to diagnose what caused the accident just from a description from a mile away but chances are the trailer was delivered from the manufacturer to the dealers lot with no sway control at all. Just no way of knowing from the OPs description.
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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Joined: 03/15/2006
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it is a terrible thing to happen, and I can only hope he had sense enough to get a rider from his insurance company to take it home. can you believe, how bad it is going to cost him if the insurance doesn't cover this.
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Gunpilot77
Killeen, Tx
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Joined: 10/06/2000
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Dutch Oven Man wrote: I cannot help but think sway control would have helped prevent this accident.
Might have helped prevent it, but then again not hooking up would have definitely prevented it.
No new trailers are delivered with sway control, so saying it is essential on a TT is irresponsible. I've logged somewhere near 100k miles pulling new and used TTs around the country in all kinds of wind and weather conditions. WD is needed in a lot of cases, but never sway controls.
Fifth wheel pulled with a pick-up
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