I have been reading a few postings concerning toad accidents. Toads that come loose and take their own direction causing damage and some fatalities before they come to rest.
What I do not understand is the "how".
How is it that the toad comes loose and breaks away from the tow vehicle?
If, "IF" the tow vehicle driver has performed his/her due dilligence on the assembly this should be such a "rarety" that it would make headline news.
Hitch - secured by bolting or welding it onto the heavy frame of the towing vehicle. Sizing is important here too. Inspection of the hitch assembly is not arbitrary - it should be a "manditory" step prior to each and every trip - and sometimes during that trip.
Tow bar - another critical element of the system. There are numerous brands out there and rest assured the Mfg of each make sure their system not just meets the requirements of strength and quality - they far exceed them. All the owner has to do is due dilligence - inspect and maintain them.
Pins - there are several pins that have to be examined on a continueing basis - they are all heavy duty metal pins and rarely will they fracture or become fatigued. Again - inspections are the rule.
Base plate on the toad - again there are numerous ones out there and once again the Mfg designs and builds them to exceed the strength and quality required. Inspection of the assembly is manditory because of things like bolts loosening and security ties coming loose, welds fracturing.
Chains and cables are not all equal. Some are light duty and some are medium and then heavy dity strengths. These are the "fail safe" portion of the assembly that is critical. Inspect them and do so each time prior to pulling out onto the public streets or highways.
This is the thing that I do not understand. Seldom mentioned is the "How" the toad managed to break away. Given the hitch comes loose or breaks - the safety chains or cables are there to provide the safety of the toad from coming loose.
There should be "no part" of the hitch, tow bar, base plate system that is an integral part of the "safety chain or cables".
The safety chains or cables should be securely attached to the tow vehicle's frame and likewise on the toad.
When one reads of the accidents and break aways - nothing is ever mentioned as to the safety chains or cables. Most likely, IMHO, these are the ones that have been attached to the hitch and or the base plate of the toad.
Guess I don't understand folks that take such "shortcuts" - it is reckless.
One thing worthy of mention is the toad's breakaway braking system. Once that toad comes completely loose think of what it's going to do. A moving object tends to continue on in the same direction as it's moving unless something causes it to turn. If the toad was to gradually drift to the ditch or median then the surface conditions will interfere with it's direction.
Regardless of whether or not the break away brakes are working - the toad will either coast to a stop or hit something or someone. If the breakaway brakes are set and working it will skid to a stop - however this may or may not occur prior to hitting someone or somthing. Moving down the highway at 70 mph - locked up toad brakes will still allow that vehicle to get all the way over into oncoming traffic.
Folks - now is the time of year we should all be inspecting our coach, toad, and safety systems.
Happy RV'ing
God Bless
Bill
Bill W. Trammell
Wife - Judy
2001 Monaco Dynasty Chancellor
2008 Malibu 2LT toad
I believe it is a rarity and that is why the few that do occur are sensationalized.
Your article, Bill, is very good and I'm sure that many of us who have toads follow the information provided in it. I also know that I've seen all manner of other things done to tow vehicles. Since the specifics of the accidents that have been reported are never provided, there is no way for any of us to know whether it was the result of failures of standard towing equipment or the result of something that was more "home made."
I'll take my chances any day with a toad coming loose on someone else's MH. Those odds are much longer than the possibility of getting into an accident with someone who is talking on their cell phone. I have near misses with those nearly every day that I drive.
Thanks for the reminders Bill. The potential for disaster that an improperly connected toad presents prompted me to create a checklist that we go through every time we hook the toad up and inspection is a part of that checklist.
Have RV....Will Travel
2007 Forest River Sunseeker 2860 LTD
2000 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
I too have been reading all the threads concerning towing safety. Maybe what I am writing here is obvious, but I'm voicing my thoughts anyway.
There is always risk when towing ANYTHING. The aim should be to eliminate or minimize the risk. Don't tow eliminates the risk. If towing, there are five general areas that can fail in a towing system - receiver, hitch pins, hitch-ball-towbar or integral hitch-tow bar assembly, towbar pins, and base plate than can impact the over-all risk. The receivers are typically welded to frame of the MH (if bolted, the bolts should be tack-welded); this item is robust, as-is a properly installed base plate. Since these two items have the least risk of failure in the system, therefore the safety chains/cables should/could attach to these points for the least impact on safety or to directly to the frames of the MH and the Toad. I know I'm going to get some flak and that failures do occur (e.g., the baseplate/frame failure in the Explorer/Expedition, etc.) but the over-all risk is highest in the man-machine interfaces - the other three areas of the system described. Proper maintenance and installation care reduces the risks here. If installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, the risk is minimized. Deviations from the engineered designed increase risk.
After all of this, I can't find follow-up information on the I-65 accident near Cullum, Al on May 5. Anybody outthere know anymore? It would be interesting to know what failed. Knowing what really happened would be benefical to all so that we may all learn from this terrible event.
Was the failure a result of installation or maintenance error or was a forgein influence applied (another vehicle) to cause the event? I don't want to rely on dumb luck for protection - that's just dumb not luck - you make your own luck.
A well thought out post, Bill, which should be common sense. But that's the thing about common sense -- it's so uncommon!
sepisllib wrote: If, "IF" the tow vehicle driver has performed his/her due dilligence on the assembly this should be such a "rarety" that it would make headline news.
I think this is the key to the whole post. The assumption is due diligence on the part of the driver, and I'm sure that doesn't happen often enough. And as for the rest of that sentence, I think toad separations make headline news because they are so rare. I hear about landscape trailers, cement mixers, compressors, etc. breaking loose from work trucks far more often than toads breaking loose.
2007 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PDQ 400 ISL Cummins/Allison
2002 Chevy Avalanche toad
Inside: Him, Her, and a pack of little furballs...
Basic problem after everything being hooked up properly is that you must know what is going on back there. Everyone needs a camera turned on to watch the toad, or trailer. Too much speed, a possible flat tire, etc., get the towed vehicle swaying out of control. Unless you see it and slow down, or stop, the towed vehicle will eventually break the hitch, and possibly the chains. Toads have been known to catch fire without the driver knowing it.
Mark
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
I suspect most breakways are due to hitch failure. I see very few hook-ups where the safety chains actually go to the frame - most are clipped to the hitch itself. I'm sure insurance company files would give us the answers. It's odd that the causes of breakways aren't spoken of in the media.
I know of a situation where the bolts holding the baseplate to the toad sheared and the baseplate with the breakaway switch came off. He was making a turn onto a freeway ramp at the time, and was able to get stopped without damage to anything but the front of the toad.
When I heard about his problem, I crawled under my toad and found my bolts were loose also. My question is, how long before they come loose again? (they were LocTite'd) Should I crawl under the toad during a trip? Etc. I could do everything right and still have a problem. I do plan to move my breakaway switch off the baseplate, but that will make it a lot more difficult to use.
My point is that until I know the details of each accident, I'll withhold judgment.
Dave & Rose C
90 Safari Ivory 34' DP 04 Saturn VUE V6
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