SoCalDesertRider wrote: He didn't need a weight distributing hitch. What he needed to do was pull over and wait for the wind to die down, then continue the trip.
Do not agree. With that large of a trailer there was a significant amount of weight being removed from the truck steering axle. This makes it much more difficult to regain control. also he probably did not have any kind of sway control.
If the wind around Livingston, MT can be so strong that they close the freeway (I-90) to "High Profile Vehicles" including 80,000 lb. semis, your fifth wheel doesn't stand a chance! That (closing the freeway due to wind) happens frequently.
Fifth wheels can, will, and have blown over, too!
However, be that as it may, I agree, having owned, and driven with, TTs and a fifth wheel, I will never go back to a TT.
I also agree, a WDH and sway control would not have been any help in the accident shown, and may have made the situation much worse. Just my opinion, of course
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
Once your in a wind storm like that you can do nothing. Driving, sitting, WD, no WD, 5er, TT, sway control, no sway control.Your toast. Nothing you can do will help. NOTHING. Houses have been blown over in storms. Now I guess someone would argue that they had no WD and if they did nothing would happen.
The only thing you can do is hope and pray you're never in one; stand still or driving.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~
"Life is not tried ~ it is merely survived ~ if you're standing
outside the fire"
Once your in a wind storm like that you can do nothing. Driving, sitting, WD, no WD, 5er, TT, sway control, no sway control.Your toast. Nothing you can do will help. NOTHING. Houses have been blown over in storms. Now I guess someone would argue that they had no WD and if they did nothing would happen.
The only thing you can do is hope and pray you're never in one; stand still or driving.
If the wind is from a constant direction, park it nose into the wind.
04 Chev LLY Duramax
07 Desert Fox 24AS Toyhauler
Bikes and quads to fill the toyhauler
Once your in a wind storm like that you can do nothing. Driving, sitting, WD, no WD, 5er, TT, sway control, no sway control.Your toast. Nothing you can do will help. NOTHING. Houses have been blown over in storms. Now I guess someone would argue that they had no WD and if they did nothing would happen.
The only thing you can do is hope and pray you're never in one; stand still or driving.
If the wind is from a constant direction, park it nose into the wind.
Yep, pull over and find a place to park it where the wind is not blowing directly on the large sail area of the side of the trailer. That is why I say, he did not need weight distribution, what he needed was to pull the thing off the road and wait out the storm, instead of keep driving it.
SoCalDesertRider wrote: He didn't need a weight distributing hitch. What he needed to do was pull over and wait for the wind to die down, then continue the trip.
Do not agree. With that large of a trailer there was a significant amount of weight being removed from the truck steering axle. This makes it much more difficult to regain control. also he probably did not have any kind of sway control.
You must not have watched the video. The wind blew the trailer over, nothing to do with the front end light or the sway control not working. Plain and simple, the wind was too strong from the side...
"what he needed was to pull the thing off the road and wait out the storm, instead of keep driving it."
That's all well and good, but weren't they on a limited-access highway? It wasn't like they could just pull the rig crossways in the road...
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
Dually has nothin to do with a WDH. The need for a WDH is based on reciever capacity has nothin to with 1/2, 3/4 1-Ton or MDT. If the tounge weight exceeds the rating of the recievers non weight distributing rating then you need a WDH. There are no other reasons.
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