A spectacular roll-over RV accident has left a motorhome demolished and one person dead on Wyoming’s treacherous Teton Pass. The terrible incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, August 14.
Overheated brakes
Wyoming Highway Patrol officials say the Class A rig was descending the pass, heading east around four in the afternoon. The pass is known for its treacherousness, with 10% grades in places. Adding to the fateful mix, the motorhome was towing a full-size Ford pickup.
Reports show that a driver in front of the motorhome was braking frequently; the motorhome driver reacted by braking as well. The motorhome’s brakes overheated, and the driver ended up passing traffic, evidently in an attempt to avoid hitting them.
As the combination got close to the bottom of the pass, the driver tried scrubbing off the motorhome’s speed by edging off the roadway. The idea didn’t work, as the driver lost control, came back onto the pavement, and spun 180 degrees around. After the complete turn-around, the motorhome went off the roadway and rolled at least once, perhaps twice, before landing upside down.
Five on-board when motorhome demolished
Five people were in the rig, and paramedics took four of them to area hospitals. Two were released after treatment. Sadly, the fifth person in the motorhome, a woman from Nevada, did not survive the crash. The rig itself was a complete loss; essentially the motorhome was demolished on impact.
Passed runaway arrestor
Authorities say the crash occurred at milepost 6.5. The patrol says there is a runaway truck arrestor close to milepost 7—west of where the eastbound accident occurred. It’s not clear if the motorhome driver saw the arrestor, or couldn’t steer the motorhome into the system.
The arrestor is not a gravel-laden runaway ramp, but rather a system that uses nets to catch and stop runaway rigs. The two arrestor systems on Teton Pass have successfully stopped runaway rigs, including a truck pulling a travel trailer.
However, as the website Book Outdoors points out, using the runaway arrestors isn’t easy. “There are two runaway truck ramps, and to use them on an east descent, you need to cross to the left through head-on, uphill traffic,” the site reports.
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I would nave thought that a DP with either exhaust brake or Jake Break, and Allison 3500 transmission would have been able to slow down without overheating the brakes. Unfortunate accident.
Once you get going too fast, the Allison 3000MH won’t allow going into a lower gear, which would destroy it anyway. Start out in a low gear and stay there and it works perfectly.
That’s the key. Start out slow, and stay slow. EXTREMELY slow!
How sad.
That’s why RVs other than, maybe, Class B vans and truck campers should avoid Teton Pass. It was never designed for big vehicles, especially since the landslide earlier this year. We have used US 26 several times between Jackson and Rexburg, but have only taken the TV on WY 22.
Yeah, I know some truckers use that route, but they are CDL-licensed professional drivers who, hopefully, are experienced in mountain driving. Red Mountain Pass on the spectacular (and deadly) Million Dollar Highway is the most dangerous US highway pass in Colorado, but its grades are “only” 8%. Teton Pass has 10% grades! Please, RVtravel readers, keep your RV off WY 22!
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 How tragic! 🤔😯 Thank you for the cautionary tale! Have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
I don’t know about all, but my towed brake system doesn’t brake going downhill (according to the manual) and monitoring it, doesn’t. I tow a f150 pickup. We are extra careful going downhill and sometimes use the manual trigger for the towed brakes to “share the load” on the way down.
Really? Time to replace!
Good on you for reading the manual Michael.
A lot of folks don’t realize inertia triggered brakes and surge brakes don’t actuate on grade. Both systems are actuated by speed decreases, not speed restraint.
In fact, if the supplemental brake system in the towed vehicle isn’t tapped to the towing vehicle’s brake line, it’s just “interpreting” when to brake and by how much.
Very sad. We’ve gone over Teton Pass only once and although our diesel truck can easily tow our FW over that pass, we instead opt to go around through Alpine Junction for a safer, more enjoyable ride.
Absolutely!
Over the last few years it seems story’s like this have become more frequent. As long as someone has the money to buy a rv , go have fun!! No training and little too no advice on using them. On the other hand, some of these rvs are pushing the weight limit of CDL license requirement if in a commercial truck. No training needed. Another interesting thing is, if you are pulling a flat bed trailer with a pickup and have a combined weight of over 10,000 # you are required by law to stop at DOT weigh and inspection stations. Why? To make roads safer. RVs exempt!?
Bingo! I needed a CDL and extensive classroom and OTR training to qualify for my job as a tour bus driver. (Retired after 25 years). For that 40 ft Class A motor home? Write that big check and off you go!
That’s because you were carrying passengers for hire. Similar to having a private pilots license vs a commercial pilots license.
So, your family isn’t as important as a group of people? Of course they are! Times are changing. It used to be that it was common sense not to stick your tongue on a metal pole in the winter. Now we need a warning label.
Whilst it’s possible the brakes were overheated, equally plausible is the brake’s air tanks got pumped to depletion from too frequent application.
Go down the hill in the same gear you climbed it.
That no longer applies. With my 40 ft 5th wheel and 2020 F350 dually with a 10 speed transmission grossing out at 25,940 lbs I can climb almost any hill in 8th gear. Coming down that same hill, with the diesel engine brake on, I need to be in 3rd or if I don’t want to use any braking 2nd gear. For a given weight, if you double your weight you need 4 times the braking power. Double your speed and you need 4 times the braking power. Double your speed and weight and you need 16 times the braking power. Figure it out ahead of time and stay safe.
People sometimes only consider the steepness of the grade and not the length.
The steepness tells you how HARD you’ll have to apply the brakes, the length tells you how LONG you’ll have to apply the brakes.
Both are equally important in calculating a safe speed.
Many bad choices due to driver error, not an accident.
Amen!
Crossover through oncoming traffic to use the runaway arrester? What Einstein designed that and what department head approved it?
The problem is there is nowhere to build out for a runway because the mountain side drops off immediately.
Where else can they put it? Nothing but air on the right side of the downhill road?
““There are two runaway truck ramps, and to use them on an east descent, you need to cross to the left through head-on, uphill traffic,” the site reports. ” What The HECK?!? Through HEAD ON TRAFFIC!?!
I think there may be a sheer dropoff on the eastbound (downhill) side of the highway so no place to put any kind of runaway truck ramp or arrestor apparatus. Maybe someone more familiar with that road can verify.
The Mountain West Directory gives a blow by blow description of this pass. Also remember about 2 – 3 months ago the pass was closed due to total washout of the road. They built a temporary detour to move traffic thru. We have been over the pass numerous times in our dually. The fiver does not go along for that ride. We have seen quite a few rigs going both east and west with overheated brakes. Also, several years ago we saw a Prevost at the top of the pass that had completely melted down. The fire trucks were there putting out the remains of million-dollar vehicle. As chief wrench on our rig I won’t abuse it. Also in this case, you have no idea what the driver ahead of you may do.
This happened to us just above Ten Sleep, Wy in 2005. No one was in front of us. Driving a 2001 Rexall Diesel with no air brake. Just starting to descent and all of a sudden no brakes or transmission. My husband a professional driver with 30 years+ tried to slow by hitting the berm, but then we were going about 65 mph. We caught up with a pick up pulling a trailer and had no choice but to hit it. Luckily, that trailer had brakes and slowed up before hitting the guard rail and not going over the side. The tow truck driver did not realize it had no brakes of any kind and went to pick up and it rolled agaIn. We told insurance to inspect and do not sell any part of MH (they ignored us).
Please confirm…the insurance company sold YOUR motorhome without YOUR permission? Baloney.
Explain how the insurance company can sell your MH without your approval??? Unless it is being financed, they are not in the title.
I never thought I would say this, but I think owners of big class A rigs need to take specific training on the handling of big rigs and the use of airbrakes. Specifically, they need to learn that engine braking is the primary speed devise, and the service brakes (brakes applied with the brake pedal) are only supplemental. I am walking my talk in that I am currently enrolled in a Commercial Truck Driving course through a local community college and, even though I knew a lot about my rig and its systems, the course has taught me so much more. I took this course specifically to learn more about driving my big class A and also hope that taking the training will lower insurance premiums.
Attempting to blame the driver in front of you for braking too frequently and so you do too? Thin, very thin. YOU are responsible for your vehicle!
I’m already slowing down, engaging the engine brake, and watching traffic at the crest of the hill. Once you start moving, without planning, things go south quick!
Whenever I go down the Lewiston=White Bird grades I start out in 2nd gear until close enough to the bottom to upshift. I only have to use the brakes to keep the speed down a few times.
Know your rig and what it can do…
Motorhome drive let someone in front of him control his braking. Foolish. Pull over, let a little time pass and resume.