This heart-stopping video shows a travel trailer swaying along a busy New Jersey highway before crossing lanes of traffic and flipping over. The video is one of many that show how dangerous it can be to improperly attach a trailer or camper to a vehicle.
Car expert Lauren Fix told “Inside Edition” many people just don’t know how to properly hitch a trailer. “Inside Edition” Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero joined the California Highway Patrol to see how many drivers are hauling trailers improperly. It didn’t take them long to find many dangerous situations.
If you pull a trailer or tow any other vehicle, please take two-and-a-half minutes to watch this video. You may save a life – yours or someone else’s.
Load distribution is even more critical. An improperly loaded trailer, or having the improper tongue weight is even more dangerous.
Safety chains are the last safety device, and if the trailer is properly weighted and secured, will never be needed.
Should Not be called an Accident.
Speed and stupidy, and no sway control will cause just what you see in the video. Last month in heavy traffic an RV two vehicles ahead of us did the same thing, but did not flip. I have been towing travel trailers for 25 years and I would never tow without sway control. Someone cuts you off, slams on the brakes, you have to move in a different lane to exit – you need sway control. Don’t tell me because you have a monster truck you will always have control. That trailer is hitched onto a ball that can move in different directions.
Besides mentioning safety chains and pins, not a word about proper weight distribution 10% + on hitch ,sway control even a mention of something like Hensley Arrow.
No? Costs too much. Whats your deductible? Are you willing to kill someone for you cheapness?
I’m not sure where Jeff is coming from when he says that disk brakes will stop his fiver should it ever come loose from his hitch. Only a break-away cable will do that. But I DO agree that towing speeds should be no more than 65 mph and enforcement should be applied for anyone going over that!
I noticed in that test video where they purposely undid the chain, they also lifted the locking device (the one that should have a clip in it) to ensure the trailer came loose. I doubt anyone neglects to close that latching device when hooking up (but you never know . . .). We would never tow without the lock we put in that latch, but not having some sort of ‘locking’ thingie in there DOES NOT guarantee a crash. Just sayin’.
As the saying goes “You can’t fix stupid”. At 1:18 of the video the woman is putting the safety pin into a hitch where it’s obvious the latching mechanism is on top of the ball not under it as it should be. Can you not see the rusty part of the hitch sticking up? Either do it right, in hitching a trailer or making a video, or not at all.
I see this all the time when traveling down the highway.
Improperly hitched vehicles. No Anti-Sway or Load Leveling devices on trailers. No Safety Chains. People driving way too fast while towing! (you can’t go 70 MPH when towing a trailer)!
Improper vehicles used for towing heavy Loads. Vehicles that are not designed to TOW Anything. Thank God the old Bolt on Bumper Hitches are no longer around. They used to be rented at UHAUL many years ago, but No Longer!
I tow a 5th wheel, weighing about 16,000 pounds. I tow with a Properly equipped Dodge RAM 3500 1 Ton pickup. My RV has a Morryde Suspension System with DISC Brakes and should it ever come loose from my 5th when hitch (God Forbid) the Disc Brakes will stop my trailer.
Most small trailers that get into trouble, do not have any kind of brakes on them.
The driver in the video who flipped the travel trailer was simply going too fast and did not know how to get out of the CRACK the WHIP situation that caused this accident! Safety chains would not have prevented this accident. SLOWING DOWN would have.
I get passed all the time by improperly connected trailers, traveling too fast, overweight, etc.
People who TOW trailers, need to learn how to TOW Safely. And Law Enforcement needs to do more to ensure this safety factor by TICKETING the offenders!
Enforcement would only work if you red tag (out of service) the offender until the problem is fixed. Tickets just become another source of cash for another government entity. The last thing we need is the government taking more money that they will put into their slush funds. Make the money go towards fixing the problem.
Once out of Democrat controlled California towing speed limits can be as high as 70mph. But then again you are driving a Dodge. (Sorry you left yourself open)
I don’t see where rather you’re driving a 1500-2500 or 3500 or of the line ups play to your comment MJ. The National speed limit for towing shouldn’t be over 65. “Sorry you left yourself open”.
Either I missed something or you did, how are disc brakes going to stop your trailer without something to activate them? That’s what the brake away switch is for, without that there is nothing to actuate your trailer brakes, plus the trailer battery.