Fools pulling trailers..

[leadoff]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned anything about watching those same folks try and back a trailer up.

I had a fella pass me the other day as I was going to Columbus. He was pulling a concrete mixer and probably running 75. Here was his setup....a Chevy Colorado with Fulton County plates pulling a mesh 4x8 trailer with the small lawn-mower-looking tires, which looked like they were about to pop. The single ratchet strap to hold down the big mixer was singing in the wind and the trailer was just a-swaying. I eased off the gas and let him go on by and get on down the road.....

 

[JBowers]

Seen this morning...

 

[Dead Eye Eddy]

Seen this morning...

What the heck? Redneck slide-in camper?

What bugs me to no end is the idiots who tie up boat ramps forever because they can't back their boat trailer into the water. I hardly ever have to pull forward to straighten out.

If I'm launching/loading with a buddy, I can have the ramp cleared in under a minute. My personal best launch was about 15 seconds from the time I got back in the truck after removing the straps. This was with my buddy cranking the motor before I floated the boat off the trailer. My personal best load-up was about 35 seconds from the time I cranked the truck until we were off the ramp with the boat on the trailer.

If I'm launching/loading by myself, I can still have the ramp cleared in 2-3 minutes.

 

[Doc_5729]

Yep, that was me with the 5x10, but I was exiting to pick up my son's dirt bike and camping gear and throw that stuff on top of the firewood!
Seriously, the thing that scares the begeebers out of me is the painters vans with 27 ladders on top held down by 2 bungee cords!

Well I wasn't gunna mention the guy in the white SUV did have a GON sticker on his back glass..........

 

[deerslayer11]

I meant to post this last week but forgot about it until I saw a picture a few minutes ago.

I was cruising up I-20 westbound a few weeks ago east of Covington minding my own business in the right lane. I was on a section that's still 2 lanes on either side separated by a grass median.

I'm running about 75 mph or so in a 70 mph zone. No biggie right?

Well folks are passing me like I'm sitting still, usual traffic flow day, when all the sudden this SUV pulls along beside me. I took notice as the rear of the vehicle was dragging the ground and this guys pulling a trailer.

Looked like a 5' X 10', maybe a 5 X 12, the cheap ones with the wire mesh floor, fold up gate. Maybe had a 2500 lb axle.

Now this SUV was loaded with all kinds of coolers and camping equipment and the trailer has this huge boss hog 4 wheeler complete with the gun racks and plastic gun cases, a wench and the works. Not only was the trailer OVER loaded with the 4 wheeler, this fool had firewood stacked everywhere you could poke a piece of wood. The tires were tilted outward at the bottom he was so overloaded.

And he's running about 80-85 mph.

Just as the rear end of the trailer gets even with my front bumper, the trailer breaks loose and begins fishtailing. I hit my brakes just in time to keep from being smashed and the fool in the SUV slams on brakes which compounds the problem even more. Guess he didn't have brains enough to just let off of it and coast to slow down.

Now I'm really on my brakes and the guy behind me is about to eat me alive and smoke is boiling out of the wheel wells of that 18 wheeler back there.

By now he's fishtailing to the point he's swerving half way across the right lane and back across into the grass. I'm headed to the emergency lane to avoid a pile up at 50-60 mph and give some folks some room. The 18 wheeler follows my lead.

Some how he finally managed to hold on and didn't lose it all together. I don't know how, maybe God saved him, or better yet me.

He did get off at the next exit, I expect he needed to change pants, or someone that was with him did.

Heavy sigh of relief and I went on about my way and reached my destination.

Later in the afternoon I had to go into Decatur, but had to make a stop in Conyers on the way.

I'm rolling along this time running 65 just like the speed limit sign says. Man, this is killing me too because I normally don't drive the speed limit. At any rate, I vowed to slow down so I'm doing what I can to keep that promise.

Now here comes this idiot in a Ford F150 pulling a Taurus on a tow dolly running about 90 mph.

This dude must be the fool of all fools. That truck was swaying left and right and fishtailed a few times and he ain't even thought about slowing down.

I reached my exit, hopped off and took care of my business in Conyers; then continued on my journey to Decatur.

So I'm cruising along running the speed limit and as I go around the curve at Evans Mill, BAM!!!!!!! traffic comes to a HALT!!!!!!.

Just dog gone it!!!!, well I said something else I can't said here, but you get the idea. I was beyond the point of taking the exit so I was STUCK!!!

It took about 30 minutes to get past the Hillandale bridge, that bridge with no exits, and guess what the hold up was?

There the fool is in the Ford F150. He's sitting in the emergency lane with the rear end facing Atlanta and the front headed in the wrong direction.

The Taurus and tow dolly?

Well they are down a small embankment sitting in the ditch against a tree. I did notice that when everything broke loose, it ripped the Type 3 trailer hitch and part of the frame from under the truck, along with the spare tire. Smashed the rear quarter and tail gate and did some severe damage to the bumper.

The Taurus looked like the drivers door was caved in and the top was bent from the impact with the tree. The skid marks went every which away. I figured it broke loose and he hit the brakes, then the car out ran the truck.

Looked like a cop was writing him a ticket and I swear it looked like you could see him shaking. I know he looked awful pale.

Come to think of it the cop was kind of keeping his distance too. hmmmmmmm, I wonder....


Which brings me to this point.

When you see someone pulling a trailer be very cautious because the fools now days don't have a clue on how to drive, much less pull a trailer or tow something.

man i bet the worst part of the day was your stop in conyers lol i live there and just about cant stand it

 

[Gymmy]

Yep, that was me with the 5x10, but I was exiting to pick up my son's dirt bike and camping gear and throw that stuff on top of the firewood!

Now that was funny!! Thanks for the laugh.

 

[Bill Mc]

One of my SILs called me one evening as he and his brother were traveling to Idaho for an elk hunt.

He ask me to locate a Walmat on their way. But before I could ask where they were, he said, calmly, wait a minute, I'll call you back.

It seems like they had loaded their trailer (2 atvs and their camping stuff) and not balanced the load correctly.

He called me back after awhile and said the trailer started fishtailling wildly. Everybody on the road gave them plenty of room till they stopped. He said his brother who was driving was really "white knuckleing" that steering wheel.

After redistributing the weight, everything was OK.

You got to load them right.

 

[bassboy1]

There's a reason I prefer the tow vehicle to weigh more than the towed vehicle.

Overkill doesn't hurt either. Just because the boat/trailer/motor/accessories is within the limit weight of a single axle doesn't mean you shouldn't go with a tandem.

 

[spraynpray]

What the heck? Redneck slide-in camper?

What bugs me to no end is the idiots who tie up boat ramps forever because they can't back their boat trailer into the water. I hardly ever have to pull forward to straighten out.

If I'm launching/loading with a buddy, I can have the ramp cleared in under a minute. My personal best launch was about 15 seconds from the time I got back in the truck after removing the straps. This was with my buddy cranking the motor before I floated the boat off the trailer. My personal best load-up was about 35 seconds from the time I cranked the truck until we were off the ramp with the boat on the trailer.

If I'm launching/loading by myself, I can still have the ramp cleared in 2-3 minutes.

My personal best load-up was 3.2 seconds.....

 

[James Vincent]

Thats fantastic

 

[mudking]

what a DA

 

[DeWalt]

I worry about possibly hurting an innocent bystander should I lose control. That's why I pull a fifth wheel trailer with my rig, much safer ...


Safety First, that's my motto ...

 

[DeWalt]

What the heck? Redneck slide-in camper?

What bugs me to no end is the idiots who tie up boat ramps forever because they can't back their boat trailer into the water. I hardly ever have to pull forward to straighten out.

If I'm launching/loading with a buddy, I can have the ramp cleared in under a minute. My personal best launch was about 15 seconds from the time I got back in the truck after removing the straps. This was with my buddy cranking the motor before I floated the boat off the trailer. My personal best load-up was about 35 seconds from the time I cranked the truck until we were off the ramp with the boat on the trailer.

If I'm launching/loading by myself, I can still have the ramp cleared in 2-3 minutes.

Eddy,

I watched a couple of guys back a boat and trailer down a ramp once and when they got the boat into the water one of the guys went around to the front of the van they were driving and removed the battery, carried it back to the boat, cranked the boat and backed it off of the trailer to the dock.
Then proceeded to carry the battery back to the van so as to start it and move it to the parking area.
He then took the battery out of the van and carried it back to the boat.

All of this was after they had backed down the ramp and transferred all of the fishing gear, coolers jackets, etc from the van to the boat while people were waiting to use the ramp.

I've seen fistfights about folks tying up boat ramps, and once saw one guy jump into the water to get away from another boater swinging a paddle at him.



There is a lot of entertainment to be had by parking near a busy public boat ramp on most weekends.

 

[Coastie]

Now this SUV was loaded with all kinds of coolers and camping equipment and the trailer has this huge boss hog 4 wheeler complete with the gun racks and plastic gun cases, a wench and the works.

SOoooooooooo, just where was the "wench" riding??

 

[Doc_5729]

SOoooooooooo, just where was the "wench" riding??

Coastie, you must be mighty bored to be checking for spelling errors on year old threads.

Try the Political Forum. It's very entertaining. Almost as good as the S&S place.

 

[flyingt]

I had to move some stuff outta my Moms storage for her this weekend and It was packed but I wasn't going 75 mph up 985 either.