Trailer snaking accident

[Richard 1234]

do you mean somthing like this

 

 

Not quite like that😂😂😂😂

[eggsarascal]

do you mean somthing like this

 

Looks ok to me.

 

I reackon ya could have got a bit more on the truck.

[Treemover]

I wrote off a 18ft tri axle and land cruiser on a motorway 10 years ago. I had 2 ton of spuds evenly distributed. I had the jeep and trailer 4 years and was well accustomed to snaking; but what occurred on my fatal day was sudden and violent. I hadn't the power to accelerate fast enough and I couldn't brake hard enough either, as I need my back wheels were gone.

This is one event where electric brakes would be a godsend.

I spoke to ifor Williams about this, and they said it was common on tri axles, especially those with wheels underneath.

 

It's a terrible feeling when you know you've lost control and what's about to happen; but it's worse when it's not down to bad driving, but engineering or the way we design trailers.

[Big J]

Glad you are OK. Looked nasty and amazing you weren't hurt.

 

I've not had a trailer snake on me for a year (I'll come to that in a minute) but on the occasions I did (which were often enough - I used to have 12ft trailers and transporting sawn timber means having a load that was often too long for the bed, or just tail heavy) I found the best recovery was achieved by removing hands from the wheel and removing feet from the pedals. Any steering correction would only exacerbate the issue and braking or accelerating did not help either.

 

Now, for the past 13 months I've been running a German trailer (Unsinn Web 28) with secondary gas strut stabilisation on the suspension. It is a requirement for towing at 100km/h in Germany and I thought why not, so specced it.

 

Since then, I've towed a lot (17k miles) with on some occasions badly loaded trailers. Sometimes so little nose weight that you have to stand on the drawbar to get it to sit on the tow hitch (not advising this, but 20ft beams are frankly too long for a 14ft trailer). Since getting the new trailer, I've not had so much as a whiff of snaking, whether that was towing with the van or the Landrover.

 

I'm not sure if it's definite proof, but the gas struts seem to have made the difference and for that reason I'd not buy a trailer without them again.

 

Once again, very glad you are OK

[Joel77]

You had a good truck and a good trailer, when I tow with pick ups I put weight in the back of the truck as I find pick ups are too light on the back end, but you never seemed over loaded do I suspect your tow bar was to high for the trailer, I find it helps if you put a Dixon Bait adjustable type tow bar on the truck like the old range rovers always had fitted

 

Glad your both ok bud

[Big J]

I do not rate pick ups for towing. Too short a wheel base and too long an overhang on the back.

 

Since getting the van, I have barely noticed the movement from any trailer (though I have noticed the weight as I only have 130bhp).

[Jonny69]

Hi all

 

Thought I'd share this in case it helps prevent any accidents, and I may pick up some tips myself to prevent a similar incident in the future!

 

I have been towing trailers for years, and for the past 18 months or so my truck has had a tracked chipper and trailer on more days than not. Got the trailer licence, I know I'm not the most experienced but not too bad.

 

Friday morning I left home with my 3 week old (to me) Hilux, girlfriend on board and camping kit. On the back I had my Ifor Williams 10x5 trailer, 2 months old and with a couple of bundles of slab wood on the back. We were heading down to Glastonbury, to help with the build and then enjoy the festival.

 

About 5 miles from home, on a stretch of dual carriageway, I was doing about 40mph when the trailer started to snake. I immediately came of the throttle and gentle gentle on the brake, preparing to change down a gear when the snaking took over the truck. I lost all control of the vehicle, and hit the central reservation earth bank, flipping the truck a full 360 degrees and landing back on all four wheels.

 

Me and the girlfriend were fine if shaken, and both got out and walked away. I was in some shock and concussion with a deep cut on the back of my head, and she sprained her arm. Could have been a lot worse! Truck has been written off, I don't think the trailer flipped instead the hitch I think rotated through 360 with the truck.

 

So now my new truck is written off, and I need to get a new one!

 

My question is regarding snaking, what can you do to prevent it, and if it does occur what is the general best course of action?

 

The load was secure, evenly spread and tied down. All tyres were nearly brand new on the truck and trailer, correctly inflated as I'd checked that morning! The load was 2 bundles of slab wood, so well within the weight limits.

 

Any advice much appreciated, I'm happy to receive any advice that may help me and others prevent this happening again!

 

And finally, I will be replacing with another Hilux simply due to the fact that we did both walk away relatively unharmed from this, as a truck it now has my complete confidence!

 

Thanks

Joe

 

I know everyone is saying towbar to high, but I would be inclined to think the towbar was to low and the trailer weighted poorly. Which made it pick the back of the truck up. Made worse on a pickup because the towbar is so far from the rear axle. No way should you be getting snaking with such a light load on at 40mph unless something was off.

 

Out of interest what was the wheel size on the trailer and what tyre pressures did you have on the truck and trailer?

 

As far as correcting it. I either leave the whole lot alone and let it come back naturally or time it so I stab the brakes as its comes past straight, if you time it right you can lose 10mph and the trailer brakes coming in hard pulls everything back in line again.

[richy_B]

I have some first hand experience of a snaking trailer....

[richy_B]

I wasn't driving but the front passenger. Heavy trailer, downhill stretch of the A303, about 55mph. 'Tramlines' in the slow lane caused a sudden jolt and pulled the pickup towards the verge. Driver tried to correct but once the snake was happening there didn't seem like much would stop it. No hard shoulder either, just gravel - which as soon as we put a tyre into, it was all over. Up a steep bank and back on our roof. Skidded along for what felt like 2 minutes. Amazingly no one hurt. The ranger had seen better days though!

Edited June 21, 2016 by richy_B

[richy_B]

I agree with big J. Pickups have a big overhang, couple this with a long trailer (lm166 in our case) and you have a serious pivot point. It's also very easy to just 'bung it on the trailer, it'll be ok'. Spend time loading properly and have loads of ratchets. We were carrying a bit of plant (around 1600kg) and it snapped 5 X 5 ton ratchet straps when we crashed. Luckily the cargo went a different direction to us.

 

Somewhat ironically I am a very cautious tow'er and am constantly on guard. I'm the annoying person who sits at 50 on the motorway with a trailer but my saying is - better to delay 10,000 people than kill one. As soon as I feel/see it step out of line I drop a gear and slow it all down. I have heard people say about accelerating out of it but I would never follow that advice personally. If you are likely to crash, more momentum is not what I want.

Edited June 21, 2016 by richy_B