Lessons on strapping down a tractor

[Industrial Toys]

Parallel Universe!

Kind of pointless to make assumptions. To me, the fact that it detached from the tow vehicle is the scary part. Seeing some of the chains and hitch arrangements on utility trailers, you wonder if it's just for show, but legal. Some look more suitable for tying up a poodle. I have heard of rating on tie down chains and straps, but NEVER on safety chains. It doesn't surprise me though.

 

[ruffdog]

Idiots and their whipping trailers......shame people have to die from simple mistakes.

 

[bcp]

Look again rear tire is on trailer, badly bent rim it appears though.... Got to wonder if front tire and rim were ripped off lug bolts during incident or it was a case of stupid and towing without wheel and tire on front (yes seen it)...

Only difference in pictures is camera angle....


Dale

Those are different pictures, different cop car, different truck.

Compare

Bruce

 

[Thomas]

Had to be one wild ride glad driver okay whew.

 

[Diggin It]

Multiple pictures from different angles. The white truck may be a witness. The silver truck appears to be off the road, down the embankment. Not unusual for two SO units to be on scene, one on each side of the center median.

Do we know where this happened?

 

[Snobdds]

I've seen bearings seized up on a trailer to cause it to whip. There is more than enough weight on that trailer to keep it from whipping. That youtube video of the weight distribution is misleading. It transfers weight from the front to the back, but it ignores all the weight over the axles. Having weight on the axles does not cause that violent whipping.

Good job on tying it down
Bad job on keeping the bearings greased.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Funny, how in a world where so many bearings become maintenance free, that trailers still require this attention.

 

[ruffdog]

This trailer with the skid steer had "enough" weight but was there enough tongue weight? As bad as the whip was...he did a good save.

 

[Teachu2]

The tractor could have easily been mounted farther to the rear of the trailer prior to the calamity. Hard to tell if it's strapped or wedged in place by the bucket against the front rail. Glad the driver is OK - bet his shorts are trash....

 

[fried1765]

I don't know what caused him to lose it, maybe hitch failure but it looks like tandem axle trailer and "center" of tractor seems to be over the axles which makes me think with FEL weight distribution should have been forward....

Funny this should come up today, because tomorrow I am going to load my SCUT on a tandem axle trailer(16 ft car carrier) for first time to take it to dealer for service....

Guess only real way to check weight distribution is measure hitch height of truck/trailer with out trailer loaded and then with trailer loaded, if I get some down measurement at hitch I would guess I have tongue weight...

Dale

Guessing tongue weight is not the best idea.
If you go to the etrailer website, you will see a method for measuring tongue weight using a bathroom scale.
The maximum weight capability of the bathroom scale does not matter.
I use this method with my 14K equipment trailer, to get at least 1400 lbs tongue weight.

It's not necessary to do the procedure every time, if you are carrying a similar load.