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topdownman · 09-04-2012, 09:57 AM

We had reservations at a state park this Labor Day weekend. On Thursday afternoon, I drove over to the storage lot to retrieve the motorhome from the storage barn. When I arrived, I noticed someone with a pickup truck and a travel trailer in tow parked just inside the gate talking with the owner. I thought nothing of it. I parked my vehicle and was unloading a few groceries into the motorhome for the weekend.

On about my second trip, I heard the most ungodly crash I think I've ever heard. Actually, it was sort of a continuous crashing sound. I ran out of the motorhome to see what was going on.

The guy that was parked inside the gate had opened the electric sliding gate to the yard and was leaving. As he left, he drug the entire left side of his aluminum bodied travel trailer down the gate. As it caught the gate, it ripped the aluminum down the side, blew out the picture window and bedroom window, ripped off the dust caps from both wheels and then the gate caught the end cap and ripped it away from the body of the trailer. You could see the wood and insulation hanging out.

Both myself and the owner went running over yelling at the guy to stop. He was oblivious to what was happening. We both stared in horror as he just drove on down the road, wagging insulation and aluminum everywhere.

The owner told me the reason he was originally talking to the guy, is that he had tagged a steel post on the PASSENGER side of the trailer and torn that side up prior to the gate fiasco. He said it was a brand new trailer and this was going to be their first weekend using it.

Was is the key word.

I guess the moral of this story is ALWAYS know where EVERYTHING is when you're towing or backing. If you're not sure, get out and look. That advice has served me well over the years and the only times I've had a problems is when I failed to heed my own advice.

historyljc · 09-04-2012, 10:04 AM

His insurance company will love him.

topdownman · 09-04-2012, 10:05 AM

And his wife

Quote:

Originally Posted by historyljc

His insurance company will love him.

Pricejh · 09-04-2012, 10:39 AM

Oh, my. That's gonna hurt.

Kayjulia · 09-04-2012, 11:00 AM

I hope that none of that debris causes some other poor person harm

When I see stuff like that, well not that bad, I say I'm sure glad that wasn't me but in this case things are a bit exstreem and I am glad I was now where near the situation.

GOAL = Get Out And Look
Situational awareness when you hear or feel something unusual check it out because it is Unusual ! Hoping for the best and being oblivious doesn't make for a good day!

Alan_Hepburn · 09-05-2012, 11:15 PM

"Brand new trailer" ... sounds to me like he's a typical driver who doesn't know how to properly execute a turn without a trailer - adding the trailer just intensifies the issue.

I see it every day - people come up to an intersection to make a left turn and actually start their turn as much as 20 feet BEFORE they even get to the limit line, crossing the double yellow line or jumping the curb on the median, and then end the turn in the on-coming traffic lane. They end up making two 45 degree turns instead of a single 90 degree turn. A correct left turn is made by pulling INTO the intersection, then turning sharply to end the turn in the correct lane. Right turns are similar: they start the turn too early and the apex ends up too close to the curb. Add in a trailer and it's easy to see why the trailer's sides get destroyed.

TXUSGUY · 09-06-2012, 12:08 AM

Sounds like he doesn't even need to be driving period; much less towing something!

wa8yxm · 09-06-2012, 09:42 AM

Guy went and double parked his car in Detroit, It got towed and impounded.

He goes to the tow company and pays the impound fee, gets back in his car, the clerk hits the gate switch to open it but Mr. In one devil of a hurry hits the gas, Flattens the gate...

Police called, Driver arrested, Car impounded,,,, yup, same lot. Now his impound fee includes a new gate (That hurt too). not to mention damage to the rental car (Now blacklisted at the rental agency).. Sucks to be him. Tow company dispatcher was a friend of mine.

R.B. Turner · 09-06-2012, 12:36 PM

My dad witnessed this; dad is at the RV dealership getting work done on his rig and ends up shooting the breeze with another guy who has just bought a new Airstream and is getting the hitch work and all that done. When everything is ready, the new owner and his wife hop in their Suburban with the trailer on the back. The proud new owner then takes off, heading for the exit from the RV lot onto the highway. The poor guy gets the front wheels onto the main road and turns; taking with him the front of a new diesel pusher and stripping the whole side off of the new trailer. Dad said the man's wife was walking around in circles sobbing. He said the guy acted like he was in shock; which I imagine he was.

I have always wondered; didn't he think that this new trailer started pulling quite hard? Wouldn't you have thought he would have looked out that side's mirror in the turn like we all do to see where the trailer was? You just have to wonder, what was he thinking about when he put it into drive?

HeapBigEngin · 09-06-2012, 12:45 PM

The most disturbing thing about these types of events is that these "folks" are sharing the same highways with the rest of us. Whether on 2 wheels, 4 wheels or 6 wheels, I try to always be on the lookout for these moving disasters. Hope my luck continues!!

Bruce C · 09-06-2012, 02:38 PM

I agree he shouldn't be driving. The use of his mirrors would have helped. I hope the insects weren't not biting when he got to the campground. Can you imagine steping out after arriving and finding all the damage. I think his best bet is unhook in some back road, go home and find it stolen.

coachmanrvr · 09-06-2012, 02:49 PM

The DW and I watched a tandem big rig towing a jeep take the right side mirror off the jeep and scrub that side down a tree because he turned out too quick. We yelled and waved and he never saw us. I'm sure he wasn't pleased when he found it.

RanCarr · 09-06-2012, 03:05 PM

My first husband, may he RIP, was a big city bus driver. Before he could take those buses out on the streets or roads of NY, he had to go through intensive training and get a special license. Weeks of training and practice under different conditions. But anyone can go out and buy a Class-A RV which is very much like a bus in size and handling, and simply drive it away from the dealer. They can drive it on highways and country roads and on city streets. It's amazing there aren't more accidents with these large RVs and inexperienced drivers.