People Don't Quite Get It

[j2detoit]

Sunday afternoon while driving home from our camper I could not help but notice that a very large majority of the people towing campers were way off base with the way they were towing them and the rigs that they were using I see one faily towing a 27 ft TT with a slide and they were all over the lane When I got by them I seen that it was being towed with a Dodge Durango It looked like a toy tractor would look like hooked up to a fullsized grain truck All I could think about was that a sales person somewere told them that the Dodge could handle it Good Luck to these folks I also noticed many many campers being towed by tv that was way to high without a dropdown hitch You know what I mean it looks like the camper is always going uphill I also seen another rig that was just the opposet the camper was so overweight for the tow rig that i seen on a bridge going over the Miss river that the bottom of the receivr on the van looked like it would scrape over each bump this to can't be good or SAFE not only for the tower but for the poor people whose veical is struck by a runaway camper drive defensivly

[j2detoit]

Sunday afternoon while driving home from our camper I could not help but notice that a very large majority of the people towing campers were way off base with the way they were towing them and the rigs that they were using I see one faily towing a 27 ft TT with a slide and they were all over the lane When I got by them I seen that it was being towed with a Dodge Durango It looked like a toy tractor would look like hooked up to a fullsized grain truck All I could think about was that a sales person somewere told them that the Dodge could handle it Good Luck to these folks I also noticed many many campers being towed by tv that was way to high without a dropdown hitch You know what I mean it looks like the camper is always going uphill I also seen another rig that was just the opposet the camper was so overweight for the tow rig that i seen on a bridge going over the Miss river that the bottom of the receivr on the van looked like it would scrape over each bump this to can't be good or SAFE not only for the tower but for the poor people whose veical is struck by a runaway camper drive defensivly

[CyberVet65]

This reinforces the reason for the web site. Get the info before buying.
Remember:
A RV saleman is just on the lot to sell RV's. Safety is not an issue to him. The issue is the commission on the oversized RV that is now attached to your bumper and VISA card!
Chet
p.s. This is NOT true of every salesman that sells RV's. Some are reliable honest folks who care about you and your safety.

[Kablewizard]

JJ when I find myself stopped at the same time they are, I just tell then there is a great web site for all their questions, and hand them a card with my name and the IRV2 web site on it.

You are right, out here in AZ i always see these 4X4 trucks 6 ft off the ground towing a camper ( most times a pop-up ) down the road at 80 + I sure wish they would read the tire guys suggested max speed of 65 on all trailer tires.
When I see them coming , I give them lots of room.

[CD]

We saw one a week ago on I5 that surprised me. It was a small SUV pulling a popup tent trailer. I don't know much about tent trailers but it appeared to be a med. size trailer and may have been within their towing limits. I was traveling about 60 when it passed us at what I would guess as about 65. After they were past us and in our lane I noticed the trailer swaying. Not bad but about 4" to each side. Apparently the driver didn't have any idea anything was wrong. To me any sway is a disaster waiting to happen. They just kept truckin. Sometimes it would stop swaying (maybe they slowed down some) and then it would start again with no apparent reason. I watched them for several miles because of traffic they weren't able to maintain the speed they were trying to go. IMHO they were going too fast with the setup they had and the scary part is they probably didn't know that they weren't doing just fine.

[mamaloya]

When we went to WDW in Feb, we were behing a big motorhome pulling a small trailer filled with stuff. It was swaying unbelievably. It also was not staying in its own lane. The RV was being driven by an older woman. She almost hit numerous people as they passed. We used our cell phone and called the HP. Shortly after that, they pulled off at an exit. Needless to say we never did pass them. We just kind of hung back and waited for the disaster. We left enough distance so we weren't part of it. It was close many times. We were on the edge of our seats.

I also have to say that we don't really know what we are doing. Luckily, we had a good salesman. He looked up our vehicle and said the popup would be no prob. They then installed a drop hitch so that the trailer towed level. They gave us a lesson on using it, the brake controller and pulling it. Unfortunately, they did not get into backing up. That first night was a hoot.

[Ken Roberts]

Unfortunately, you can see this with any type of RV, whether pop-up, travel trl., fiver, or motor home. Of course I am not to thrilled to see someone passing me with a cell phone in one hand a cup of coffee in the other and a map spread out over the steering wheel.

Part of what we are dealing with is the new "ant" culture, i.e.ignorANT, intolerANT, defiANT, flamboyANT, expectANT, and probably most of all arrogANT. Today it seems to be hooray for me and the h---with you. There does not seem to be any sense of one being accountable and responsible for their own actions, Ken'04 DSDP....

[MO _ Jack]

I think I saw a new record being established! A 40 ft Class A pulling a full size Suburban, with a 25-30 pontoon boat behind it. They were heading down a secondary road at 60 MPH! Hope they made it

Jack

[powerboatr]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j2detoit:
Sunday afternoon while driving home from our camper I could not help but notice that a very large majority of the people towing campers were way off base with the way they were towing them and the rigs that they were using I see one faily towing a 27 ft TT with a slide and they were all over the lane When I got by them I seen that it was being towed with a Dodge Durango It looked like a toy tractor would look like hooked up to a fullsized grain truck All I could think about was that a sales person somewere told them that the Dodge could handle it Good Luck to these folks I also noticed many many campers being towed by tv that was way to high without a dropdown hitch You know what I mean it looks like the camper is always going uphill I also seen another rig that was just the opposet the camper was so overweight for the tow rig that i seen on a bridge going over the Miss river that the bottom of the receivr on the van looked like it would scrape over each bump this to can't be good or SAFE not only for the tower but for the poor people whose veical is struck by a runaway camper drive defensivly </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


it probably had a HEMI in it, dont you know they can pull anything
drives me nuts seeing folks running around un prepared.

[Buzzcut]

On our way to WDW last April, we saw a Ford Explorer towing what appeared to a 24 ft trailer on south bound 95. The only thing wrong with this set up was that it was overturned!
It looked like everyone was OK but I bet it was one heeluva ride.
Happy Camping.

[Hitchhiker]

Some people don't have a clue.

Coming home from the Washington, DC area yesterday on I-81 a Chevy Trailblazer blew by me towing a U-haul trailer. I was doing 69 so I guessed he was hitting over 75, maybe 80. A few miles up the highway, there he was..... in the median turned back wards with the trailer jackknifed.

Tow at high speeds and the consequences are yours to suffer.

[TXiceman]

The problem goes back to a few issues:
1. The tow vehicle manufacturers put unrealistic towing limits on the small SUV's.
2. Truck and trailer sales people do not have a clue about the towing ratings or for that matter what is involved in towing.

I, like most, learned by trial and error. Thank goodness, I never had any real problems or disasters during my learnig curve. Additionally, beeing an engineer and a natural courisity to know why and how things work probably had some influence.

I saw a saying that is very true...."Good judgement comes from experience, however, most of that comes from bad judgement."

Ken

[BigBob]

The most disappointing part of it all is simply that we are not likely to get our message of safety through to the majority of these uninformed wacko operators. They will either wreck or get home somehow and consider themselves well in control of it all. Mention IRV2 or RV Net or any of the great RV info forums and they wonder what language your speaking. Makes me want to runaway and become a hermit out in the Alaskan bush.

BigBob.......

[Toterman (David)]

Maybe a Hermit on a Bahamian out island but not that cold place up north

David