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Re: Trailer Sway - Two Thoughts

To: DGreimel@aol.com
Subject: Re: Trailer Sway - Two Thoughts
From: Calvin Krug <ckrug@laf.cioe.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 19:36:47 -0500 (EST)
>Has anyone else noticed that trailers get easier to pull above about 73 MPH?
>My last two, 14 and 24 ft. have both been that way.  I attribute it to wind
>drag. It seems as though the trailer "drafts" the tow vehicle. When towing my
>14' with an Astro Van I could reduce throttle preasure about 50% when we got
>past 73 MPH.
>The present set up is a 24' towed with a pickup and is not as dramatic, but
>then the 454 doesn`t work very hard to begin with.
>Don

Those 454's are nice engines, I think you could pull ANYTHING at 75 mph
with one of those.   I do have one warning, be sure that the trailer is
stable and free of any tendency to sway before attempting to pull it at
higher speeds.  My parents pull a 36' 5th wheel RV, and this summer a SUV
pulling a mid-sized trailer passed them going somewhat over the speed
limit, and they noticed that the trailer was moving around quite a bit.  A
while later, they saw the trailer laying on its side in the median, and
black smoke rising from down the embankment on the side of the highway.
Apparently, a gust of wind caught the trailer, and it being unstable
anyway, it decided not to follow the tow vehicle anymore.  The ensuing
jackknife flung the SUV off the road.  Luckily, nobody was seriously
injured.  I think that if they had been travelling somewhat slower, they
could have recovered the rig before it spun.  But it's just a theory.  Be
careful out there, folks.


Calvin K



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