JohnRW1621 wrote:motomoron wrote: That looks like a lot of trailer for what appears to be an F150.I think F250 but still looks like a significant load.
Just to be clear, I was not saying a F250 was undersized.
More so, I was saying that a F250 would be "within spec" for the job over a F150 but even so, it is still a significant load.
wvumtnbkr wrote: Anybody notice that he was travelling the opposite way? He was headed south but ended up in teh North bound lanes. Geez, I wonder how that happened!
Lost control, roles over guardrail, slid across the median. Is what the article linked above said. Or are you wondering what caused that to happen?
Yes, what caused it. Probably needs new underwear.
Those situations often come up when the trailer is too light on the bumper. It starts swinging, and it can be a real challenge to settle it down.
Hint: Accelerating out of it works about as well as trying to drive through the speed wobble on a bike, which is to say, not at all. If you "double correct", it may catch it. What I mean is to turn the steering wheel twice as much as you would just to keep the back of the truck from oversteering out from under you. You need to yank the front end over an equal amount. If that doesn't work, wait till the trailer seems to be directly behind you on a swing, and stand on the brakes.
These are not likely safety Nazi certified, but back when I was selling frame equipment, I often loaded the trailer through the back door, and it worked for me lots of times. Don't blame me if you die trying.
Isn't trailer sway of the things the manual lever on the trailer brake controller is for?
Lancer007 wrote: I just drove a 16' Penske truck with my car on a trailer for 2000 miles. This was my worst fear during the whole drive. The wind and rain through Oklahoma and Missouri probably added a few grey hairs.
I towed through the night through Missouri and the part that freaked me out was the way whoever engineered the Interstate would have it long and straight downhill and then turn sharpish at the bottom. Would have been nice to have been able to keep speed up but the trailer was kinda shoving the truck around and I didn't want to chance anything.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to wvumtnbkr: Armchair driver in me guesses he slammed on the brakes for something mid corner and the trailer brakes weren't set right (way light) or not working, so the trailer came around and whipped the whole rig into the median.
Off topic but relevant: What's the best way to set trailer brake controllers?
I just sort of guesstimated by feel to set the controller so the whole rig slowed down the same/with same pedal force as the bare truck did, so the truck slowed the truck and the trailer slowed the trailer. I'm still not sure if this is too much trailer braking or not enough.
Knurled wrote:Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to wvumtnbkr: Armchair driver in me guesses he slammed on the brakes for something mid corner and the trailer brakes weren't set right (way light) or not working, so the trailer came around and whipped the whole rig into the median.Off topic but relevant: What's the best way to set trailer brake controllers? I just sort of guesstimated by feel to set the controller so the whole rig slowed down the same/with same pedal force as the bare truck did, so the truck slowed the truck and the trailer slowed the trailer. I'm still not sure if this is too much trailer braking or not enough.
I adjust mine depending on where I am. My enclosed didn't have enough braking to skid, so on the interstate, I set the trailer to max. If I was stopping, there was a good chance it was going to be a panic stop and I wanted the trailer to keep the rig straight. Around town, I backed it off so the rig would brake evenly with less jerking.
Knurled wrote: Off topic but relevant: What's the best way to set trailer brake controllers? I just sort of guesstimated by feel to set the controller so the whole rig slowed down the same/with same pedal force as the bare truck did, so the truck slowed the truck and the trailer slowed the trailer. I'm still not sure if this is too much trailer braking or not enough.
I think it depends on your brake controller. The instructions for mine (a Prodigy) say to warm up the brakes by dragging them, then turn up the gain until the trailer brakes lock with full manual brake force applied. Then back it off a bit, and it's done.
I got out of a storage unit those stabilizer bar sets if any interests can get a pik
Knurled wrote:Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to wvumtnbkr: Armchair driver in me guesses he slammed on the brakes for something mid corner and the trailer brakes weren't set right (way light) or not working, so the trailer came around and whipped the whole rig into the median.Off topic but relevant: What's the best way to set trailer brake controllers? I just sort of guesstimated by feel to set the controller so the whole rig slowed down the same/with same pedal force as the bare truck did, so the truck slowed the truck and the trailer slowed the trailer. I'm still not sure if this is too much trailer braking or not enough.
So far as I know (which isn't very far) you generally want them as cranked up as you can get away with. Ideally the trailer should be doing it's own stopping and then some(you should feel it pulling you back). As codrus stated, up the gain until the tires lock up on manual apply and then back off a click. Then fiddle with the ramping adjustment so it's pulling you a bit.
I wonder if there's a self learning ABS brake controller that does this automatically yet.
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