Towing an empty trailer

[jasonh]

My family and myself narrowly avoided what could have been a deadly accident a while back. I delivered a flatbed trailer load of furniture to my sister in College Station. I borrowed the trailer from my grandfather and wound up making the drive in his Jeep Cherokee instead of my truck for no other reason than I did not want to screw with swapping out the different style trailer light plug. Coming back with the empty trailer along I45, I spotted a crack running across the highway at an angle. I was going 70-75 when I hit it. The Jeep absorbed the bump ok, but the trailer (16ft dual axle) was kicked up and over. In an instant the Jeep is being pulled very strongly from one side to the other as the trailer oscillated wildly. I was pushed all the way over to the gravel shoulder and then back across 2 lanes to the other side. I steered into it and finally was able to bring it to a stop after a couple trips across the highway. Thank God the people around me reacted well and backed off, allowing me space to wrestle the trailer back under control. And thank God we were not pushed further, as the short wheelbase Jeep certainly would not have handled the grass median well. I suspect if I entered the median, we would have crossed it and either flipped or been driven into oncoming traffic.

Hands down the scariest near wreck I have ever been in.

Prior to this, I knew of no cautions regarding an empty trailer. Has this ever happened to anyone else or was that more along the lines of "freak event"?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

HMMMMMM......
Think about it.....
75 MPH, towing an empty trailer with a Jeep.....
That is a predictable result, not a "Freak Accident".....
Good thing you didn't kill any innocent people.......​

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Jeep Cherokee. I have no problem with that. Freak accident.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Scary. Empty trailers can be dangerous. I hate towing empty boat trailers. They're so lightweight, especially ones for small boats. I'll do it, but I sure take it easy.

 

[jasonh]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

The speed limit was 70 and I was just keeping up with everyone by running 75. Around here it's practically the Autobahn on certain roads, I45 included. If I had been in a Jeep Wrangler, I'm pretty sure I would have considered the wheelbase vs. trailer length issue. The Cherokee seemed fine and what surprised me was the sudden violence the trailer was able to wreak upon us. I simply never realized a trailer would fly into the air like that and when it did, it could throw the towing vehicle into a near-uncontrollable state. I have occasion to tow empty, dual axle trailers fairly often but normally use my truck to do so. I'm curious if that exact scenario unfolded while in my full size truck instead if it would have affected it the same way.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

The speed limit was 70 and I was just keeping up with everyone by running 75.

Famous last words. So what if the speed limit was 70. What if it was 100? Would you go 100? Safe speeds are not determined solely based on the posted limit. Do you go 75 in a torrential downpour with 100 mph gusts? Of course not, you drive according to the conditions.

The Cherokee seemed fine and what surprised me was the sudden violence the trailer was able to wreak upon us.

Always a scary lesson and many of us have learned it the same way you did.

but normally use my truck to do so.

A much better choice.

As you learned, there is a lot more to towing than just pulling in a straight line.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Empty was bad, but put a load on and get it whipping and it is worse. Been there a couple of times. I did what I was told by my dad if that ever happened. I did what he said and it brought it out. What he told me was to get on the gas and power out of it and then brake down as soon as the whipping is gone.

Sorry, I have to agree about the speed being too much. Its harder to power out of a whip if your already cruising along.

BTW, I'm not sure if anyone else has been told about powering out of a whip, but it worked for me several times. Right or wrong I don't know. Also proper weight distribution is a must. 10 to 15% tongue weight of the trailer and load is what I was taught. Gotta be careful out there........

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

My dad taught me the same way SS. Its always worked when I had enough power left to make it.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Glad your OK. I once saw a truck bed trailer nearly flip after going over railroad tracks.

Did you have trailer brakes with a separate controller?

Note: Sure are a lot of back seat drivers here. I am certain they always drive 45 mph like the UHaul trailer says. Of course you have to ignore Haut, he just says whatever he can to rile up folks.

Ken

 

[rwise]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

BTDT, empty, loaded, the truck would have handled it better but may have still been tossed roun a bit, just have to slow down it may hold up traffic a bit but there beer will still be cold when they get there 2 seconds late

 

[dirtyoldman]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

The best way to stop the whipping is to use the trailer brakes and the gas pedal, then let the trailer stop the truck. You don't have enough tongue weight on the truck, and it's a heavy trailer for a cherokee to be pulling. The problem is not the engine, it's the weight, suspension, tires, etc. I bet that trailer weighs 3500 lbs empty.

I was towign 6200 lbs in a rental trailer with a skidsteer on it last week. I have a one ton crew cab dually that weighs 7500 lbs. This trailer didn't have proper tongue weight on it and I didn't realize it, and went into this at 55 mph. It was very scary, and I will never regret buying more truck that I might otherwise need. It didn't have trailer brakes, other than surge brakes, so I was out of luck there.

The moral of the story is that you can do things to prevent this from happening again. Get a bigger truck or go slower. Make sure you have electric brakes and they work well. Get a weight distributing hitch if you need it or anti sway device. Drive slower.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Glad your OK. I once saw a truck bed trailer nearly flip after going over railroad tracks.

Did you have trailer brakes with a separate controller?

Note: Sure are a lot of back seat drivers here. I am certain they always drive 45 mph like the UHaul trailer says. Of course you have to ignore Haut, he just says whatever he can to rile up folks.

Ken

75 with an empty trailer is foolhardy, as is well illustrated.......
Common sense would tell someone to slow down if they were creating an unsafe condition........
Apparently common sense is in short supply in Texas.....
'Cept for Whitt o' course........​

 

[jasonh]

Re: Towing an empty trailer

Appreciate the resposes, even Haut's!

In hindsight, hauling that empty trailer at 70 or so was not the smartest thing I have ever done, I'll concede to that for sure. However I am somewhat proud that, in a sudden situation I had never experienced beforehand, I knew enough NOT to hit the brakes. I didn't accelerate, I didn't brake; I just hung on and tried to steer opposite the direction I was being pulled until I sensed the trailer was back under control.

No brakes on the trailer either. Lesson learned. Slow the hell down. Sun baked highways can sometimes have big cracks. Decline to use a Jeep in place of a full size truck for towing purposes.

And try to encourage sister to only date guys that have a truck, for all her future moving needs!