TOPIC: Trailer tires-----someone elses!!!!!!!!!!

I left work last night and was about 2 miles into my trip home when I passed an oncoming pickup with a camper pulling a trailer. It was a tandem axle trailer with an old Mopar on it. Well there was a shower of sparks coming from the trailer and WHAM, the front tire came off the trailer and nailed me. Instant darkness, both headlights out. Goodbye front bumper, parklight, headlight, fog light, lower wind dam, valance, inner fender well, and a good pair of fruit of the looms.It knocked the truck out of alignment.
The guy has insurance, so all is good.
So check them trailer and pray everyone else checks theirs.
Soiled in Idaho
Neil

Holy crap Neil, I'm very glad your OK! Boy if that thing bounced higher it could have come through the windshield and possibly no more Neil!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank God that didn't happen! I don't think there's any such thing as being overly anal about checking your trailer every time you take it out.

Bob

Just the tire Neil, or the wheel and tire? I wonder why it came off? Good thing you made it though okay. Stuff can be replaced, people can't!

Frank

Tire and wheel, 15" 5 lug, tubeless radial. A real eye opener at 3:15 in the morning.
Neil

geez...someone was watchin over ya...ron

You fooled a widow maker. Just think if it would have been flying 24" higher right through the windshield. It would have been sionara and we would be missing all you insightful advice.

Neil wrote:

Tire and wheel, 15" 5 lug, tubeless radial. A real eye opener at 3:15 in the morning. Neil

Gee, so they didn't have enough lug nuts on, and/or never bothered to check if they were tight?!? Heavy duty. Good you're okay!

Frank

wow neil,im very happy your ok!!!,but darn it hurt your dodge,ouch.
you or someone could have been killed,im glad your ok.john

Thank God you are Ok. Trailers are sometimes neglected, and not because of lack of preaching. I rebuilt my hubs once years ago and performed some work on my trailer. I had the boat off. I put new tires on the wheels. I put them back on but with no weight on the trailer it would not tighten up. Anyway I loaded the boat back on and clean forgot the lug nuts were just snug. A mile down the road I was getting a noise. YUP the lugs were all lose and lost three in a mile. I felt like a newbie dumbazz. I knew better.

In the last week or so there has been quite a bit of traffic here about trailers. Be it lights or wheels or fenders or rebuilds. This story of mine is probably happening more than we care to think. With alot worse outcomes I am sure.
My truck will fix. So no big deal. But the important and positive thing that will come out of this is the refreshing in all our minds about trailers. Ours and others.
I was in the parking lot at work and a fellow employee was pulling a trailer and I noticed that one of his tires was showing the cords. I told him about it. Did I save an accident, maybe?
So all of the members and guests that happen upon this thread and read through it, if we take some bit of a reminder and it is in our minds when we are around any trailer, we may just prevent something that could be life changing for someone.
Thank you all for the words about my safety, I truly appreciate it.
Neil

Lots of talk about wheels and hubs but don't forget the hitches and safety chains. Last summer a pickup was pulling a utility trailer at legal speed on a four lane highway three miles from me. The trailer broke loose, crossed the center grassy between the north/south lanes and the tongue went through the drive side window of a 19 yr old girl who was on her way home from school, she didn't make it.

Glad your OK Neil .A wheel and tire like that can hold an incredible amount of energy .Karma was on your side that day .When I raced Stock Car often times a wheel would tear a center out or a axle would break .a Few times they came over the pit fence and Luckily didnt get a human .But I saw the damage they can do .Not pretty and could be deadly ..Everybody makes mistakes or forgets stuff .Thats why we all need to check then check again .I repainted a Boat trailer and had the wheels off for blasting and painting .When the paint was dry I put the wheels back on and due to no weight on the trailer they would not fully tighten Was gonna get the Impact out but then my son stopped over .month later Im going to deliver the trailer to a guy that bought it .Cruiseing along at 60 Im like I tightened those didnt I ?? Stopped and heck no ..I didnt feel the wobble till I slowed down and the lugs had backed way off .In a hurry to finish it and latter Deliver it ...MY dumbness could have cost a life ..
Larry