Proper weight distribution while towing is critical to maintaining trailer stability. Otherwise, the trailer could start to “snake,” swaying side to side in an uncontrollable fashion. Unfortunately for the driver of this Chevy Silverado, that’s exactly what happens in the following short video.
The video was recently posted online, showing the incident as captured by another motorist. According to the video description, the incident occurred on June 5th, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas as the individual behind the camera and his wife were coming home from lunch.
The video opens with a sunny, dry highway. There are blue skies above, and traffic is relatively light. The video angle is captured from the passenger seat of another vehicle following the Chevy Silverado with the trailer. Speeds are moderate, with three other vehicles positioned around the Chevy pickup.
After the Chevy Silverado hits a small ridge in the road, the trailer can be seen swaying slightly, the suspension moving up and down. There’s definitely some instability, but what happens next makes the situation much worse.
The brake lights on the Chevy Silverado momentarily flash, resulting in even more instability. The trailer starts to snake, sliding left and right as the driver attempts to rein it all in.
At this point, the other motorists around the Silverado start to react to what is obviously an escalating situation. One driver in a hatchback directly behind the Silverado decides to pass, speeding up and sliding by the nearly out-of-control Silverado in a very dangerous maneuver that could have ended much worse. Another driver cuts across the lane to exit, while a third driver slams on their brakes.
Luckily, there are no collisions, but the Chevy Silverado does end up in the ditch, albeit without any damage. Still, it’s a scary situation, and goes to show how important it is to maintain proper weight distribution when towing.
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Comments
Not enough tongue weight… and trailer not level… when that happens you have to modulate the trailer brakes to control it. That dude hit the truck brakes which amplify the problem.
Couldn’t agree more. Trailers need to be towed level with more weight on the tongue and over the tires. Everyone tried to load trailers so they don’t squat the trucks. Terrible idea. If you’ve never watched this video and may ever load a trailer it says so much without many words.
When you take a single vehicle and join another to it, it becomes a different animal.
100% correct. And one more thing , hard to tell but looks like trailer is loaded more less to the limit. JACKED UP TRUCKS HAVE A BIG REDUCTION IN TOWING CAPACITY!
Going over the towing capacity is less of an issue, than this fellow’s other bad practices. I have seen empty trailers sway as bad as loaded ones. Level trailer, and proper tongue weight are critical. I typically error on the side of extra tongue weight, especially on the tilt top trailer behind my dump truck. For that, the issue is traction, without substantial tongue weight its easy to lose traction taking off from a stop, or in wet conditions.
The most surprising thing about this is that his trailer lights appear to work. That’s so rare I almost think he needs a medal.
When towing a trailer: SLOW DOWN!
Any trailer will sway if you go fast enough, even with optimal load distribution. In fact, a car will sway if you go fast enough, just that the sway speed is insane (like 250 MPH).
Even in an ideal setup, you can find critical sway speeds only around 70 MPH, and are even less for improper loading, too small tow vehicle, underinflated tires, etc.
Bent axle..no brakes..ease off… Happened to me. Then driving afterwards at 55..no more. Put a new axle on it it was a tandem…back was bent…it was fixed..
Nice Nova!
I thought the same thing about Nova. My brother had one just like that. Maybe it’s his?
I was pulling a 10k lb. Dump trailer with a 1500 ram one time and it started swaying I was so scared I thought for sure I was gonna eat it but God was on my side. We were tearing off a tile roof and the guys were too lazy to throw it toward the front and I had to dump it before the place closed so I decided to just go for it without spreading it towards the tongue. Horrible idea. I could have killed somebody or myself. I pulled over and shuffled a bunch to the front and drove 50mph to the yard. Even at 50 the over passes were terrifying. My knuckles literally turned white. I don’t work for that guy anymore but still remember the good times how he made me drive around in an isuzu box truck with almost no brakes and going 25mph up the interstate getting passed by fully loaded semi trucks
We travel Full Time with a 36′ DRV Mobile Suites 5th Wheel. So I know a little bit about this kind of stuff. I see these guys pull heavy big ass trailers all the time. Short Bed under rated trucks, saying my truck can pull this. Never considering Stability and Stopping! Then something like this happens. So unsafe Wana Be Truck Drivers. A bumper pull no less. I have nothing less than a Dually GMC Desiel.
I don’t think anyone cares about your dinosaur diesel lol a chevy Colorado can do your job no problem. You can’t park that hunk of trash anywhere
You’re either a troll or an idiot. Either way, never hitch up. A dually is the single safest pickup to tow with. A mid size is probably one of the worst, save it be an SUV or car. Basic physics.
Also, if you can’t park a dually in a standard spot, that sounds like a massive YOU problem. They fit if you take 10 seconds to back in straight.
Electric pulls much better and efficiently. Can’t wait for diesel trash engines to be outlawed. Cry your eyes out hickleberry.
You’ll have a lot of gray hair waiting on electric work trucks, by the time they’re able to get a working truck, not a 3 bags of mulch hauler, the battery pack will be so heavy you have to have an overweight permit to drive it. No infrastructure, no EVs for serious trucks.
Dude you can have your ev’s all ya want, of i wanna tow something i want the real enjine pulling it
EVs can’t tow more than 60-70 miles without recharging, when you put a heavy load in one or behind one range drops to 50% or less depending on terrain.
Lol dude, you’re the same guy who said a Colorado could tow a 36′ fifth wheel. I don’t think anyone here will take you seriously talking about towing at this point.
It can you’re just mad your big old dinosaur diesel is now obsolete, a Tacoma can do a better job
A Honda Ridgeline destroys any diesel
Cry hickleberries
Don’t think Mr Jake v has a clue how much your Drv weighs I have same 5th wheel and use a 3/4 dodge to move it ,it works but a dullay would be better rig….colorado??? Good luck with that Jake v
Mr Jake is a troll who probably wouldnt know a tire from his own backside, let alone the tow capacity of his truck. Or maybe hes just butthurt because he only has a Honda Fit…
Get a real truck, I bet yours in from 2001 with nothing but rust but “I GOT ME A DIESEL YEEHOO”
First of all dodge Ram 2500’s are much better for towing, second always load the front of the trailer the most and last but not least slow down. Speed is not your friend when towing a trailer. Guy needed a heavy fine for careless act.
What’s with all the down votes on the comments saying to load the trailer properly?
Woooooow!!! Thank you guy’s for the education. I had no idea and I’m in the market for my very first trailer. I mainly need it for hauling junk to the dump every now and then. It’s just nice to have when you need one. Thank you again…
Appears the trailer stayed connected so trailer chains would not have been used. Allways use safety chains but they do not control sway.
That’s what happens when you don’t load a trailer correctly.
Ugh, I have been told the only way to recover if you catch it early enough is to let off gas, hold wheel straight and apply the trailer brakes lightly. Stay off truck brakes. That assumes the tow vehicle has the proper controller in the cab within easy reach of the driver.
Definitely i pull in pa, and ya gotta watch it. Going up hill isnt bad cuz all the weights pulling itself straight, its the downhil end of things you gotta watch. Or the flat like this dude was
This guy may not have had a brake controller in his truck.
Too much weight in the back of the trailer, the trucks hitch was too high so not enough tongue weight. Hitting the tow vehicle brakes was the final straw.
Yep. I have a 2015 f150 and they are far too light. Ive had trailers start acting up when they are loaded badly and the worst thing you can do is hit the truck brakes. Ive tried to train myself to always remember to hit the trailer brakes first if that ever happens
Worst part is, he had to cut off stability control for this to even happen. He was probably getting a lot of jolts through the drivetrain and cut it off.
@ Jake V…ain’t nobody using an electric truck as a work truck, let alone a frickin’ tow vehicle! 🤣 What are you pulling your trailer with? A Tesla Model X or what?? 🤣 Quit being a frickin’ tool bag… smelling like a bucket full of azzholez…💩
Please lay off Jake and make these forums a little more civil. Jake is 16, lives with his mom, doesn’t own a truck or car, and masturbates to pics of Elon Musk.
Hope I never meet up with Jake on the highway pulling anything
Good evening guys,yes that video looks interesting! I have watched it happen before and also had it happen to me. But just not quite to this extend. Loading a trailer correctly is a huge benefit to any driver. Also quick steering wheel movement I have found to upend alot of stability too. I think we all can honestly say we have made our share of mistakes. That poor person was lucky an also the poeple around him.
Everyone in the comments thinks they’re a dam expert, stfu idiots..
A lot of truck drivers are clueless assholes. In NC they speed around with unsecured crap in their beds that fly out, cut people off like morons and generally act like assholes because you know, TRUCKS. Takes a special kind of douche.
Looks to me like it was a tire issue low tires are great to tow with and the truck probably had underrated tires if anybody knows anything about towing tires are the most important and pressures
1st I would like to congratulate Jake V on getting a 24/23 It’s on his chromosome test…. And I am also pretty sure he doesn’t understand where the electricity comes from to charge these vehicles
Just another POS driver on the Texas roads without a care for anyone else’s safety. I wasn’t so lucky in Houston they totaled my vehicle and then claimed i hit them. The truck and trailer slingshot across 3lanes and hit me in the fast lane..pushed me up on the concrete barrier. I was looking at head on traffic in the opposite direction.
None of you were there. None of you were driving that truck. You have no clue what happened. It is easy to sit back and say “oh he didn’t do this or didn’t do that” He was going just fine until the bump in the road. Maybe something shifted in the trailer. No one knows except that driver.