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Chevy Silverado Slithers Across Highway While Towing Nissan Titan On Trailer: Video

Towing opens up a whole host of new dangers, some of which may not be immediately obvious to towing newbies. Among these is “snaking,” a condition wherein the trailer starts to move laterally back and forth, threatening to do all kinds of nasty things, including flipping the trailer. A recent video featuring a Chevy Silverado demonstrates this behavior in action, capturing the moment a trailer starts to snake as the Chevy precariously tows a Nissan Titan across a highway.

A Chevy Silverado towing a Nissan Titan.

In the video, the Chevy Silverado is seen attempting to navigate a highway exit while the trailer behind it swings back and forth in dramatic fashion. The driver of the Silverado is visibly struggling to maintain control, engaging in counter-steering to manage the swaying trailer.

A variety of factors can cause this hazardous situation, but it’s usually the result of improper weight distribution on the trailer. Other potential factors could include a strong crosswind or bumps in the road.

However, judging by the video, the root of the problem here lies in how the Nissan Titan was loaded onto the trailer. With the vehicle backed onto the trailer, the heavier engine and cab end up behind the trailer’s axle, creating a tail-heavy setup. This imbalance causes the trailer to sway, particularly when the vehicle is in motion or when making maneuvers such as highway exits.

To prevent such dangerous situations, it is crucial to ensure proper weight distribution when loading a trailer. Ideally, the heaviest part of the load (in this case, the front of the Nissan Titan) should be placed towards the front of the trailer, just ahead of the axle. This configuration helps maintain stability by distributing the weight more evenly and adding downward force on the hitch, reducing the likelihood of sway.

Additionally, drivers should consider using sway control devices and checking that the trailer and tow vehicle are properly aligned and balanced before hitting the road. Ensuring that the trailer is not overloaded and that the weight is within the towing capacity of the Chevy Silverado can also significantly mitigate the risks associated with towing.

Check out the full video below:

 

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Turn that thing around, no tongue weight is dangerous. Tons of good videos that show the impact of proper versus improper tongue weight.

    Reply
  2. This is one of the things that really scare me about the truck makers continually increasing the towing capacities of their trucks. A modern half ton may be rated to tow 10,000 pounds, but how many drivers really have the ability or experience to tow anything, let alone a 10,000 pound trailer behind a 6,000 pound truck? Admittedly it’s much better that people are using 3/4 ton pick ups to tow 8,000 pound Airstreams now, instead of a Buick Electra as was the common practice 50 years ago.

    While it is necessary to have a certain percentage of the load’s weight on the trailer’s tongue, ideally the heaviest part of the load should be placed over the axles, but obviously this isn’t usually possible when towing a vehicle. And I would never tow anything as heavy as a pick up truck without equalizer bars and sway control.

    Reply
    1. Yeah guarantee no one read the owners manual on that truck. I have that generation Silverado that’s rated up to 12k towing, but that’s dependent on gooseneck vs bumper. Plus it clearly says anything on the hitch over 6000 lbs needs the equalizer bars. only said if in the manual though, guess they need another bright yellow warning label on the hitch going Forward. (but then your assuming someone who loads a trailer like this would be able to set up equalizer bars correctly).

      Reply
  3. Idiots loaded it azz backwards. the weight should be up front not hanging out behind.

    Reply
  4. Maybe I missed it in the article, but I was looking to see where this was taken. By the voices in the video, I think I’m correct in what I was thinking.

    Here in southern California, you see s**t like this way too often. We need way more police to enforce the current traffic laws in place and they need to come out with some more laws that address the issues we see daily like this. That, and the unsecured loads in the back of pickups driving 75 mph with junk flying out.

    Reply
    1. This is in Donna, TX right next to Mexico.

      Reply
  5. It’s real scary the only way to avoid the swing it’s a slow speed but the real solution bigger trailer and a dually truck. It happened to me and I learn no more you put other driver at risk

    Reply
    1. No way you need a dually for that load, at that rate just have a semi tractor haul everything because it safer…

      distribute weight correctly, get the correct drop hitch so the trailer sits level and drive correctly for a trailer and you’d have no problem with that setup.

      Reply
  6. I’d Hate to see this guy pull a train he’d f that up too.. hope he’s not married he prolly can’t even do that right

    Reply

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