Returning home from Fripp Island yesterday an approx 17-18’ boat and trailer decoupled from the red truck pulling it, came into my lane approx 200’ down the road, and eventually left the road (on my side) and slammed into a wooden utility pole. This was on a 45MPH road and is one of the most frightening things I have ever seen driving. We had plenty of room to slow down and I was ready to dart left or right, but the trailer rolled off the road first. The jack wheel must have been down because the tongue was not digging into the asphalt or dirt as it was moving. Had I been another 5 seconds down the road I hate to think what the outcome could have been. Once we made sure there were no injuries we left so I don’t know exactly what happened, but that boat is toast!
Use your safety cables! Lock your tongue! And check the hitch connection often!
My nephew fishes the bass tour up in Va. and a few years ago was run off the road by a bus. He was ok on the shoulder until he met the ditch and hit the far embankment nose first. That high dollar Ranger came through the back window of the extended cab and stopped just short of the front seats…
Glad it missed ya. Folks need to double check that hitch before pulling out.
Last week over in Evans, Ga. I met an oncoming vehicle (80ish camero) that was coming toward me on a 4 lane and the dang hood came up on that car and folded all the way over the roof. He must have been running 45 or so and cut across in front of me into a parking lot. He about had that thing on two wheels as hard as he turned it.
Man, I’m glad you are OK! I know first hand what it’s like to be hit head on and am extremely lucky to even be alive right now. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
People we all need to be extremely vigilant while driving and especially when adding something else to an already heavy moving object. I’m pretty sure that could have been avoided if the owner was paying attention to what he was doing.
Sounds like you had an Eye-opener Bonzo! Had a dude pulling a trailer with a 2" receiver on an 1 7/8 Ball come off and do some major damage to one of our trucks. Thankfully it hit our truck and not someone! Dude was a real piece of work, no safety chains and said he did it all the time with no problem. Said he had enough tongue weight on the trailer that it shouldn’t have happened. …
Wow, glad no one was hurt. I actually had my trailer come off the ball one time on the FL turnpike. We had been towing for almost 100 miles when we hit a big dip and it just popped off. Thank goodness I had heavy chains and real heavy snap links. It stayed connected and I slowed down gradually enough that all it did was scrape up the bottom of the tongue. Scary stuff. Man, I’m not sure the world is ready for no Bonzo.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Glad you were alert and stayed safe, Bonzo.
I rode with a friend to Augusta to pick up a car trailer, he found for cheap. Told him the tires were car tires, not trailer tires, he said he would replace them. Problem was we were also supposed to pick up a 69 Mustang with the trailer the next day, same trip. Got out onto the Interstate, trailer immediately came off, chains caught it. The hitch on the trailer was too worn to fit the ball, it did not have an adjustment, 2 5/16 ball. I put a leather glove over the ball, shorten the chains, it did not come off again. Got the the guys house in Georgia with the Mustang and he cut the tongue off and welded a new one on for us, great guy! The savings he got with the trailer was made up for in all the fixing he had to do.
On the way back to Charleston we blew a tire, luckily he bought a spare tire when we picked up the new tongue. That was a long two day trip.
I always prepare for the ball to come loose with good tight chains crossed.
When I was kid we left the wheel down. His a hard bump and the trailer, boat and all passed us in the oncoming lane. Thankfully ran off the road into a bank, bursting the main waterline to a church. we did get to “play” in the water that day.
Got to be alert ! Never know what’s coming at you. About a month ago, I was driving to Charlotte on I-85. A Tahoe towing a bass boat came around me in the left lane. He started crossing back over into my lane when the boat was right beside me. Luckily no one was in the lane to the right of me or there would have been skid marks other than the ones inside my truck. It was like he didn’t even realize he was towing a boat.
years ago Grandpa Bonzo was trailering a little boat to the lake when it came off the hitch and rolled down the hill…as they were attempting to pull it back up to the road, some friends drove by, rolled the window down and said, “Leman, aint no fish down there…” a little humor on this serious topic…
DoubleN, that hood flip is a scary thing. Was running down the road one day in Virginia Beach and mine popped up. I had a 69 Torino GT with a scoop on the hood. Running about 55 center lane when it came up. Left hinge broke loose and the right one hung tight. Hood went up and flipped over and down on right side against the car. Man on the right slammed on the brakes and about caused a wreck. Found some rope and strapped it down.The guards at Norfolk Naval Station gave me some funny looks the next morning. We were coming back from Columbia a few years back and say a 30’ cuddy come off a trailer and get sideways in he road before sliding in the median.
Saw a boat and trailer once come uncoupled on the 4 lane between Georgetown and Pawleys. The boat was heading toward me but the tongue hit the bottom of the median and the boat started flipping and ended with a nice perioette.
Once picked up my boat from a shop and while driving I kept hearing a bump-bump-bump. 4-5 miles later I pulled over - the shop flunky had put the ball on the latch which forced the latch way into the receiver then locked it. The trailer hitch was doing nothing more than resting on top of the ball. It ruined the hitch.
Lesson learned - connect your boat yourself so you are 100% sure.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 20 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 17 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
In the early 70’s, I worked for a brake/alignment shop in east Denver, Co. I was driving an old Mercedes from a body shop to our shop in some serious traffic when the hood popped open. Talk about driving while blind! I just stopped right there in the middle of the road, everybody honking & yelling obscenities at me, got the hood down, and was able to pull over to secure it enough to get it to the shop. My boss called the body shop owner and threatened to come down & kick his azz for letting me drive a car in that condition. Apparently, they knew the hood latch didn’t work.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
