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  1. #1
    Long Hauler geotex1's Avatar
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    Exclamation PSA - DO NOT forget the appropriate safety steps when unhitching!

    So we had breakfast with another experienced camping couple this morning and they told Nikki and I the story of horrendous misfortune their daughter and son-in-law, who I'll call the kids for grey hair ease, are enduring! About 4 years ago the kids were gifted our friends prior TT, which was an ultralight, single slide, 26 footer and used it pretty extensively even through the daughter's pregnancy and now their son turns 3 in a couple weeks and she is expecting a little girl in May. Knowing they would need more room they upgraded to a brand new, 39-foot, triple slide bunkhouse in October. Long story short, even though they were not completely green to trailering, they were not properly prepared and careless! The third trip out with the new bunkhouse they had a fair slope to their campsite that transitioned into a steeper slope of the pad and down into a wooded area. They used those little plastic tinker toy wheel chocks, and as soon as the coupler cleared the ball the ~10K trailer rolled right over the chocks and back something like ~80 feet going under a limb that clipped off both air conditioners before the curbside corner slammed into a tree breaking the rear and side open! Trailer was a total loss, and the kids did not opt for gap coverage...

    When you unhitch a tag-a-long, the safety chains and breakaway cable should remain attached to the tow vehicle until stability of the trailer is confirmed. This is unhitching 101 IMO. The kids should consider themselves lucky that no-one was hurt, and the only property damage was to their own possessions! Maybe they were distracted with an active toddler, maybe it was getting dark, I do not know, but extra precaution only takes precious few moments and can prevent disaster! A checklist could have also prevented this accident.

    Also, if you have a 5er, practice appropriate safety steps too, which should include appropriately size chocks that are firmly set, being cognizant of the grade, etc. In fact, my wife and I always work as a team setting camp, and Nikki is in charge of the breakaway cable during unhitching and leveling the 5er. She knows to stand clear of the unit, nearly maxing the slack of the cable, and should Soli begin to move in the way he shouldn't she knows to pull the pin! I think this is very important when the leveling system is shifting things around especially!
    Rob & Nikki + Cloverfield
    2020 Grand Design Solitude S-Class 3350RL
    2015 RAM 3500 Longhorn Laramie Crew Cab, Long Bed, 4x4 Dually Cummins/AISIN

    Mountains of Pennsylvania

  2. #2
    Seasoned Camper phonemannn's Avatar
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    Good advice. Shame they lost there Trailer....
    2017 F350 Lariat, Dual rear wheels
    2017 GD 311BHS

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor theclarks's Avatar
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    Never had a problem with any of our campers like that, but almost lost a U-Haul dropping it off after hours, safety chains is what saved it. . . . .
    Joe & Dee
    Ontario, Ohio
    2018 Chevy 3500HD LTZ Duramax Crew Cab SRW Short Bed Payload 3523#
    2019 Reflection 337RLS bought February 2019 Dry Pin Weight = 2,320#, UVW = 11,100#
    Hitch - PullRite Super Glide 2700 - 16K
    Bed Cover - Roll-N-Lock
    TPMS - Tire Tracker TT-500 (non flow thru)
    Rear Observation Camera - Rear View Safety model RVS-155W-FB (2400-2500MHZ)

    2017 303RLS bought April 2017 / Traded February 2019

    Map represents States visited with our 303RLS /337RLS

  4. #4
    Rolling Along backtrack2015's Avatar
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    Camped for decades by chocking the wheels and then unhitching chains, equalizer bars, then finally lifting off coupler. Even though we’ve never had a problem, leaving the chains attached until the end is a good idea. I have a coffee mug for this... “Tradition: Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.”
    2017 F-350 CCSB 6.7L
    2021 Micro Minnie 2100BH
    previously - Reflection 28BH, Intech Pursue

  5. #5
    Site Sponsor theclarks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by backtrack2015 View Post
    I have a coffee mug for this... “Tradition: Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.”
    Now that's funny. . . . . could have used that cup when I was still working. . . . . .
    Joe & Dee
    Ontario, Ohio
    2018 Chevy 3500HD LTZ Duramax Crew Cab SRW Short Bed Payload 3523#
    2019 Reflection 337RLS bought February 2019 Dry Pin Weight = 2,320#, UVW = 11,100#
    Hitch - PullRite Super Glide 2700 - 16K
    Bed Cover - Roll-N-Lock
    TPMS - Tire Tracker TT-500 (non flow thru)
    Rear Observation Camera - Rear View Safety model RVS-155W-FB (2400-2500MHZ)

    2017 303RLS bought April 2017 / Traded February 2019

    Map represents States visited with our 303RLS /337RLS

  6. #6
    Fireside Member BC315RLTS's Avatar
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    I wouldn't have set up in a site that had so much of a slant that the trailer would go backwards over the wheel chocks.
    2019 Reflection 315RLTS
    2019 Ford F250 Lariat SuperCab PSD SRW

    Former set up:
    2013 Kodiak 291RESL
    2017 Ford F150 Platinum

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper
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    After having my trailer roll back a little bit until it settled into the chocks, and put a hell of strain on the landing gear I'm sure, I now set the chocks and without undoing anything else I put the truck in neutral with my foot on the brake. I then ease off and allow the trailer to roll into the chocks if it needs to. Once the trailer is set I then go about dropping the landing gear and unhook. Is this what others do?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    2018 Dodge 3500 DRW
    2019 Reflection 337RLS

  8. #8
    Big Traveler Txfivver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ramcneal View Post
    After having my trailer roll back a little bit until it settled into the chocks, and put a hell of strain on the landing gear I'm sure, I now set the chocks and without undoing anything else I put the truck in neutral with my foot on the brake. I then ease off and allow the trailer to roll into the chocks if it needs to. Once the trailer is set I then go about dropping the landing gear and unhook. Is this what others do?
    That is exactly what I do as well and I use 4 heavy rubber chocks, 1 behind each rear tire and 1 in front of each front tire, not the cheap plastic ones. This is part of my "do it the same way every time" routine.
    2019 Solitude 375RES Onan 5500 Splendide W/D Samsung res. fridge
    2020 Ford F450 Platinum dually 6.7L 4:30 gears
    B&W Companion for Ford puck system 20K lbs
    Jeff

  9. #9
    Rolling Along
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    Terrible story. I'm so sorry. Maybe this should be move to the "It Happened To Me" section.

    When I unhook, I set chocks and let the truck and trailer set into the chocks... But that's not the point is it?

    I'm glad no one got hurt.

  10. #10
    Site Sponsor
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    15 years ago I almost lost our pop-up that way. So yes, the safety chains are the last to come off.
    2019 F-250 Supercab
    2017 Imagine 2650RK

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