Horse trailer falls apart in wreck on highway

[4horses]

There are pictures and video on Facebook by Tara Brown. Apparently the hitch failed, the trailer detached from the vehicle, hit the guard rail, and then flipped multiple times. The roof and walls of the trailer completely detached, ejecting the horses onto the highway. Both horses survived the wreck.

I would not have expected the trailer walls to completely detach like that. Is that normal in a wreck?

I get that people don’t crash test trailers but it sure seems like that might be a good idea. Would a steel trailer do better?

This wasn’t even an old trailer.

Will all bumper pull trailers flip if they detach from the tow vehicle? I mean I would hope the safety chains would not allow it to nosedive in the front and then flip… but gosh that must be terrifying.

[LCDR]

I believe I will wait until I can read the accident report and see investigation findings before I chime in on this one.

[Simkie]

Well that’s terrifying:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/K5mGWohTJfPpd5wK/

I’m curious about the details, too. What trailer? What tow vehicle? Was it hitched properly? Did the hitch fail? What happened right before all this?

No idea if related here but I see soooooooo many trailers going down the road without the chains crossed under the hitch, or the chains just way too long to prevent a wreck if the hitch fails.

Glad the horses seem to be okay. Amazing that they can go through that and come out the other side. How scary.

[OverandOnward]

I have one question: What is the make and age?

“Not old” is not an age.

From the photos it looks as if it was empty at the time of the accident. Thank goodness.

But short answere, no, it should not pop apart like that. There should be at least some degree of protective cushion around the horses. That thankfully weren’t in it.

[Simkie]

@OverandOnward

From the photos it looks as if it was empty at the time of the accident. Thank goodness.

There were two horses in it.

[endlessclimb]

2017 shadow. Was a rental trailer and the driver’s second time hauling, I believe.

[Djones]

I can’t figure out if there is a photo of the coupler itself?

I think:

the coupler failed or opened.

The breakaway cable was shorter than the safety cables, so the trailer coming loose pulled the emergency brakes, which locks up the trailer brakes.

When the brakes locked up, the safety cables broke and the force of the trailer slamming to a halt sent those horses forward and the torque flipped the trailer and exploded it.

Pure speculation on my part.

[anonevent]

On a bridge?! I think I would pass out.

[Kyrabee]

Like this?

Rescuers save 2 from pickup dangling over deep Idaho gorge

Their safety chains saved them. Granted, not a horse trailer but a rather upsetting situation.

This is what they were dangling over

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

Was a rental trailer and the driver’s second time hauling, I believe.

Man that raises soooooooo many questions doesn’t it.

[Demerara_Stables]

@Simkie

No idea if related here but I see soooooooo many trailers going down the road without the chains crossed under the hitch

I know to cross the chains but I don’t know why. Why can’t they be straight?

[sherian]

hmm lots of questions about that one. A client’s trailer hitch failed on the highway but the chains did hold, trailer did hit the guard rails and the back of the truck but certainly didn’t disintegrate like that.
@Demerara_Stables you cross the chains so if the hitch fails and the trailer tongue drops the chains “catch” it so it doesn’t dig into the road suddenly was what I was always told

[Demerara_Stables]

@sherian

you cross the chains so if the hitch fails and the trailer tongue drops the chains “catch” it so it doesn’t dig into the road suddenly was what I was always told

Oh that makes sense thanks!

[poltroon]

@sherian

@Demerara_Stables you cross the chains so if the hitch fails and the trailer tongue drops the chains “catch” it so it doesn’t dig into the road suddenly was what I was always told

Yes, and also, it is going to keep the trailer closer to the vehicle in general which seems good for bringing everything to a controlled stop.

But perhaps just as important: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure your chains are short, secured, and cannot drag. We have so many fires starting in the west these days due to dragging trailer chains. I can hardly understand how that is possible given how I was trained to hitch a trailer but dragging chains have caused some very dangerous fires locally to me.

[barnesthenoble]

And to think my biggest trailering fear has always been having a horse fall through the floor. Holy crap.

[atr]

I nearly lost my house because of a dragging trailer chain fire.

[4horses]

Maybe they need to get more trailer inspectors. Around here, the agricultural inspection stations would catch you for that (I hope).

[endlessclimb]

And - twisting chains is not an appropriate way to shorten them. Get them properly shortened.

That said, when I ordered my new trailer (Hawk), cables are now standard. I said nope, I want chains and I want chains that can pull 2x the weight of the trailer. If the trailer comes loose, it will have ripped the entire hitch system off my frame.

[endlessclimb]

Somewhere there’s a screenshot of someone who saw it, must have been driving behind? They said the left side of the trailer failed before it started to flip, and the horses were ejected on the first roll. The trailer continued for two more.

There are also comments on a coupler failing. The driver has pictures of her receiver and hitch/ball - it all looks ok. I don’t remember the ball size offhand - maybe wrong size? That would be an easy mistake to make for a rookie hauler.

[4horses]

It looks like it’s a 2 5/16th ball. That should be correct unless the trailer had an off sized coupler.