Scary truck/trailer incident, vent and PSA

[SonnysMom]

So last week was my week from hell and it continued into this week. My husband was in the hospital from Tuesday to Sunday. Due to visiting hours and his dialysis treatment on Saturday he suggested I get some horse time in since I couldn’t be at the hospital with him anyway.

I figure I have a good 4 or 5 hours for a nice trail ride. I hooked up the trailer. Moved it out of the parking spot to the top of the driveway, put dogs away, headed down and up my long driveway. I didn’t notice anything funky. I went to drive down a steep hill on my cul-de-sac to the T intersection. When I hit the brakes they went to the floor and I am only marginally slowing down. So curse words are now flying, I am standing harder on the brake, grabbing the brake box to use the trailer to slow me down, looking for a safe place to put the rig if I can’t stop and considering using the emergency brake if necessary. I was able to stop it with just pumping the regular brakes and help from the trailer brakes. I split a brake line. I really only lost the back brakes but it is a big 2500 crew cab and heading down a hill so I prefer all 4 brakes to work- thank you very much. I was lucky I didn’t have a horse on there yet.

I was able to borrow a friend’s truck and trailer about an hour later. I get to the barn and Carson has removed a front shoe while in his stall and thrown it in the aisle. Talented beast. Wonderful, now he will be in glue on shoes on that foot too. Cha-ching. At least I was planning on riding Finnegan not him.

Take Finnegan on trail ride, heading back to trailer and go up onto the park road near the trailer- clip, clip, clip, thud. Yes he pulled a shoe too.

Farrier out on Tuesday- replaces both shoes. Finnegan needed a new one since his was lost somewhere on that 5 mile trail ride. We mutually fire each other since the lost shoe thing is an ongoing issue that was driving both of us nuts. Time to part company and try something different. Line up new farrier for next week.
Wednesday I set up Carson’s first off the farm trail ride with a friend for Sunday. Pull into farm Thursday night. Why is Carson lame again? Oh no not really lame he just pulled a hind shoe and is sore on it. He is so flat footed. I want an adult beverage preferably in large quanities- oh wait I gave up alcohol in November. Damn.

This weekend is supposed to be mostly rainy. I so hope things get better soon.

PSA part: make sure you know how to manually activate your trailer brakes, make sure you have thought about what to do in an emergency, make sure that you know that using the emergency brake is an option. Try not to panic. Curse loudly during the emergency. It doesn’t help the situation but it makes me feel better.

For those that have 2005 Chevy trucks the split brake line is a known issue but not a formal recall. I think there are a few more years that this was a problem with. Some of those years had a recall but not all years. I split the front line on this truck about 6 years ago. Blew through a 4 way stop in the snow, thankfully with nobody around. Also close to home so I could nurse it there rather than wait for a tow. The metal brake lines corrode and break. Even with a visual inspection they don’t look too bad. DH thought he had replaced all of the lines 6 years ago but he missed a short section. The truck was just inspected 2.5 weeks ago.

[SuzieQNutter]

Thank Goodness you, your horses and your machinery are okay.

Bah on the lost shoes maybe you need a third farrier!

[Guyot]

Worst nightmare… I also had my breaks sort of go a few weeks ago… was starting to slow down to pull into my trainers driveway… and nothing… I’m standing on the brakes and marginally slowing down. Also lost power steering.

Evidently a belt went that controls the breaks and steering… luckily was in front of my trainers farm and was able to off load my horse. Truck towed home and my trainer pulled my trailer into her farm with her truck. Dear friend came a rescued me and horse! What an experience!

OP glad your safe!!

[Larbear]

Brakes going would be my worst nightmare too. I blew the brake lines on my old F250 but thankfully, they went before I went anywhere. Fired up the truck, stepped on the brake to throw it in reverse and the petal went right to the floor. Tried pumping the brakes to see if I could build some pressure but nope. Got out to take a look and saw a big pool of brake fluid…doh!!

Good timing since I live in a condo I’m on top of a winding hill and could have ended very badly…either some else’s condo or the pool.

PSA, if your ABS light comes on, best not to ignore it Mine went on the day before my brakes went so things were deteriorating then but was just very lucky it waited to go in a safe spot and not moving! Someone was looking out for me that day!

[cutter99]

Fords have an issue with the brake lines rusting through and causing the same issue you experienced. And in states like PA, it is more common due to wintertime road salt.

Glad to hear you got everything stopped safely! I hope this week is MUCH better!

[vxf111]

The truck thing was freakin scary, glad you’re ok

[tbchick84]

Been there, done that with my 2000 Chevy. Brake pedal went to the floor. Luckily I was sans trailer and about to head up a hill to the barn, so I just put it in neutral and coasted to a stop. I can imagine that being so not fun with a trailer attached. Good for you keeping your head and getting it done.

[clanter]

@cutter99

Fords have an issue with the brake lines rusting through and causing the same issue you experienced. And in states like PA, it is more common due to wintertime road salt.

doesn’t have to be rusted or broken brake line, we had just had a “complete brake job” done on our one ton duallys week before the breaks went out… the vacuum pump failed…a $35 item…

Daughter had just returned from hauling her horse and went to refuel the truck… lost the brakes when the pump failed.

Spoke to the shop that did the “complete brake job”…they changed their procedures for diesels to include replacing the vacuum pump

[Belowthesalt]

Mine’s a 2003 that I have owned for four years. It had 53K on it when I purchased. So far, no issues, but I think I 'll have my mechanic take a look!

[shiloh]

Glad you are okay! That story made me hold my breath.

I think you need to start appeasing the horse shoe god with gifts. If Buddha likes bananas and flowers, perhaps the horse shoe god would like…beer? Chips? :lol::winkgrin:

[Mango20]

The front and rear brake lines on my 2002 Chevy went out within a year of each other. I was incredibly lucky that the truck was pretty much not moving at the time and not hooked to the trailer. The first time was in my driveway, and the pedal went to the floor as I started it. The second time, I had loaded up the two dogs and the kid, dropped the truck off for an oil change within walking distance of the vet’s office, where the dogs had an appointment. I thought I was so smart killing two birds with one stone like that. The truck placed called and said the lines blew when they were backing it out of the bay and it would have to stay there to be worked on the next day. So now I need a 9 mile ride home for me, my kid, and two large dogs. One of the guys who worked there loaded us all up in his truck and took us home.

Before that truck I had a 1985 Ford, and it blew a brake line while I was driving it (no trailer, thank goodness). I was able to limp it home on the limited brakes I was left with, but it was still really scary.

[B_and_B]

The new liquid ‘salt’ absolutely eats vehicles. Our 1993 Chevy lost its brakes due to corrosion, my 98 Honda Civic became a junkyard car when it ate throw the subframe. My work recently started treating all of the fleet trucks with Fluid Film because the loss due to rust was insane. Fluid Film smells like soggy wool, or memorably a battery about to blow up, and really only works with the spray gun applicator (the aerosol is so so). BUT it stops corrosion. And, unlike coating the underside with used oil (which also works), it doesn’t matter if you get it on rubber or plastic. Just make sure you get it as clean as you can before hand.
Glad you are OK! Hope your husband is better.
Mods, sorry this sounds like a product placement…oops.

[jawa]

Don’t forget that your transmission can be your friend as well. Down shift to a lower gear to slow your rig.

[mellsmom]

@SonnysMom

So last week was my week from hell and it continued into this week. My husband was in the hospital from Tuesday to Sunday. Due to visiting hours and his dialysis treatment on Saturday he suggested I get some horse time in since I couldn’t be at the hospital with him anyway.

I figure I have a good 4 or 5 hours for a nice trail ride. I hooked up the trailer. Moved it out of the parking spot to the top of the driveway, put dogs away, headed down and up my long driveway. I didn’t notice anything funky. I went to drive down a steep hill on my cul-de-sac to the T intersection. When I hit the brakes they went to the floor and I am only marginally slowing down. So curse words are now flying, I am standing harder on the brake, grabbing the brake box to use the trailer to slow me down, looking for a safe place to put the rig if I can’t stop and considering using the emergency brake if necessary. I was able to stop it with just pumping the regular brakes and help from the trailer brakes. I split a brake line. I really only lost the back brakes but it is a big 2500 crew cab and heading down a hill so I prefer all 4 brakes to work- thank you very much. I was lucky I didn’t have a horse on there yet.

I was able to borrow a friend’s truck and trailer about an hour later. I get to the barn and Carson has removed a front shoe while in his stall and thrown it in the aisle. Talented beast. Wonderful, now he will be in glue on shoes on that foot too. Cha-ching. At least I was planning on riding Finnegan not him.

Take Finnegan on trail ride, heading back to trailer and go up onto the park road near the trailer- clip, clip, clip, thud. Yes he pulled a shoe too.

Farrier out on Tuesday- replaces both shoes. Finnegan needed a new one since his was lost somewhere on that 5 mile trail ride. We mutually fire each other since the lost shoe thing is an ongoing issue that was driving both of us nuts. Time to part company and try something different. Line up new farrier for next week.
Wednesday I set up Carson’s first off the farm trail ride with a friend for Sunday. Pull into farm Thursday night. Why is Carson lame again? Oh no not really lame he just pulled a hind shoe and is sore on it. He is so flat footed. I want an adult beverage preferably in large quanities- oh wait I gave up alcohol in November. Damn.

This weekend is supposed to be mostly rainy. I so hope things get better soon.

PSA part: make sure you know how to manually activate your trailer brakes, make sure you have thought about what to do in an emergency, make sure that you know that using the emergency brake is an option. Try not to panic. Curse loudly during the emergency. It doesn’t help the situation but it makes me feel better.

For those that have 2005 Chevy trucks the split brake line is a known issue but not a formal recall. I think there are a few more years that this was a problem with. Some of those years had a recall but not all years. I split the front line on this truck about 6 years ago. Blew through a 4 way stop in the snow, thankfully with nobody around. Also close to home so I could nurse it there rather than wait for a tow. The metal brake lines corrode and break. Even with a visual inspection they don’t look too bad. DH thought he had replaced all of the lines 6 years ago but he missed a short section. The truck was just inspected 2.5 weeks ago.

And the 2002 and 2004 Chevy’s. We have replaced brake lines in both, the 2002 twice.

[beowulf]

ugh - worst nightmare!! so glad you are okay and no beasts were harmed… sorry about the farrier, been there… and hope your hubby feels better soon… get ye some long saddle time.