Accident near Ocala, FL on 2/16

MTPockets · Feb 17, 2016

Friends of ours involved yesterday about 5:00 PM. A car had a blowout and hit them on drivers side rear wheels. Trailer then disconnected and hit the retaining wall. Everyone walked away without a scratch...

kowAlski631 · Feb 17, 2016

Thank goodness they weren't hurt.

TravelTiger · Feb 17, 2016

Oh dear, I would be sick and heartbroken. Glad they were not injured physically.

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Bones · Feb 17, 2016

at least they are ok

Nabo · Feb 17, 2016

Glad everyone walked away but so sad to see the Big Country laying on it's side. And the truck - wow.

Bob&Patty · Feb 17, 2016

Wow, that's really a shame, but glad everyone is OK. The truck took a really hard hit and BC on it's side is really sad. Was the car traveling the other direction?

travelin2 · Feb 17, 2016

Yikes!! Glad there were no bodily injuries.
Worrisome though how/why the trailer became disconnected...

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bigdob24 · Feb 17, 2016

So glad everyone walked away!
Glad it was a true accident ( blow out) and not the result of someone's stupid driving.
Hope insurance treats them well

Dan

avvidclif · Feb 17, 2016

I hope the other party had more than a minimum liability policy. That's getting close to a $150k wreck...

TxCowboy · Feb 17, 2016

Happy that everybody is OK. But, dang, hate to see all that damage.

TravelTiger · Feb 17, 2016

travelin2 said:
Yikes!! Glad there were no bodily injuries.
Worrisome though how/why the trailer became disconnected...

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Purely speculation, but If they used a B&W Companion hitch that attached to an in-bed turnover ball hitch point, that impact may have dislodged the securing of the turnover hitch point. There would be a lever located in that wheel well that has obviously been impacted.

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wdk450 · Feb 17, 2016

I was thinking that a trailer hitch pin catcher device on the truck 5th wheel hitch might have prevented the disconnect. Something like this: (See the pictures at the middle of the webpage under "Our Product")
http://www.5thwheellatchkit.com/

jayc · Feb 17, 2016

Glad no one was injured. We pay a LOT of money for insurance, so I hope the other party has proper coverage.

MTPockets · Feb 17, 2016

Bob&Patty said:
Wow, that's really a shame, but glad everyone is OK. The truck took a really hard hit and BC on it's side is really sad. Was the car traveling the other direction?

The car was traveling in next lane going same direction when tire blew. I talked with Mike (our friend) who said it was real fast, the blowout, then the slam into driver side of his truck, trailer uncoupled then he spun around hitting the wall while trailer was sliding along behind.

travelin2 · Feb 17, 2016

MTPockets said:
The car was traveling in next lane going same direction when tire blew. I talked with Mike (our friend) who said it was real fast, the blowout, then the slam into driver side of his truck, trailer uncoupled then he spun around hitting the wall while trailer was sliding along behind.

Does your friend have a hypothesis as to how the camper separated itself from the truck?
That scenario has always been in the back of my mind.

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MTPockets · Feb 17, 2016

The owner told me he has no idea what caused the trailer to disconnect, it was pretty much immediate upon the side impact at the driver side rear wheel. Also, had it not uncoupled, the truck may have overturned as well.

travelin2 · Feb 17, 2016

MTPockets said:
The owner told me he has no idea what caused the trailer to disconnect, it was pretty much immediate upon the side impact at the driver side rear wheel. Also, had it not uncoupled, the truck may have overturned as well.

Possibly as you seldom see a semi trailer and tractor separate themselves during an accident.
Did he say whether the hitch opened or failed? On reexamination of the pictures I see the hitch or part of it still in the box. Or did the pin box on the camper frame fail?

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mlpeloquin · Feb 17, 2016

If the Lippart frame failed at the welds that hole the king pin, shouldn't it still be attached in the bed? The only way the welds should fail is if they were under tension. This can happen when changing to a new king pin. When I purchased and installed a Trailair Flex Air king pin, it was 3/16" narrower. I picked up some Aluminum and made a shim to fill in the gap. On line U tube of a Trailair king pin shows them gunning the bolts on and you can see the mounting plates move in. The welds will hold that way until a good impact which can snap them.

The hitch may have had the fasteners/bolts crystallize on impact or the jaw may have crystallized. If it was the jaw, the king pin catcher suggested by Bill Knight may have saved the fifth wheel.

olcoon · Feb 17, 2016

I agree with MTPockets, if the 5er hadn't came loose quite possibly it may have caused the truck to roll also, and there may have been some serious injuries. With that unfortunate incident, even if the rig hadn't come apart, there still would have been major damage.

travelin2 · Feb 18, 2016

olcoon said:
I agree with MTPockets, if the 5er hadn't came loose quite possibly it may have caused the truck to roll also, and there may have been some serious injuries. With that unfortunate incident, even if the rig hadn't come apart, there still would have been major damage.

Yep no doubt the truck would have been on its side too and both with substantial damage regardless. And in this case it appears the camper was its own casualty BUT uncoupled from the tow vehicle a trailer then becomes a moving target that can collect other vehicles causing chaos and injuries.

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Accident near Ocala, FL on 2/16

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