Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Horror-Story-Man-Escapes-Death-in-horrible-wreck-While-Towing-69-Camaro-Pace-Car-Home.html

[oldrustycars]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

I don't know if its the law everywhere, but in Illinois when you buy a car you automatically have insurance on it through your regular carrier.
I read that thread last night. Lots of "sidewalk superintendents" speculating on what went wrong. The owner said he swerved to avoid "idiots" stopped on the interstate, and the hitch ball broke. Why were cars stopped on the road? Wreck ahead? Weather? Was the driver not paying close enough attention to see stopped traffic? That was a two car trailer. Load the car too far back and it'll sway like crazy, too far forward and it unloads the trucks steer tires, making braking and steering poor. Did he use a proper weight distributing hitch, with a sway control? What about a proper brake controller, adjusted correctly? I see guys all the time that feel hooking any trailer to a dually pickup is just slapping it on the ball and go. Not true. Over 5000 pounds you must have a weight distributing hitch. I was a Reese certified hitch mechanic at one point.
Still, you have to feel bad for the guy.

[Schtauffer]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

Glad the guy is ok.

Right away get the lawyers involved, see who can get sued for this... : : : :P >

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

Ouch :'(

My experience with insurance is you have insurance on the car the moment you take possesion of the title, and you have 30-60 days to get the paperwork done and premiums paid. That being said, that means there isn't an agreed value already stated on any kind of insurance policy, so he might be at the whim of the insurance company's "thoughts" on the value of the car. Some insurance companies are better than others about that aspect and may take what he just paid for the car as the value.

[Mr4Speed]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pac

It's painful to look at, and fantastic that no one was hurt. At least he can buy a Dynacorn shell to put the car back together where so many other cars just wouldn't be salvageable.

[FANTASY FACTORY]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

"Ball snapped" my hairy sac! that ball snapped AFTER he jack knifed it. if at all!
Another arrogent stamp collector, car is getting more views now than it would after he got it home and stuck it in his hermatic garage!

[Falcon67]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

>Over 5000 pounds you must have a weight distributing hitch.

Say what? I tow 5500+ every race weekend and run 750 lbs of tongue weight on the F150 Super Crew. It tows fine and have never had an issue, even in high wind and wet roads. 16' steel car hauler with 3050 lbs of race car on it. The truck handle it with zero problem - no light front, no overload on the rear, well within the GCVW and GAW ratings. I've run with as much as 950 lbs on the hitch. The only issue we have is with the Ranger - it'll put 5000 easy but it doesn't like more than about 350 lbs of tongue weight, so we'll put a distribution hitch on it next year.

[tiresmoke!]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

A 2-car trailer secured by a BALL HITCH?!

That should've had a pintle-hitch setup...a ball hitch simply isn't good enough on a trailer of that size.

I see this kind of stuff all day long on the interstates.....some jack-leg gets a duallie and a multi-car trailer with electric brakes, half-ass loads it and goes barreling down the road at 70+MPH without any regard for what's ahead of him/her......I usually find them jack-knifed in a ditch or flipped in a median because they had no clue as to how to tow a loaded trailer properly.

Not saying this is the case here, but more times often than not.....I'm glad the man in this case made it out alive...tough break on the truck and Camaro.

[oldrustycars]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

Falcon 67, I stand "partially" corrected. Looking at the Reese Hitch catalog, I don't see a receiver for your pickup rated at more than 6000 pounds "weight carrying". That means just on the ball. "Weight distributing" is with the two spring bars, that attach with trunnions to the ball mount, then to the trailer tongue with short chains. This distributes the weight from the lift chains on the spring bars all the way to the front of the receiver, the part closest to the front of the tow vehicle.
And just because "we do it all the time and it handles it" doesn't mean its right. Lots of fudge factor built into any proper hitch or receiver. I've seen race cars in enclosed trailers show up at the track towed by a ball bolted to a step bumper.

[milner351]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

This will certainly make me double triple check things when I tow. It's realy easy to get too casual with this stuff.

So far - my 3500lb home made tilt bed has got along fine with a 2 5/16" ball - but I have had thoughts of switching it over to a pintle.

Thanks to 'smoke for making sure those I beams were tied down well on the way home from Indy - they didn't move when I blew a tire and bent the crap out of the fender!


Falcon - just curious - how do you measure your tonge weight - do you have a scale or something?

[rodder]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

WELL THAT CAMARO WAS A PIECES OF JUNK THAT MAN THAT SOLD JUST SLAP IT TOGATHER TO SELL IT AND LEFT BOLT OUT AND EVEN THE HEADLIGHT DOOR WAS NO CONNECTED UP AND THE MAN THAT BOUGHT IT WOULD NO BE HAPPY WHEN HE GOT IT HOME WHICH HE DIDN,T SO IT WHEN TO COPART AND A BUYER FROM CALIF BOUGHT IT AND WHEN HE GOT IT THERE AND STARTED TO TEAR IT DOWN AND SEEN ALL WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT BEFORE THE WRECK OT HAD A LOT OF BONDO ON THE BODY
I SHOULD KNOW ALL ABOUT IT I AM REPAIRING IT I BEING A AUTOBODY MAN FOR 50 YEAR AND I WOULD NEVER DO A REPAIR ON A CAR LIKE IT WAS DONE THE LAST GUY SHOULD BE BAND FROM WORKING ON ANY CAR

[1988montecarloss]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

WELL THAT CAMARO WAS A PIECES OF JUNK THAT MAN THAT SOLD JUST SLAP IT TOGATHER TO SELL IT AND LEFT BOLT OUT AND EVEN THE HEADLIGHT DOOR WAS NO CONNECTED UP AND THE MAN THAT BOUGHT IT WOULD NO BE HAPPY WHEN HE GOT IT HOME WHICH HE DIDN,T SO IT WHEN TO COPART AND A BUYER FROM CALIF BOUGHT IT AND WHEN HE GOT IT THERE AND STARTED TO TEAR IT DOWN AND SEEN ALL WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT BEFORE THE WRECK OT HAD A LOT OF BONDO ON THE BODY
I SHOULD KNOW ALL ABOUT IT I AM REPAIRING IT I BEING A AUTOBODY MAN FOR 50 YEAR AND I WOULD NEVER DO A REPAIR ON A CAR LIKE IT WAS DONE THE LAST GUY SHOULD BE BAND FROM WORKING ON ANY CAR

YHAUIGAFBQWYBGEVWQYEVBYESBAYFU! RAWWWWWWRRRRR!!!!!!!!

calm down on the caps please...

[Bamfster]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

Remember....when towing, pay extra attention to the road ahead, increase following distance no matter what the conditions are, and always make sure your junk is up to the task. This is exactly why I always go overkill when towing (hitches,tie downs, etc).

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Horror Story: Man Escapes Death in a Bad Wreck While Towing a '69 Camaro Pace Car

saw that on yenko net
ugly