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Nearly killed myself today


sutty2006

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Well i drove 130 miles south to bedford to pick up a sierra to do scally rally in this year.

 

Long story short, on the way back, 30 seconds into joining this dual carridgeway out of bedford the trailer (complete with car) started to snake around 55 mph.

 

I tried slowing down but the trailer just got worse and spun round taking the mondeo with it.

 

I hit the central reservation and ended up facing the wrong way on the carridgeway.

 

Luckily the cars behind saw what happened and stopped in time to warn traffic behind.

 

I reversed about 200 yards back down to a layby where we unloaded the sierra, un hitched the trailer and turned everything around.

 

The sierra, Amazingly stayed on the trailer. Undamaged apart from the towing eye which got bent in my attempt to turn round.

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h20/sutty2006/sierra.jpg

 

Sierra in tow, after the smash

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h20/sutty2006/sierra2.jpg

 

And the front bumper where i hit the central reservation going backwards..

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h20/sutty2006/scratch.jpg

 

All in all quite got off quite lucky. The trailer has a bent wheel and a smashed lamp holder. Could have been A LOT worse. :mellow:

 

:( :( :( :(

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started to snake around 55 mph.

 

Isn't the speed limit for towing 50mph?

 

60 i thought :unsure:

 

Correct. :thumb:

 

The cross winds were strong all the way home, but after stopping at newport pagnell services and opening the windows on the sierra I could manage 50 mph and nothing more.

 

As for brown trousers, more like I need a few brown stains removing from my seats!

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started to snake around 55 mph.

 

Isn't the speed limit for towing 50mph?

 

60 i thought :unsure:

 

Correct. :thumb:

 

The cross winds were strong all the way home, but after stopping at newport pagnell services and opening the windows on the sierra I could manage 50 mph and nothing more.

 

As for brown trousers, more like I need a few brown stains removing from my seats!

 

good tip for prospective modifiers tho!....

 

"why waste money on a RSK/st170 brake conversion when you cane simple increase your stopping power by adding a sierra on a trailer with its windows open..... DIY AIRBRAKE" :pancake:

 

allways a silver lining

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started to snake around 55 mph.

 

Isn't the speed limit for towing 50mph?

 

60 i thought :unsure:

 

Correct. :thumb:

 

The cross winds were strong all the way home, but after stopping at newport pagnell services and opening the windows on the sierra I could manage 50 mph and nothing more.

 

As for brown trousers, more like I need a few brown stains removing from my seats!

 

good tip for prospective modifiers tho!....

 

"why waste money on a RSK/st170 brake conversion when you cane simple increase your stopping power by adding a sierra on a trailer with its windows open..... DIY AIRBRAKE" :pancake:

 

allways a silver lining

 

Well it was increase drag or risk jack knifing again. At the time i didnt care how much fuel i used to get home again. It was a frightening experiance and just thinking about what could have happened makes me feel sick.

 

In fact, the extra drag made little difference. I towed a caravan shaped like a brick down to Brigton. Never used my brakes at all, once i let off the accellerator the caravan slowed me down!

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