Scary moment!

[mat777]

A trucker friend of mine just posted this on facebook. Now I know how scary it must be for you guys to drive in crosswinds... and I never knew trailers had so much torsional give in them!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3585056519122

[XG332]

st THE BED!

[Codswallop]

Impressive flexibility.

[Nickyboy]

Empty i'm assuming

[zip929]

Never seen that before! I used to hate tilts or curtain siders when empty in the wind. Like a sail in rough seas!

[agent006]

Car driver question alert!

Surely it's safer to have the curtains open on an empty curtainsider in winds like that?

[jimxms]

0-30 seconds =
30 seconds onwards =

[Humper]

The driver should have put his lottery numbers on tbat day!

[4key]

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[Panda76]

agent006 said:

Car driver question alert!

Surely it's safer to have the curtains open on an empty curtainsider in winds like that?

Depends on the strength of the roof.Most newer trailers are built lightweight so they can carry more err weight than older heavy trailers.This means the roofs are not as sturdy. In high winds the newer trailers with curtains tied back could result in the roof being ripped off.

[geeks]

Brown trouser alert!

[Humper]

The driver should have put his lottery numbers on tbat day!

[chilistrucker]

Panda76 said:

agent006 said:

Car driver question alert!

Surely it's safer to have the curtains open on an empty curtainsider in winds like that?

Depends on the strength of the roof.Most newer trailers are built lightweight so they can carry more err weight than older heavy trailers.This means the roofs are not as sturdy. In high winds the newer trailers with curtains tied back could result in the roof being ripped off.

also, i heard, but don't know if its true, that because of an incident like this insurance companies now say that running with the curtains open and tied back, will invalidate the insurance.
not 100% where i heard this, so it may be drivers room b/s?

[truck71]

The trailer looks like a high cube with a short chassis- this means the floor will be constructed in such a way to avoid a full length chassis provided the roof gives sufficent structural support. I've run some as 3.8m high box vans but not seen "tall boy" curtainsiders of the same design (if that's what it is). If it had a standard chassis I'd be very surprised if there was that much flex, more likely "wring it".

[Panda76]

chilistrucker said:

Panda76 said:

agent006 said:

Car driver question alert!

Surely it's safer to have the curtains open on an empty curtainsider in winds like that?

Depends on the strength of the roof.Most newer trailers are built lightweight so they can carry more err weight than older heavy trailers.This means the roofs are not as sturdy. In high winds the newer trailers with curtains tied back could result in the roof being ripped off.

also, i heard, but don't know if its true, that because of an incident like this insurance companies now say that running with the curtains open and tied back, will invalidate the insurance.
not 100% where i heard this, so it may be drivers room b/s?

All I can tell you is since we had a whole bunch of new tear drop trailers with what looks like pretty flimsy roofs,we are not allowed to tie back anymore because of the roofs.(No side supports and no centre support,steels in the roof support the sides.)
Anything else/rumours,is anyones guess.

ETA: Even with curtains tied back the back doors should be open to not have an updraft which will rip the roof off.Thinking about our new trailers the roof material is just a waterproof skin,it would offer no resistance to wind even with back doors open.
40 odd Ft of waterproof skin flapping down the motorway anyone !!!

Edited by Panda76 on Friday 23 November 19:50

[mat777]

So in conclusion, it seems that like most modern stuff built only to appease fuel economy nazis, modern trailers are so flimsy they are barely fit for purpose?

[4key]

Well no, because the lighter the trailer construction the more payload you can have. Most of the recent 4m euro stuff I have seen can be described as a flatbed with a tent on the back

[mat777]

why not just go back to a flatbed and a big canvas then?

[Panda76]

Because in high winds the one thing flying down the road will be the driver who was attempting to sheet it down.
Been there done that and would rather struggle sheeting and driving a curtain sider.

ETA: Also most drivers these days are jack s and would rather stand and laugh whilst some poor bugger has a sheet wrapping all over the air.It's bad enough when some of them stand and laugh when you have a massive curtain with a big metal pole at the end blowing about and they stand and laugh.Never mind when it comes down it might knock you out or knock your teeth out if you aren't quick enough.
My most recent episode in the wind is the bd curtain pole going back up in a gust as I've nearly got it and before I could move the end of it smashed me across the nose.
4 hrs in A+E,butterfly stictches across my nose and some pain and swearing.

Edited by Panda76 on Friday 23 November 20:52

Edited by Panda76 on Friday 23 November 20:59

[grumpy52]

Have 'kite surfed'a curtain and been ko'd by a curtain pole ( no driving for 24 hrs after that ).
Closest I have come to going over was in a 3.5t curtain and saw a foot of daylight under the osr wheels .my bottom felt funny after that.