Flat towing gone wrong....way wrong....

[Stomper]

Ouch!! Like the guy says, not as bad as it could have been but still not fun at all.

http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/showthread.php?t=15970

Take care,

S

[SavageSun4x4]

Not sure he knows how lucky he really is. Had the gas tank got to the pavement long enough and ground thru, the resulting explosion would have looked like something on TV or the movies...

I think there is some operator error involved in this. I think it was left in gear, maybe "reverse" based upon the pics I saw.

[Sedona Jeep School]

In Sedona, a few days ago, someone had left their Kia SUV in gear while towing it, and the tranny got so hot it burst into flames, not only destroying the Kia, but shutting the highway down for a while. At least it wasn't a Jeep!

[weasel_ugs]

Not sure he knows how lucky he really is. Had the gas tank got to the pavement long enough and ground thru, the resulting explosion would have looked like something on TV or the movies...

I think there is some operator error involved in this. I think it was left in gear, maybe "reverse" based upon the pics I saw.

We had a Suzuki get towed in behind a motorhome that was left in reverse,the motor grenaded so bad it broke in half :eek: .If it was left in gear I think he would have engine damage not rear end damage. Don

[Stomper]

Whatever it was it is enough to make me want a trailer instead of flat towing. Scary stuff!! There are probably some scary trailer towing stories out there also though.

Take care,

S

[SavageSun4x4]

We had a Suzuki get towed in behind a motorhome that was left in reverse,the motor grenaded so bad it broke in half :eek: .If it was left in gear I think he would have engine damage not rear end damage. Don
Won't take difference with you on that. Just because one rig blew the engine doesn't mean another will. 4 cyl vs 6 cyl compression and internal gear ratios have a lot to do with this. Additionaly, the CoE of traction at the rear wheels is a major factor [new tires vs old], etc, etc. I flat towed my Jeep for over 12k miles year before last and was always cautious to insure that the Jeep was in neutral, transfer case in neutral, key on before I left out.

My guess is that what ever condition existed did not allow the rear wheels to rotate freely. This wore thru the tire into the wheel itself and led to the situation. I have seen this before and it is far from being rare with stick shift rigs. Since many folks [myself included] use "R" gear to hold the rig in place when stopped. The tire if pulled fast enough and in this case, 65 mph, is fast enough will literaly melt reducing the CoE of traction.

Where this occured on I 35 West-South is an area I know very well, I lived for 10 years due East of where this took place [Colleyville]. I often went to Denton Camping World which is next to where he picked up his motorcoach, to pick up supplies and such. That is a straight shot into Ft Worth from Denton and a good 30+ min cruise @ 65 mph. I am suprised that in watching his rear camera that he didn't see the sparks and other debris exiting the rear. Not sure what kind of rig he had but my motorcoach had over 500 HP and nearly 1700 lbs of torque, GAWD knows you would not feel a thing back there, so one has to pay close attention to the rear camera.