I have been super busy this year and haven't posted much on the forum. This accident happened in JANUARY and I learned to not pull a heavy down load an icy hill. (I grew up in the big city, so cut me some slack.) At this point if the tractor is going anywhere I load it at the bottom of the hill -- even in summer! At least I got it in a ditch with some soft dirt which did stop me, but pushed the truck around and jack-knifed it.

The reason I'm posting these pics is to point out I made $800 on this deal. The insurance wrote it up with a new C-pillar but my mechanic insisted he could just gut the interior and pound the dent out. Well, the insurance adjuster didn't think that would work out -- but it did. Instead of paying a $1000 deductible, I got a check for $800. If this happens to anyone else, just know that you can pound out the C pillar from the inside! Truck is a king ranch CCLB 2017.

You can't even tell at this point an accident occurred. I can post pictures of the truck which was repaired long ago if anyone wants.

 

Sorry that happened.....the crappy Michelin stock tires that come with the superduty's don't help much in snow / ice either.

 

Thanks! I'm sorry I was too lazy to take 5 minutes to show everyone in January!

That's true. My mechanic told me I never should be towing on ice with those tires. I think he might be right. He's trying to get me to go with Hankook ATMs. I'll probably get new tires next year so I will be doing my research. (Not doing any towing this winter!)

 

Sorry to hear (and see) what happened!

It can be tricky, and sometimes scary, but on snow/ice...sometimes it's best to let off the brakes and use the steering to point it where you want to go while coasting. You can even use the manual lever on the trailer brake controller to help prevent your situation. It's easy to say after the fact, and harder to do while it's happening...

 

What about chaining up the trailer tires and be aggressive on the trailer brake controller?? My winter driving experience is limited because Houston, but we did get wintry precip about 3 or 4 times last winter, so I'm just asking out of curiosity.

 

I have no experience with the Hankook tires however, one of our engineers that services our cell towers year around here in the northwest swears by them. They do well off road and last a long time. He tows heavy and is constantly off road with them. Lots of good options out there.

 

I didn't think to use the manual lever, but I should have at least tried.

I thought about letting it just push me down, but at the bottom of that hill the road turns slightly and I figured I'd be bouncing through the brush and risk an overturn. I was trying to stop the truck (which worked) but I wish I didn't have to watch that tractor move in what felt like slow motion resulting in that loud metallic CRUNCH sound. At least it didn't run me over.

Thanks for the testimonial. I'm leaning that way. I wonder if something else compares? I saw the thread earlier on Cooper tires but decided not to post there since I have no first-hand experience with them. My mechanic said he used to love Coopers, but in the last few years they've changed their compounds and they don't last as long. He thinks Hankook is best bang for the buck. (I tend to take everything he says with a grain of salt though... he was trying to tell me the F150 and Super Duties have the same frame since 2015. He was swapping a 2015 F-150 onto a new frame, and I had to bring my truck there and compare the frames to prove they weren't the same.... but he said he could have sworn they had the same part numbers! Good guy though, lol.)

 

 

What kind of tractor was it? Can't tell model number from the pics.

 

Dang it man! That sucks. Is that debris in the ground beneath your door (top pic) what fell out of your pants leg when you stood up? I know i would have had it scared out of me in that situation. Did the trailer brakes lock at all? Looking at the picture it seems they were rolling. to where you finally stopped. Glad for you there wasn't more damage. Glad I don't have to deal with the white stuff down here.

 

Weird as it sounds - when the **** starts to go south like that, sometimes you're best to grab the manual brake and squeeze it good, while getting on the throttle.. Basically try to keep the rope pulled tight..

 

 

New Holland T4.120. It's a 2017 model. I found out after the fact that insurance wouldn't have covered it if it was damaged. I since added a rider to my homeowner's policy that will cover any damage including my own transport. Luckily this was not that expensive of a lesson to learn, but I learned it.

This is a fantastic tractor. If you want a New Holland I can't recommend Miners Tractor Sales in Rootstown, OH enough. I made 800 miles worth of trips to get this tractor and a 15' batwing mower (trailer not long enough for both) and the service and price were unbeatable. They beat the next best offer I had by almost 10% and this was the top-end model and the other one was not.

There wasn't any debris at all except rocks/gravel that was kicked up. Nothing fell off the truck.

That's actually a great idea. I am going to discuss this with some more tow-experienced neighbors of mine. I think it makes a lot of sense, actually.

You have no idea. Before the crunch I had already accepted it was happening. Oh well. At least the damage was only about $3000 worth. Could have been a lot worse!

BTW, in case it was never mentioned, there is a weight box in the doors about 10 pounds which is probably to make them feel more solid. When I got the new aluminum door from Ford (<$600 surprisingly) you can pick it up from the window frame with one finger. It weighs nothing. I guess there are some steel supports that were moved from the other door to this one. Mechanic won't let me take pictures in the shop or I'd have some to share.

 

 

Glad the OP is OK....

It's been my understanding for a long time that when towing a typical trailer (rear hitch) in icy conditions; keeping the safety chains really tight, helps prevent the trailer from swaying off course.

I kept chains tight in the service and never had a " jack knife"; but that could be a false possitive.

To this day; (I don't drive in icy conditions much), I would twist the chains to a shortness that provides a minimal amount of sway, until I get where I'm going.

The concept could be a fallacy or an urban legend...lol.

Once again, I'm glad the OP made it out OK.