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Lesson learned this weekend when I was putting up my travel trailer, I can turn sharp enough to damage my truck driving forward. In my storage area I need to do a fairly tight u-turn to orient my trailer correctly so that I can back in with a pole in my field of vision on my drivers side. I have done this 10+ times, but apparently I cut the wheel too sharply and contacted the trailer with my truck. I was able to find a replacement taillight for 100 bucks at a local auto salvage yard (luckily I do not have the BLIS tailight, they are almost $700), and I had paintless dent repair done to correct the damage to the bed of the truck, it was not cheap though, cost right at $600 but he did a fantastic job. So all in all, about a $700 life lesson, my insurance deductible is $500 and I already pay way too much for insurance with a clean accident free record, so I didn't even think about claiming it. Moving forward I will always be more careful/attentive when turning tightly, but has this ever happened to anyone else? I have had campers for years and never worried about jackknifing unless I was in reverse.
Man, that sucks! Glad you weren't dinged very bad, $$-wise and damage-wise. Looks like it never happened. It's funny (figuratively, not literally) how something like that can happen seemingly out of the blue. I almost backed my new enclosed trailer into a fence that I thought I had cleared by a good bit. Thank God there was someone who saw the disaster unfolding and yelled loud enough and kept me from hitting it. BTW, that's a nice looking rig you have there.
I did the same thing when I had my Ram. However it didnt break the light it creased the bed right above the light. Looked like someone karate chopped it. I never fixed it as the paint was not damaged somehow. It was a miracle cause it was a hard crease for sure. Truck was only a few months old too. Oh well traded it in on my Ford. They never said a word about it.
It happens, this was my 2008 F250 it was with an older 5th wheel. Turned too sharp
Yeah, I have seen 5th wheels do it before, this was the first I have seen a bumper pull with it. My neighbor across the street has a dented f250 in that same spot due to his 5th wheel.
One thought is I did lower my hitch on the shank down a hole when I went with 37" tires a while back. I was running 35's before and noticed the camper was a little high in the front after switching to the 37's so I lowered it. The front of my travel trailer is pretty curved so it may have moved that impact point closer to the truck, I'll just have to be more careful.
Ouch, I was lucky trying to back around standing water in my yard. Chopped off the 7 wire cord, blew a bunch of fuses. If I would have had magnet mount camera aimed at the hitch might not have happened.
If you do not mind, What were the damage and (Round About) cost of repair to the Fifth Wheel? I jack-knifed mine as well. and need to have everything repaired.
Ouch! I've done a couple really tight U-turns with my truck and TT when I pulled into a parking lot I shouldn't have. Now I feel really lucky! I do have the BLIS brake lights, so not looking to have to pay to replace one of those!
Lesson learned this weekend when I was putting up my travel trailer, I can turn sharp enough to damage my truck driving forward. In my storage area I need to do a fairly tight u-turn to orient my trailer correctly so that I can back in with a pole in my field of vision on my drivers side. I have done this 10+ times, but apparently I cut the wheel too sharply and contacted the trailer with my truck. I was able to find a replacement taillight for 100 bucks at a local auto salvage yard (luckily I do not have the BLIS tailight, they are almost $700), and I had paintless dent repair done to correct the damage to the bed of the truck, it was not cheap though, cost right at $600 but he did a fantastic job. So all in all, about a $700 life lesson, my insurance deductible is $500 and I already pay way too much for insurance with a clean accident free record, so I didn't even think about claiming it. Moving forward I will always be more careful/attentive when turning tightly, but has this ever happened to anyone else? I have had campers for years and never worried about jackknifing unless I was in reverse.
Man, you have the perfect storm there, really long trailer and that exaggerated bulge on the leading edge of the trailer. I've got one of the trailers with more of a trailing profile, it slopes back, which has probably been my saving grace from doing the same thing on a few occasions.
You could have saved all that money and left the truck alone. Then you would have that constant reminder to never do that again along with the satisfaction of repeating the story every time someone asked you “How did that happen “!
Did the same thing only with a short dump trailer. It only distorted the trailer box and the truck bumper which I was able to bend back with a hydraulic jack to 98% like new. Still that .02% daily reminder!
This happened almost two years ago, no damage to the trailer besides a small scratch I was able to buff out. I have since sold both the truck and that travel trailer.
I never knew you could do this going forward. i had a longer hitch shank when i pulled my travel trailer. My 5th wheel would hit the cab of the truck but still clear the bed corners.
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In my storage area I need to do a fairly tight u-turn to orient my trailer correctly so that I can back in with a pole in my field of vision on my drivers side. I have done this 10+ times, but apparently I cut the wheel too sharply and contacted the trailer with my truck. I was able to find a replacement taillight for 100 bucks at a local auto salvage yard (luckily I do not have the BLIS tailight, they are almost $700), and I had paintless dent repair done to correct the damage to the bed of the truck, it was not cheap though, cost right at $600 but he did a fantastic job. So all in all, about a $700 life lesson, my insurance deductible is $500 and I already pay way too much for insurance with a clean accident free record, so I didn't even think about claiming it. Moving forward I will always be more careful/attentive when turning tightly, but has this ever happened to anyone else? I have had campers for years and never worried about jackknifing unless I was in reverse.
