Anybody lose a trailer on the way home today?

Marley

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On my way back from 3 days at Fernie and as I get to the #22 turning to go north off the #3 I phone home and ask if there is a wind warning. The word is NO so I take 22 north instead of staying on the #3 east to Fort Mcleod and up the #2 - longer drive but usually safer when there is a chinook west wind blowing. Within a few minutes going north on the 22 I see a large enclosed sled trailer on it's side in the east ditch - a victim of the wind I think as the roads were bare and dry. A couple of miles more and a long gooseneck horse trailer is in the same predicament. At the time I went through there wasn't any vehicles at the scene. On the drive down on Thursday afternoon the roads were as bad as they get - I drive this route probably 20 times a year.Anyone know the story on this?
 

Marley

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OK. OK. iPhone to iMac to your living room... photo-1.JPG
from the trailers POV
 

Snohog

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that would suck. makes me wonder how it ended up like that....
 

Marley

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that would suck. makes me wonder how it ended up like that....
That area, Crowsnest Pass etc, is chinook alley. We drive the route regularly and it is windy most of time. Lots of windmills generating power in the area. It could have been the wind or it could have been the black ice from Thurs/Fri. Saw a car hit a guard rail, a SUV in the ditch in that area and a car hauler and another truck in the ditch past Fernie. A few miles later a Big Horn Sheep dead on the road. A white knuckle trip that needed a shot of white lightning to calm the nerves after. That was on the way down - on the way back we saw the two trailers overturned.
 

snopro

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They said on the news tonite that there were 120km winds by Pincher Creek today. That would make for an interesting trip home with an all aluminum enclosed trailer.
 

Vertical-Extreme

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Highway 22 was closed most of the day today. Due to wind. It was misrible driving down. We burned over a tank of fuel from Airdrie to Corbin pulling 2 sleds
 

bobsledder

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They said on the news tonite that there were 120km winds by Pincher Creek today. That would make for an interesting trip home with an all aluminum enclosed trailer.

That's a way of life down there. 100K + winds is the norm from Oct thru the winter. So glad I don't live there anymore. A couple of weeks of that straight, no sleep and some one would always snap at work. We have recorded wind over 160K out at the Shell plant there. Ever see a lift of plywood flying around...scary.

You know why it is so windy in Pincher Creek...... The pass blows and McLeod sucks :D
 

Marley

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Highway 22 was closed most of the day today. Due to wind. It was misrible driving down. We burned over a tank of fuel from Airdrie to Corbin pulling 2 sleds
Wind makes such a difference to MPG. With my Duramax pulling a 17' aluminum multipurpose enclosed trailer it works out to about 1/2 as much fuel on a downwind run compared to an upwind drive. Wind pressure on a vehicle through the pass can be equal to driving 160kph or more. Anyone with a diesel pulling a trailer have spot MPG readouts going upwind and downwind? My Duramax doesn't have that option.
 

Beels

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Wind makes such a difference to MPG. With my Duramax pulling a 17' aluminum multipurpose enclosed trailer it works out to about 1/2 as much fuel on a downwind run compared to an upwind drive. Wind pressure on a vehicle through the pass can be equal to driving 160kph or more. Anyone with a diesel pulling a trailer have spot MPG readouts going upwind and downwind? My Duramax doesn't have that option.
We were on I-90 in Montana one time just east of Livingston, pulling a 28' enclosed with a Dodge Cummins and we had such a bad head / corner wind that all we could do was 35mph. Pedal matted out on the floor. You could pretty much watch the fuel gauge drop.
 

Marley

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We were on I-90 in Montana one time just east of Livingston, pulling a 28' enclosed with a Dodge Cummins and we had such a bad head / corner wind that all we could do was 35mph. Pedal matted out on the floor. You could pretty much watch the fuel gauge drop.
35mph. Yikes! I've heard that corner or side winds can be just as hard on fuel mileage. Apparently every vehicle has a 'sweet spot' for most efficient fuel consumption - based on aerodynamics and engine rpm. Hard to find a sweet spot in a strong wind I would think.
 

alberta73

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I had a 20 foot v nose enclosed aluminum trailer by wells cargo, 2400lbs empty - pulled great etc. but was always a big sail and tippy in cross winds. My brother was hauling it home in a cross wind empty and it litterally lifted off the back and started sucking him in the ditch as it began to tip over then the hitch on the trailer blew out and the chains snapped freeing his rig from it. Fixed it up usable again and took it sledding going through pincher creek on sheer ice roads going around a corner the wind pushes the trailer sliding into the oncoming lane and smokes the front of a guys truck. I sold it too a friend who knew the history and bought a steel framed lower cargo style 8.5 x 16 that I use for dirt bikes and fits 2 sleds nice even with the wheel wells inside. It rides so much more stable I will never go back, not for as windy as it is here. Even parked at my house it has blown off the blocks a few times making it a pain to get hooked back up. Light weight aluminum is a nice concept but I go for lower and a bit heavier now and with the less wind resistance I think fuel towing is about the same. All new sleds have reverse so unloading is easy and much easier to get in and out of the man door than the tall sled trailers.
 

Vertical-Extreme

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if you burnt over a tank of fuel wouldnt you be outta gas, just saying lol :)

There are these mystical places called gas stations, I had never seen one before (obviously kinda like you) but my buddy that was driving told me about them, then we found one and filled up. he saved the day, we got to go sledding, I was happy.
The end
 

powderchaser

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that's my gf's dads riding buddies trailer it flipped at about 10pm Saturday night they were headed north and a wind gust picked up the trailer and swung the truck completely sideways at 100k. Surprised the trailer stayed in that spot after we took the sleds out wind gust were like 130 that night. The owner tried to go out yesterday to right it but still way to windy haha gotta love the Crowsnest
 

Marley

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that's my gf's dads riding buddies trailer it flipped at about 10pm Saturday night they were headed north and a wind gust picked up the trailer and swung the truck completely sideways at 100k. Surprised the trailer stayed in that spot after we took the sleds out wind gust were like 130 that night. The owner tried to go out yesterday to right it but still way to windy haha gotta love the Crowsnest

How did the sleds make out in the roll? Sounds like the truck didn't flip so the passengers must have been ok - physically at least.
 
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