Q: We know why they do it.... but what legal authority do break down vehicles have to block (cone off) a whole lane on the highway one when the stall is on the shoulder?
I've looked at the regs for brakes on trailers, but I'm not sure how it would apply to flat towing a vehicle. My '92 Jeep weighs in around 3,000 lbs (spec curb weight is 2,855–3,241 lb (1,295–1,470 kg)). We'd be pulling it with a 2015 Yukon 4WD (rated towing weight 8200 lb/ 3719 kg, curb weight 5707 lb / 2588 kg).
Have you ever had your trailer start to play wag the dog while you are driving along the highway? Chances are good that this happened due to the way that you loaded your trailer. Too much weight on the rear of a trailer is a recipe for trouble. This video shows why.
I have a question about the requirement for snowflake/M+S tires on recreational vehicles October 1 to March 31.
Because the highway warning sign does not specifically picture travel trailers, I previously asked the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about what tires are required on travel trailers in winter. I was told that all tires on the travel trailer must be snowflake or M+S.
Back in 2004 I put tongue in cheek and wrote about the trailer tug test. You hook the trailer up, drive off and look in the rear view mirror, if it’s still following you, carry on! I found myself behind a couple of vehicles pulling trailers yesterday and wondered if their drivers had missed the fact that I was being facetious. Neither trailer had any functioning lights and I can only guess what else might have been overlooked.
One of the more eye-opening exercises that I used to conduct at this time of the year was to park my police vehicle at the brake check and wave in vehicles pulling boat trailers for a mechanical inspection. I had learned that boat trailers were often the most poorly maintained of all recreational trailers and there were often serious safety defects to be found. A simple pre-trip inspection by the driver would have found them easily and made sure that the trip would be a safe one.
I have a trailer that is rated at 10,000 lbs. It is a pintle hook setup and we have two safety chains. What size is required? We would never be carrying anything over 4000 lbs on the trailer.
A reader reports that she was driving to Nanaimo and somewhere around Cook Creek there was a black vehicle with several flashing lights stationary at the side of the road. The road was not particularly busy and she was in the curbside lane. As she approached, traveling at the posted 110 kph. She gradually reduced her speed, checked her mirrors and moved into the outer lane so that she was traveling at 70 kph before she drew alongside the vehicle. As seh passed this vehicle she could see police officer walking in front of the vehicle, taking photographs into the ditch.
I have a McGregor sailboat on a trailer, and many yeard ago the brakes rusted out (salt water) and I had to have them taken out in order to move. The rest of the trailer is quite sound. I was informed by people in the industry that I could still tow the trailer as as the boat is quite light and my towing vehicle is quite heavy duty.
The tow truck is a bit of an orphan when it comes to being an "official vehicle" as defined in our slow down, move over laws. Drivers happening across a tow truck working at the side of the highway must slow down and move over if possible just as they would for an overtaken police vehicle, fire apparatus or ambulance.
Q: We know why they do it.... but what legal authority do break down vehicles have to block (cone off) a whole lane on the highway one when the stall is on the shoulder?
