Can you escape a fishtailing trailer? | Motor MythBusters | MotorTrend

The MythBusters test the dangerous myth that trailer sway can be corrected by accelerating. Will it work? Stream Motor MythBusters now only on the MotorTrend App! Start your free trial now ➡️ motortrend.app...
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[@xwhels]

Either upload the whole video or don’t upload at all

[@Zondu]

Guess what Still not paying for this on your app.

[@bradleytrott6735]

Not worth paying for its really boring 😴

[@rushwal]

And the yt channel is all the setup without the payoff. Might have to unsub.

[@cody5495]

Not paying.

[@drgibs347]

Same.

[@kuklok1989]

@@rushwal did that years ago

[@seankeys99]

So what if the myth is busted and speeding up doesn’t work or makes it worse.... Then people who have watched this video and find themselves in this situation are likely to try it and make the situation worse... Right??? Maybe not but I do find a safety video teaser slightly odd...

[@goozie1990]

This. I came to the comments to find out if accelerating works or not…

[@doomman700]

It does work. It’s not the safest way. Use trailer brakes if available

[@ADefenestrator]

Accelerating stops the sway in the immediate term, but then you're at a higher speed and therefore less stable. Probably a good strategy for buying the time to reach over and squeeze the trailer brake lever.

[@murphsmodels8853]

As a professional truck driver, I was trained that when your trailer starts fishtailing and trying to jackknife, DO NOT APPLY BRAKES. Accelerate to get ahead of the trailer. Applying brakes could cause the wheels on the trailer to lock up and lose traction, which will lead to jackknifing.

[@lexbrusb.1821]

same with mototcycles. if front tire starts wobbling, speed up to straighten it

[@boyracer3477]

Doesn't take a trained genius to figure out that if the tail of the trailer has moved to the side, out of alignment with the car, and you brake, the tail of the trailer will want to continue forward from the side, passing the slowing car and causing a wreck. It's inertia. That's just common sense. But there isn't too much of that left anymore.

[@rudypadilla20914]

@@boyracer3477 true that bro

[@Xian..]

@@boyracer3477yes because the trailer doesn’t have brakes

[@boyracer3477]

@@Xian.. That's a good point. I can pull a trailer (I have a 4 wheeled boat trailer) but I'm not skilled. That is a good reminder. Thanks

[@sloth7ds]

Tory's fine with trucks, just don't leave him alone with a bicycle and a red wagon ❤

[@fukemallgarage]

He almost had it, but nope

[@johnnypruitt6292]

Sometimes you're just a Tory in a China shop

[@boyracer3477]

He was always the dumb one. Grant and Kari were great. Scottie .... eeh .... just filler. Sorry Grant died so young.

[@thesure1]

all i needed to test this "myth" is a oversized boat an average size truck and a 16 year old driver accelerating has worked at least one time

[@boyracer3477]

the Sure ... I've seen many average sized trucks but have never seen an under sized boat.

[@1one3_Racing]

As a driver of road trains, I can assure you that powering through trailer sway is the answer.

[@bugjuicer]

so this is an 8 minute trailer about a trailer, and leaves you with blue balls?ugh... I get that at home

[@claytonmuirhead2722]

It absolutely works. I have done it twice in my life and have seen it done countless other times. There are videos all over youtube that demonstrate it Where they go wrong in this video, is they work on the assumption that the swaying trailer is caused by incorrect load/tongue weight and the vast majority of the time, the issue is actually caused by either wind or coming down a hill.

[@absolutium]

You do realize that weight distribution changes with a slope right?

[@claytonmuirhead2722]

@@absolutium MIGHT change the slope. Also, irrelevant to my comment

[@absolutium]

@@claytonmuirhead2722 As an engineer im compelled to inform you.. that weight distribution is essentially the only factor that matters a proper balance makes the difference between having sway at 60kph or at 120kph.. even if windspeed is exactly the same.

[@claytonmuirhead2722]

@@absolutium Which STILL has no relevance to my comment. IF you actually are an engineer you should change careers before you get someone killed.

[@absolutium]

@@claytonmuirhead2722 Your comment states that wind causes the problem.. have you seen how wind affects an 18 wheeler? What's the difference you notice?

[@doomman700]

I have done it before watching. It’s not the best way but if you have no trailer brakes your options are more limited.

[@governmentisslavery]

Teaser. Not the full episode.

[@waterwoman43]

Our trailer was sideswiped on the passenger side at 65mph causing a massive instant sway. When we finally stopped, the force had shoved truck and trailer sideways across two lanes of traffic and the trailer was on its side with the top had come lose from the base and we were facing oncoming traffic.

[@donaldk.macbaird5248]

I did it with a 23 ft class C motorhome pulling a 23 ft travel trailer going down a mountain and going over 75 mph and I made the off ramp but twisted the trailer so bad that the door won't latch anymore.

[@ltmundy1164]

Exit ramp? Or emergency/runoff ramp?? You haven't known fear until you start searching for the next runoff...

[@donaldk.macbaird5248]

@@ltmundy1164 It was the Exit ramp.

[@michaelmcgovern8110]

What were those beautiful vintage aircraft? Late radial-powered prop and a early jet?

[@utube1818]

If trailer sway starts at a high enough speed to cause the trailer to flip, then unless you are in a very powerful car, you simply won’t have the reaction time to gain enough power before total loss of control. So rather than speeding up the car doing the opposite, slowing down the trailer is the more effective method. This is why automatic systems which apply the trailer brakes only work so well. In the UK most caravans are fitted with a AL-KO Trailer Control (ATC). Personally I would not tow a caravan without one.

[@flat4314]

Accerating out of sway works I've had it happen many times whenever i get a pallet loaded on the back of my trailer with no weight on the front.

[@far1002]

Before I watch this I’ve always accelerated power out it.

[@NORxDRONExAT01]

I want to literally give you money to watch these series, but you don't stream for Europe, but you still send me emails about what is ready to be streamed.....

[@louisevad6091]

IMO trailer sway should not be attempted to be corrected by speeding up the tow vehicle. I think the safest emergency maneuver is to apply trailer brakes only to slow down both vehicles. Adjust tongue weight distribution and a properly installed mechanical sway kit can help. What is new to the market and will be the future in towing will be electronic sway control

[@speedfreak8200]

Man stated that the receiver was the tongue, not true, as that is part of the trailer

[@theglitch99]

How can one watch without subscribing? I had MT when it 1st came out. Was like 5-6$ a month and had yet came out with alot of content, so I canceled it. Now I can't justify it!!

[@blakman41]

Why is there not a post over the trailer wheels to add and subtract weight

[@kellyschomaker7695]

Excellerating can only been done by a manual gear box, not a automatic transmission as in the video.

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

Accelerating out of sway will probably work, but then what? Then you're going faster when it starts to sway again, because you can't keep accelerating forever. Next time it sways it's going to even worst at your now, higher speed. Letting off the gas and enacting the trailer brakes and never, never, never touching the truck brakes, does work. It's the only safe way. If you load a trailer incorrectly just one and experience trailer sway, you'll never load a trailer incorrectly ever again lol. I know. Thankfully my tow truck was a dually. No way a srw would have held her. Loading a bit too much up front, to force the truck to squat if anything, is the way to go if you can't tell if you have enough tongue weight.

[@dustintunis9347]

It happened to me once when I was 18 or 19. I hit the gas and it seemed to make it worse, though I think if I would have given it a few seconds I would have pulled out of it. In my case it was going downhill that would get it started. It swayed a bit a couple of times on small hills, then I started down a bigger hill (not big, just bigger, I'm in Illinois), and I finally realized that it was the trailer trying to pass going downhill, but I figured it out too late for my inexperience and the straps broke and the car ended up in the ditch. If I would have stayed in the gas (and it worked) then I could have slowed down going up the next hill.

[@theylied1776]

It's Faye!!!! As a Toyota guy, I love Faye.

[@Tacoma-W]

I have seen this video somewhere years ago. This video is just a lengthy copy

[@drgibs347]

I want my 8 minutes 19 seconds back. Why show so much if you aint going to show the whole thing? Smdh, i miss when roadkill and other show like it were shown in full on youtube.

[@adamtparker6515]

Suggestion Mythbust Sean Penn and Forrest Whitakers lil bro in Fast Times renact the Camaro crash compare to where they later stage Forrest's car as a rivalry prank as to motivate the Ridgemont HS football stud❤

[@MBicknell]

I cba to watch all this. whats the answer

[@kurtmiller6738]

Bit unfair you make this available to Australia on KZbin when motortrend was discontinued in Australia

[@OVER5TEER]

Should put preview in the title. Otherwise it's clickbait. Lame, MT...

[@buckaroo7886]

Yes you can

[@alanseager5279]

just load the trailer properly and no problem needs more toung weight

[@transcendtient]

Thanks for showing the most boring part of the episode in this clip guys.

[@zealforchrist3434]

We have paid some high prices for the technological conquest of nature, but none so high as the intellectual and spiritual costs of seeing nature as mere material for our manipulation, exploitation and transformation. With the powers of biological engineering gathering. there will be splendid new opportunities for similar degradation of our view of man... If we come to see ourselves as meat, then meat we shall become.

[@rubenrao9838]

"We've decided it's more about building a better human machine combination than it is about building a machine where we will be lucky if it wants us around as a household pet. ROSALIND PICARD MIT PS. Dint C that One Coming.

[@stevekim7d2]

So, whats the answer?

[@ltmundy1164]

Steve: Proper weight distribution. Keeping the center of mass above/slightly forward of the axle prevents rearward leverage against the hitch. Improper loading amplifies any external forces: Sudden steering/braking inputs or slipstream/wake from passing commercial trucks. Aviation analogies: Avoid being the single engine aircraft behind the 'heavy' on approach/departure path. Or the 737 charter, missing tail stand support during offload. Stationary tail strike/forward gear 3m off the tarmac. (Boeing 737-900 UAL2509 LAX-LWS 17Sep2021)

[@far1002]

I didn’t know this was a myth I used to pull a 30 ft trailer from New Jersey to vero beach twice a month full blast 🤣 compound turboed f250 🤣🤣 my boss let me mod 🤣🤣🤣… I remember the bed off the truck creaking as the trailer was about to flip the truck because of the wind I did a rolling burnt out infront of a state trooper to miss an idiot who tried to pass me as the wind started catching my trailer. I took a shower afterwards 🤣🤣… If it’s hopping u gotta time it as the truck is compressing the rear end accelerate when u fell the back sliding u throttle back until it will transfer weight to the trailers axel.

[@hassenfepher]

I like the concept here, but the execution is a bit more prime time TV and less engaging content. What I mean by prime time tv is like. You know that over acted, over fluffed, under delivered stuff? "If we don't tighten this bolt in 1 minute, were going to lose the shop!" That kind of stuff. And maybe it's because the target audience is much younger than me. But at 40, I would just watch the first few minutes, then skip to the end to get the info, if I watched this regularly at all.

[@TheClownfight]

While it was fun to watch, the idea of training wheels to balance a load has zero application. Instead, talk about loading and weight distribution

[@mikeymarriott]

Teaser

[@bayarea757]

What's wrong with her hair

[@Moonrakerd]

you should have done this with hammond not the stupid island rubbish :D

[@Dave-fp9jh]

Click Bait no video of testing only toy model demo

[@zombiehunter2956]

bad omen...

[@jabberm249m4]

It's time to pull the cord on this show it's horrible

[@chuck7465]

Clickbait

[@henrysymes]

First

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

And. U really that lame. Bless ur ❤️

[@zecc81]

I like the concept but the "drama" and over editing will prevent me from watching, your audience may actually have an attention span longer than a gnat despite what producers say

[@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism]

This was actually under edited and long winded for the small bit of material here. This could have easily been summarized in just 2 minutes. I suppose if you're not familiar with this information, it might have been entertaining enough but I had to skip through, only to find they never got to the meat and potatoes of the experiment yet.

[@zecc81]

@@Warrior_Resisting_Colonialism Right, 8+ minutes of various manufactured scenes to get to a pretty simple experiment, which actually if done right I'm interested in the results. But I swear find me a continuous scene that's longer than like 3-4 seconds in duration. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut. Makes me stressed out trying to watch it, that's what I mean by over editing. Whatever this "style" of TV production is, with only semi-real interactions but the hosts, it's so played out and generic. This will only last a season or two for lack of viewership and they'll all be scratching their heads wondering why. The idea is cool, Tory brings the legacy, but bring it down to earth. I actually pay for MTOD ha. Not everything they offer is good, but the classics are still great and the motorsports content is worth it.

[@RogerM88]

These previews give that similar feeling, when you go in a date, and she has to go home early.

[@dustintunis9347]

*previews.

[@RogerM88]

@@dustintunis9347 thanks.

[@dustintunis9347]

@@RogerM88 - Autocorrect gets us all... Except meeeee, 🙄.

[@boyracer3477]

Maybe some of them. This one was more of you go on a date and as a heaven's blessing she goes home very early.

[@bmxscape]

you have a small scale representation of the problem, yet you didn't do any testing for the solution? sounds like someone was just itching to spend a few 10's of thousands in production costs just to have some fun rolling a truck. sway happens to mobile homes for different reasons than an improper load. usually the wind is the biggest factor, but wind barely contributes to the sway in utility trailers or flatbeds. your examples and demonstrations do not make sense together

[@Robcomesana]

Wow, I didn't know what to do in that situation. Now, after 8'5 minutes of watching the whole video, I realized that I still don't have a clue. My bet is you need to increase the weight on the rear axle, so it looks like the gas pedal is your friend here and the brake makes it worst. If you want, I can make a video explaining how to change the dynamic weight in a car. I would start with a 8'5 minutes preparation and then I will finish the vídeo 😉

[@twizz420]

Good thing they never actually had to rely on those "training wheels" because they clearly would have snapped off if they had to deal with the slightest amount of pressure. The way they're mounted to the truck is a joke.

[@Sv5YpWTwd9otTA4So83f]

Are you suggesting that an engineer or an experienced welder with actual experience in motorsports or building safety cages for industrial equipment should have been involved? Trying to put some of the cast out of a job? Pretty bigoted, bro.

[@ltmundy1164]

@@Sv5YpWTwd9otTA4So83f/Bong Jovi: Properly sized/installed outrigger wheel sets that don't drastically alter either center of force/gravity of tested vehicles. These devices are used when testing/training against potential rollovers: US DOT/IIHS/Consumers Union/Road+Track. Keeping people safe is everyone's job. My job? When safety fails occur. Paramedic (ret'd)

[@Sv5YpWTwd9otTA4So83f]

@@ltmundy1164 Agreed. Obviously these are useful when designed and constructed properly.

[@boyracer3477]

@@Sv5YpWTwd9otTA4So83f The real original MythBusters show was required by their insurance company to hire safety experts to help design and monitor their hairy episodes. The cast members have said this in interviews.

[@rickashcroft8226]

Towing manuals make a big point about putting 10-15% of the gross trailer weight on the hitch to prevent this problem. I bought a 2" ball with a load gauge on it so I don't have to guess. Only $100 and a useful safety tool.

[@boyracer3477]

Rick Ashcroft Didn't know such a thing existed. Thanks.

[@royleerobinson5]

Thumb down for the tease.

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

If u hit the trailer brakes and the swerving causes light sided tires to lock up which will cause it to slide out than ur Human reaction to tryn save it is to let off which quickly swerves back likely Flipn or if it does the sway while turning it will most likely flip or lose its load.

[@jcjaramillomo]

The longer the trailer the more rotational inertia the harder to correct the sway, for example the caravan on the video.

[@bryanh3895]

Not saving ANY lifes becaues did'nt show anything and you are just pissing people off. I for one will not subscrube EVER

[@brysonbregantini4356]

It's physics. The truck and trailer are like a guitar string and oscillate when excited. As you increase the tension, the frequency it oscillates at will increase and the amplitude will decrease. Applying throttle increases the tension between truck and trailer, and if the frequency of oscillation is increased faster than the truck and trailer can respond to, and the sway will stop. I'm disappointed nobody on the show understands basic physics.

[@eugeniubondari4011]

This is not fair, to put a bait video over here and not show the final result. Just to lure the watchers to some other website where they have to create an account (get extra spam) and probably share the credit card information. That's how free trial subscriptions usually work, Right? It's free, but we need your card anyways. So that we could charge you when you are not expecting it. Right?

[@ianmoon1103]

It wasn't that bad, and they have to fill out time somehow. No show is just going to be 15 2 minute segments of badass information, where each 2 minute segment takes weeks of filming and construction to produce. That show would be off the air in no time.

[@jimf1007]

I've had to pull over and move the load of wood to the front of the trailer. Luckily I was going slow.

[@proppo4924]

FU with the clickbait. I was once a subscriber and unsubbed but this video popped up. After wasting 8 minutes on this, never, ever again.

[@ballistic02]

bisimoto doing mythbusters now? wtf..?

[@ssc1226]

Why do i even bother with this channel anymore?

[@kingoftheroad40]

Flawed truck not stock ride height .

[@uses0ap]

When in doubt, gas it out

[@Mupshot]

click bait

[@lexalford358]

I have had it happen to me helping a friend move a project car using a rental trailer and a bronco I borrowed to haul a old Monticello Carlo i later found out that the trailer brakes were not working at all and the 302 I was using barely had enough power to move the truck to begin with I had a heart stopping moment but fortunately I wasn’t going very fast speed zone and I got stopped and proceeded very carefully the way to get to the destination I learned that going down hill really exaggerated the fishtail

[@chrisdb4278]

I've watched a few episodes and noticed that whenever they are out in the bright sun, Faye is always carrying an umbrella. Is that to keep the sun off, perhaps some skin condition, or just because she is quirky? Nothing wrong with being quirky of course.

[@RockyX13]

I want to know where to get that toy truck. It looks exactly like my RAM Power Wagon!

[@gstpierre69]

Mishi Motors guy!

[@robertprice2108]

This is a joke right lmao. Yep speed up an see what happens. If the trailer is loaded wrong an sways at lower speeds what do you think is going to happen when speeding up an try to slow down "disaster". Glad i don't have the app not worth the time watching.