Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] Water tanks and safety

And, I'll reiterate:

I had already checked with the manufacturer of my
trailer to make sure it could handle the weight.


Karen


--- Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Water goes at about 8 pounds a gallon. So if you
> have 50 gallons of 
> water on the roof of your trailer and stop at 60
> miles an hour the force 
> is about that of stopping a yearling bull! If it on
> top a gooseneck LQ 
> trailer that goes for 10,000 to 12,000 pounds to
> start with then it 
> should not be a big deal (assuming it is tied down).
> However, if it's on 
> top of a small trailer it could cause a real
> problem.
> 
> As Heidi points out this problem is magnified if
> when the water is 
> unbaffled since it will set up a motion in the tank
> that cause 
> additional problems.
> 
> Truman
> 
> 
> Heidi Smith wrote:
> 
> >>I have/had 3 of the rooftop tanks on my trailer
> during
> >>our accident. There was probably a total of 50
> gallons
> >>water in the tanks.  There could not be much worse
> >>accident than we had (110 mph head on with another
> >>large vehicle).  The tanks caused absolutely no
> >>issues.  They were all still intact and undamaged
> and
> >>caused no damage to the trailer.  I had already
> >>checked with the manufacturer of my trailer to
> make
> >>sure it could handle the weight.
> >>
> >>More important to safety to humans and animals is
> >>insuring you have the correct vehicle to handle
> the
> >>weight.  I would venture to say 90% of us do not.
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >I'm glad that they were not an issue in your
> accident, Karen, but not all
> >accidents are alike.  And the laws of physics
> apply--unbaffled water is a
> >mass that applies a force when it is already in
> motion down the highway at
> >60 mph, and if you swerve, it can make your swerve
> worse, or cause a
> >rollover.  Doesn't matter if the tanks are so
> anchored down that they are
> >the last thing to move or break--the weight and the
> mobility of the water
> >can still be major issues in the dynamics of an
> accident.
> >
> >Heidi
> >
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 


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