How durable is an AT trailer?

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
Often this question comes up. It is one thing for us to describe why we build our trailers the way we do in anticipation of rigorous duty and our own testing, it is another thing when our customers run our trailers through their paces and come back to us with amazing stories such as this:

"Driving home from Prescott, I hit all kinds of weather and the teardrop did very well. I even pulled a car and some guys out of a ravine in Oregon during a snow storm.

About 30 miles from home while crossing a river bridge, an individual driving too fast for the conditions came up behind me, switched lanes, and promptly starting sliding on the ice on the bridge. His car turned and the passenger side of his vehicle slammed into the rear of the teardrop. Then the car and the teardrop slid up even with the FJ and crashed into the side of the FJ. The trailer was between the other car and the FJ. I managed to stop the FJ before it slid into the guardrail.

If you need proof that your trailer can take a good beating, use the pics. I think the frame is okay. I would have towed it home except the hitch was snapped off and the hitch in the receiver was bent at an angle I have never seen before".


There's a reason why we do what we do and why compliance is so important to us. The pictures tell the story of a violent impact and yet relatively light damage to the trailer. A lesser trailer would not have fared so well.
 

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Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Sorry about owners loss... glad no one was killed or injured.

Speaks volumes about the product, and after looking at that Max Coupler, it had to be one hell of an impact.

Next test....

Dropped from 15,000 out of the rear of a C-130
 

Maximus Ram

Expedition Leader
So ,they had just picked up the teardrop and where towing it home when they were hit ?
That sure must have been an impact for it to bend the coupler.
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
What a bummer, maiden voyage gone sour. I can't imagine how I could bend my Maxi like that. Wow!
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
Sorry about owners loss... glad no one was killed or injured.

We're planning repairs now.

Speaks volumes about the product, and after looking at that Max Coupler, it had to be one hell of an impact.

Huge impact.

Next test....Dropped from 15,000 out of the rear of a C-130

Geronimo!

So ,they had just picked up the teardrop and where towing it home when they were hit ?
That sure must have been an impact for it to bend the coupler.

Yes

What a bummer, maiden voyage gone sour. I can't imagine how I could bend my Maxi like that. Wow!

Me neither
 

BEVAN

Adventurer
I know anything AT sells sets the standard...You can tell by the website and how mario has built his MJ...
 

jdholder

Explorer
What a bummer, maiden voyage gone sour. I can't imagine how I could bend my Maxi like that. Wow!

That's too bad!!

Doesn't look like the Max Coupler is bent at all - looks like the stinger is bent, but the coupler itself looks ok. Did the coupler fail? How did the trailer become unattached from the FJ? The pin appears to be intact. Am I seeing this correctly, that's the FJ side of the coupler in the picture, right?
 

XJBANKER

Explorer
Glad everyone is safe, but I would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAD! This is why I have insurance purchased on my trailer just in case something like this were to happen.
 

STREGA

Explorer
:Wow1: I have been a believer in your products for quite awhile now, this just re-affirms my belief. Looking at the hitch that was a huge hit, hope they are all ok. :Wow1:
 

ntsqd

Heretic Car Camper
That's some serious product abuse!
Really, that could have gone a whole lot worse, good that it's only hardware that got damaged. Bent & broken people are a lot harder to fix.

Any picture(s) of the tongue and that end of the coupler?
 

highlandercj-7

Explorer
Sorry about owners loss... glad no one was killed or injured.

Speaks volumes about the product, and after looking at that Max Coupler, it had to be one hell of an impact.

Next test....

Dropped from 15,000 out of the rear of a C-130

I am a 130 Mechanic :)

There's a good chance that the quality of the AT Teardrop saved the folks inside the FJ from getting hurt. I'm sure it made a huge buffer between the two vehicles. You hate to hear about this kind of thing but the trailer can be replaced.
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
That's too bad!!
Doesn't look like the Max Coupler is bent at all - looks like the stinger is bent, but the coupler itself looks ok. Did the coupler fail? How did the trailer become unattached from the FJ? The pin appears to be intact. Am I seeing this correctly, that's the FJ side of the coupler in the picture, right?

You are correct. The coupler was severed. The MC is designed for 180 degrees of vertical axis. The impact and subsequent bending of the draw bar put the coupler past its 180 degree range. Something had to give.

That's some serious product abuse!
Really, that could have gone a whole lot worse, good that it's only hardware that got damaged. Bent & broken people are a lot harder to fix.

Any picture(s) of the tongue and that end of the coupler?

Very true indeed. I will post picture of trailer side coupler on Monday

I am a 130 Mechanic :)

There's a good chance that the quality of the AT Teardrop saved the folks inside the FJ from getting hurt. I'm sure it made a huge buffer between the two vehicles. You hate to hear about this kind of thing but the trailer can be replaced.

You may be right about that. The trailer may have served as a "crumple zone". It may have turned out badly if the trailer had not been there. The trailer will be repaired and back on the road soon.
 

24HOURSOFNEVADA

Expedition Leader
Anyone in attendance of the 2007 Expedition Trophy should remember this story regarding AT's durability.

Redline with his fully loaded "Mall Hauler" towing his loaded Chaser was in front of me, with my fully loaded 80 series and my Chaser. My head gasket gives up the ghost at the bottom of the Matterhon-esque grade. Redline ends up towing me and my Chaser behind his Chaser to a safe pull out at the summit of the pass... I think we may have even passed an old dump truck on the way up.

I wish we would have gotten a picture or two of the event. The look on Marios face in camp was priceless when he heard the tale.
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
mario,

thanks for sharing!!!
i'm glad you are ok.
jimmy

You're welcome. It wasn't me though, it was a customer.

Anyone in attendance of the 2007 Expedition Trophy should remember this story regarding AT's durability.

Redline with his fully loaded "Mall Hauler" towing his loaded Chaser was in front of me, with my fully loaded 80 series and my Chaser. My head gasket gives up the ghost at the bottom of the Matterhon-esque grade. Redline ends up towing me and my Chaser behind his Chaser to a safe pull out at the summit of the pass... I think we may have even passed an old dump truck on the way up.

I wish we would have gotten a picture or two of the event. The look on Marios face in camp was priceless when he heard the tale.

Almost forgot about that one! Redline certainly put the rear receiver and his coupler well beyond the design spec limits and they held up. Amazing.
 

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