Safety violation does not end well, towing a camper

I stand corrected. Without counting though, the vast majority do not allow travel trailers to be occupied while moving. Anyone who has seen a trailer involved in a collision knows they dont hold up well. They are not made with any focus on collision safety.
I would wager that even Airstream states in their product info that they are not to be occupied during transit. Every trailer I have ever owned has the warning.
 
11 states allow riding in a travel trailer and 23 allow riding in a 5th wheel. Amazing. Class A coaches don't do any better in crashes than travel trailers so why not. My sister thought her cat would like riding in the 5th wheel so she put it in for a short distance to a campground. It was so scared from the experience it hid for a day.
 
Astro14 said:
Wow - so she was stupid enough to be riding in the trailer, on the highway, tried to shut the door while it was on the highway, and fell out?
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Our Airsteam door opened to the rear, as do most. My guess is that she didn't lock the door and it came open. The wind likely very forcefully slammed the door open into the skin of the trailer, which surely dented the beautiful Airstream aluminum. She probably tried to reach back to the handle and close the door and didn't anticipate the increase drag on the door as she pulled it into the wind and it slammed open again, pulling on her. She lost balance or grip and fell out. Very unfortunate.
 
atikovi said:
Don't many people ride in the back of a motorhome without wearing restraints anyway? And complete detachment is a pretty rare event with safety chains installed. Plus, don't the brakes lock up automatically if separated from the tow vehicle?
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They do, but they probably shouldn't. A camping trailer is even less likely to hold up to a crash than a motorhome.
 
My wife rode about two blocks in our Airstream when we were moving to another site. She said never again and I didn't do anything abrupt.
 
Do all Airstream trailer doors open into the wind? If so, that's asking for trouble on so many levels, including lawsuits.

But as the above posts state, people have a responsibility NOT to do stupid stuff. If the door is configured that way, take notice, it is YOUR responsibility to use the door properly.

2021-airstream-accessories-101-1620845203.jpg
 
Cujet said:
Do all Airstream trailer doors open into the wind?
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I believe all front door models (rear bedroom) do, but I think most rear door (front bedroom) models open to the front.

Cujet said:
But as the above posts state, people have a responsibility NOT to do stupid stuff. If the door is configured that way, take notice, it is YOUR responsibility to use the door properly.
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[sarcasm] You mean people should be accountable for their actions? [/sarcasm]
 
The way I understand the article, the complaint was that the door opened "into" the wind as in the photo above. Lady probably opened the door in an attempt to slam it back shut but the wind flung the door wide open taking said lady with it. Opposite of how most RV doors open. Still not the fault of the manufacturer.
 
Every state in the nation has some type of seat belt law, that require occupants of a moving vehicle to be restrained. My motorhome has seat belts, not only for the driver and front passenger, but for up to five passengers in the coach.

The Owner's Manual clearly states that every occupant needs to be wearing a seat belt whenever the motorhome is in motion.

I'm not familiar enough with travel trailers. Do they have seat belts?

There are two locks on the door to our motorhome, and I am pretty OCD about making sure both are locked. If a door did come open on a travel trailer, wouldn't you communicate with the tow vehicle driver, and tell them to pull over, so the door can safely be closed and locked? Assuming you have the good sense to have a pair of radios or cell phones, to communicate between driver and trailer passenger(s).
 
You don't think it was our 'legal community' pushing the lawsuit aspect of this?
 
I 100% agree the lady was completely responsible - not the trailer.

Having said that - I think having the door open to the back is a bad design. If the door were to come ajar while moving, the wind would grab it and damage the door and possibly the trailer itself - even without anyone in the trailer. Seems like a bad idea. The other orientation - the wind would push it closed.
 
SC Maintenance said:
I 100% agree the lady was completely responsible - not the trailer.

Having said that - I think having the door open to the back is a bad design. If the door were to come ajar while moving, the wind would grab it and damage the door and possibly the trailer itself - even without anyone in the trailer. Seems like a bad idea. The other orientation - the wind would push it closed.
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That's why you lock the door with the deadbolt when the trailer is being towed. If you don't, then you must be accountable for the door coming open. It's common sense.
 
wwillson said:
That's why you lock the door with the deadbolt when the trailer is being towed. If you don't, then you must be accountable for the door coming open. It's common sense.
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While I agree, having spent 25 years building and fixing equipment in factories -where safety is trained and preached daily - I can assure you that at some point in time someone will forget or do the wrong thing.
 
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