Trailer Sway. Adoption Day.

 

 

"Yaw, more commonly known as sway in the RV industry, is a bad word for trailer owners. The definition of yaw or sway is a side-to-side movement.

Nothing will ruin the way you feel about camping faster than the first time you experience trailer sway.

You have tent camped for years and now you decide its time to move up to a pop-up. You go to your local dealership and find a pop-up with the perfect floor plan for you and your family.

The sales person knows that it will be close to the maximum weight that your vehicle can tow. He really needs a sale because things have been slow.

Rather than risk losing the sale he decides not to explain the added expense of the proper hitch work to safely tow your new trailer.

 

You're all packed up for a weekend getaway. You made all of your pre-trip checks and you're eager to leave. You load the most precious cargo you have, your family, into your tow vehicle and head out.

Everything seems fine. You take the on-ramp to the interstate. You're cruising at the speed limit enjoying the music on the radio. Suddenly out of nowhere a transfer truck going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit is passing you as if you're sitting still. The pop-up is pulled into the draft created by the truck. In an attempt to correct this totally unexpected event you over steer and the trailer begins to go the opposite direction.

Not really sure what to do you hit the brakes and turn the steering wheel to the left, then to the right. Now, that one-ton trailer behind your sport utility vehicle is veering sharply from side to side and begins to affect what little control you have over the vehicle. The results are catastrophic."

More at: http://markpolk.rvtechtips.com/2007/08/trailer-sway-is-dangerous-be-careful.html

_________________

Today:

 

It was Adoption Day today.  I tried a little seat belt harness on Paco, the Chihuahua, and he wouldn't even move a step with it on.  So that meant he had to be put in a carrier, instead of riding on a seat.

 

Jay and I left for Adoption Day a little early.  Jay goes with me when he can, to help me load the carriers in the van.  Also, it gets him out of his house, and he likes that.

 

We just took Paco, the Chihuahua, and Prime, the tortoiseshell cat.  I didn't take Patches, as she just crawls under a blanket, won't show herself to strangers, and it upsets her to go to Adoption Day. 

She is only just starting to trust me when I pick her up, and I didn't want to jeopardize that.  She has her own web page on www.petfinders.com, and that is where most folks look to find an animal for adoption.  Patches gets lots of hits on her web page, so I hope she finds her 'forever' home soon.  I have had these two foster cats longer than any others that I have ever had, it must be the economy.

After I had them settled in their display cages at Petco, and had put water in their water bowls, we just waited for one of the other foster moms to arrive, as we couldn't just leave them there on their own.  

Once the foster moms get there with their animals, it is a mad scramble to get all of them in the right display cages, so we left.

 

First, we went to our favorite thrift shop at St. Marks church, but they were closed, as they were having a humongous garage sale in one of the church buildings.   They were selling a bag of whatever for $3.00.   I crammed my bag, and came away with a lot of bargains, including a brand new piano hinge, (with the screws), and a box of 45 9" x 12" Laminating Sheets.  I can see all kinds if things getting laminated around here! 

A quick look at 2 more thrift shops, but nothing came home with us.  Then on to the very south end of town to scope out what they had at the Salvation Army, but came away from there empty handed.   But it was near Taco Cabana, so we went inside and had a tasty lunch.

Every time we left the van, we put up the sunshades, it was so hot.  It helped, but it would have been better if we could have had more than 20 drops of rain!  It is always so humid when there is rain somewhere near, I wish it would come here.

 

We picked up Paco and Prime early, as I had to get to our local feed store before they closed.  They were having a half price sale on Natural Choice dog Food.  The animals need to eat good food, too.  That is what they have been on since I got them, as I was given some,  and they are doing well on it.   It isn't the very best, but at that price, that's what they are getting! 

 

I tried another larger seat belt harness on Misty, the old Poodle, and she didn't seem to mind it,  so she can travel on a seat, but she is not up for adoption, so she didn't go today.