Crew cab + 5'r ?

[Mark Rinker]

More and more large 5'rs hit the road every year behind crew cab trucks.

I have personally seen the aftermath of icy road accidents, where the truck is jacknifed into the trailer - with disastrous results to the occupants of the second row seat. While any truck (reg cab, ext cab, crew) is susceptible; the longer the cab, the more at risk the rear seat passengers are to this danger.

Be safe out there - winter is coming!!! If you encounter icy conditions, and are carrying a cab full of passengers in your truck - be aware that a passenger injury risk exists - especially in the rear seats if you are to jacknife your 5'er...

[Pipeline Mechanic]

Mark the safest way is to use a bigger truck to make sure you can stop while you are travelling south AWAY for the Ice!

I am still failing to see the crew cab point though. Very seldom are there any passengers in the CC area. The lengthened wheel base will allow for more leverage to keep the front end down which aids in steering. Usually if you see a jack-knifed trailer it rolls the truck over in the end anyway, so make sure everyone is buckled up to keep them from hitting each other in the crash!

Happy trails....

[Mark Rinker]

When a crew cab truck towing a heavy 5'r jacknifes, it can be opened up in the rear corner of the passenger compartment, well into the seating area.

The accident I witnessed was already tarped over by the officers or paramedics on scene, the front seat occupants were out and appeared uninjured. It appeared to me that a rear seat occupant was deceased from the 'can opener' effect of the forward portion of the trailer severing the cab.

This particular accident happened on an icy/snowy 4-lane road highway, when the truck/trailer was executing a pass in the left, uncleared lane. They lost traction and steering control, went into the snow banked median, where the truck was pushed into the deep snow faster than the trailer wanted to stop. The truck attempted a turn back to the right, towards the road, it jacknifed completely under the front of the trailer, severing the cab - starting at the right rear corner.

Not pretty. I saw two similar accidents, similar circumstances, similar damage to the passenger compartments that winter on my way from MN to FL. It left an impression.

[DmaxMaverick]

When a crew cab truck with large 5'r jacknifes, it can open up the rear corner of the passenger compartment, well into the seating area. The accident I witnessed was already tarped over by the officers or paramedics on scene, the front seat occupants were uninjured. It appeared to me that the rear seat occupant was deceased from the 'can opener' effect of the forward portion of the trailer coming around and severing the cab - at about head-rest level.

It's likely the result you witnessed would have been the same, regardless of the cab configuration. Sounds like a unique situation, and is more likely the trailer, and not the truck cab, causing the mayhem.

While it is likely, in a situation like this, and empty back seat would be the "safest" option. Unfortunately, it is a seat, meant to seat passengers. If this were a regular cab, there would have been an occupant in that same location, relative to the cab. The 5'er would have been in the same location, relative to the cab. The only difference between the cab sizes, relative to a 5th wheel trailer, is forward of the cab. The pin location (hitch center) is relative to the rear axle, which is relative to the truck bed, and there are only 2 options. Long, or short. Short beds have the correct pin location closer to the cab, while long beds are further. Each with its own advantages/disadvantages, safety or otherwise.

Still, caution should be taken any time we drive in icy conditions, under any circumstance.

[Mark Rinker]

Good point.

I guess what I meant was to be careful.