BP tanker trailer crash 2014 near Wodonga.

Ok ,I know the thing is likely sub judice,but I think asking for facts given in evidence wont break any rules....Someone asked me about it ,as they are related to a deceased ........Now as I can gather ,a 3 axle dog tanker trailer broke away from the truck towing it,and impacted 2 cars while running off the road.....What I am asking is did the towing coupling come away from the truck (ringfeder maybe?) as much is made of "castellated nut" picked up off the roadway......Anyhoo,as you might expect ,the mechanics are being blamed ,and are in court as defendants.......not the owner (BP?),or the driver (TWU).

I've sent you a PM mate..
Click on "Channel 40" up the top of the Page.

Ok thanks hayseed......Got a .pic of the eye pulled out of the trailer drawbar,and the allegedly wonky thread..

An arm chair critic @ your service

If the truck trailer seperated shouldn't there B skid marks as the brakes shoulda locked on
or did the plastic brake plumbing stretch & not brake away till the trailer was off the rd
WotSezU?

cya

Yuck.

In the pics...the eye of the ringfeder has come out of the trailer drawbar,and is still sticking out of the ringfeder............its alleged the eye component was loose ,rusted ,and the thread was dicky,to such extent ,the nut pulled thru ,and the eye simply came out of the trailer.........the ringfeder did not uncouple .............also in the pics ,seems the trailer ran along with two cars as forward undercarriage.....As swishy mentions ,no skid marks on the road ,as one might imagine.......The case is probably still sub judice in Victoria,so dont get thrown in the slammer for contempt.

FWIW
RE: its alleged the eye component was loose ,rusted ,and the thread was dicky,to such extent ,the nut pulled thru ,and the eye simply came out of the trailer.
I cannot fathom how a near new trailer could accumulate th@ much rust to fail ..... if the components were 50 years old !!! ... May B

Twould imagine a critical component of the link between the truck & trailer would B over engineered to last till the next millinium


EDIT
Unless the problem parts were sourced from China or India etc = unknown quality

Butt
WaddaEyeKno
cya

The Ringfeder coupling is made in Germany ,I would imagine........the eye has a replaceable bushing ,thats the extent of maintenance.....I always thought they were pretty marginal,but some years ago ,the smaller size(20mm?) was banned,and the 30 mm size required..........(sizes may be wrong,memory not 100%)........ Ive never seen the ring broken,but the moving pin in the truck end used to wear on the ball surface ,and develop backlash........There was a fuss some years ago,and Ringfeders were banned for rigid two axle dogs,and you had to fit a Bartlett Ball,or one of the tiny turntables.(miniQRTT)

Pretty sure it was 40 mm that was banned and 50 mm is standard

I purchased a trailer in central highlands QLD last Christmas and when I finally got it road ready for its trip home I was trying as I best as I could a whole heap of times to get it to couple to the dolly but no, not a chance
Turns out it was and still is a 40mm ring feeder

Not going to eleberate on my solution
We got coupled up the next

And its still going fine

Paul