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Well I just found out the hard way a Tribeca holds up very well to a sheet of plywood on the interstate…
One of my Easter weekend nice-weather projects included expanding our chicken coop. My wife bought 6 chicks which she really wants out of the house soon. The coop is already at capacity so It required (1) 4’x8’x1/2” sheet of plywood and some miscellaneous other wood for expansion. Well, we all know how well a full sheet of plywood fits in the back of an Ascent (it doesn’t) so I texted a friend to borrow his trailer. I picked it up and the Ascent pulled it nicely; I barely knew it was there. That was Saturday.
FFWD to Monday. I pulled the trailer to work with some scrap chain link fence to take to the dump before returning the trailer after work. After dropping the scrap off, I took the interstate to get back to work. As I accelerated into the highway I heard and felt a thud! I could see a sheet of plywood hit the raised rear wall of the trailer then go airborne right in front of the car behind me!
Of course I pulled over immediately and looked behind me where only 1 other car was pulling over, thankfully. The driver was ok and was already inspecting her Tribeca when I walked back to check on her. The only damage the Tribeca took was the passenger side mirror broke! I was amazed and can only assume they use a different sheet metal on that car than the Ascent. My Ascent gets a scratch and dent if I look at it too hard!
Moral of the story: be extra thorough inspecting your loads, especially when towing. My friend had put the plywood in the bottom of the trailer to move mulch and I just assumed it was fastened to the trailer. Apparently not. Could've been much worse!
One of my Easter weekend nice-weather projects included expanding our chicken coop. My wife bought 6 chicks which she really wants out of the house soon. The coop is already at capacity so It required (1) 4’x8’x1/2” sheet of plywood and some miscellaneous other wood for expansion. Well, we all know how well a full sheet of plywood fits in the back of an Ascent (it doesn’t) so I texted a friend to borrow his trailer. I picked it up and the Ascent pulled it nicely; I barely knew it was there. That was Saturday.
FFWD to Monday. I pulled the trailer to work with some scrap chain link fence to take to the dump before returning the trailer after work. After dropping the scrap off, I took the interstate to get back to work. As I accelerated into the highway I heard and felt a thud! I could see a sheet of plywood hit the raised rear wall of the trailer then go airborne right in front of the car behind me!
Of course I pulled over immediately and looked behind me where only 1 other car was pulling over, thankfully. The driver was ok and was already inspecting her Tribeca when I walked back to check on her. The only damage the Tribeca took was the passenger side mirror broke! I was amazed and can only assume they use a different sheet metal on that car than the Ascent. My Ascent gets a scratch and dent if I look at it too hard!
Moral of the story: be extra thorough inspecting your loads, especially when towing. My friend had put the plywood in the bottom of the trailer to move mulch and I just assumed it was fastened to the trailer. Apparently not. Could've been much worse!
