NHTSA Complaint #10158759 — 2005 FORD F-350 SD

THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION, A FORD F-350 PICK UP, IS NORMALLY USED TO PULL A GOOSENECK TRAILER. TO CONNECT THE TRAILER, THE TAIL GATE OF THE TRUCK MUST BE OPENED, THE TRUCK BACKED UP PART WAY, THE TAIL ATE THEN CLOSED, AND THE TRAILER CONNECTED. THE TAIL GATE IS NOT OPENED AGAIN UNTIL THE TRAILER IS BEING DISCONNECTED. I FOLLOWED THIS PROCEDURE, HAULED THE TRAILER ABOUT 40 MILES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TO ITS DESTINATION AND UNLOADED THE TRAILER. I THEN WAS PROCEEDING TO PARK THE TRAILER BEFORE UNLOADING THE BED OF THE TRUCK. DURING A LOW SPEED U TURN OVER SLIGHTLY ROUGH GROUND, THE TAIL GATE OF THE FORD F-350 (WHICH WAS STILL TOWING THE GOOSE NECK TRAILER) POPPED OPEN AND FELL AGAINST THE TRAILER. BEFORE I COULD GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED, THE TAIL GATE WAS BENT BY THE TRAILER. DAMAGE TO THE TAILGATE AND TRUCK IS COSTING $1750 TO REPAIR. *JB