Deer Collision

To begin with, we do not yet have an Rpod or any other camper, but we are seriously considering buying one, and this experience has me wondering "what if" this had happened while towing.

Several days ago we were on a major interstate in our minivan, going about 70 mph on a straight and level stretch of dry road, with light to moderate traffic ahead and behind, in mid-afternoon, when a deer ran right in front of us.  I had seen the deer with just enough time to hit the brakes, but not much braking time, so I'm guessing we were still going at least 50 mph when we hit it, just slightly to the passenger side of the grill's dead center (no pun intended).  No glancing blow here, but instead a full-on body slam, and the deer was dead before it hit the pavement.

We didn't lose control of the vehicle, no skidding, sliding, or swerving, no air bag deployment, and we were able to quickly pull over to report the deer strike and check for damage to our vehicle.  No other vehicles were involved or had to make panic maneuvers.  So aside from a very dead deer and about $5k in repair estimates (body work and new radiator), this was mostly a non-event.

So now I'm wondering if pulling a trailer, like an Rpod 171 for example, could have significantly changed the outcome for this kind of accident.  If I was pulling a trailer, it is unlikely I'd be going as fast to begin with, more likely 60-65 mph before braking, even slower if on a secondary road, but aside from that, would the mass of the trailer, assuming properly operating electric brakes and well under a ratio of 80% weight to TV rating, have made things worse?  Would the trailer help keep the TV going straight?  Or would it possibly put an external sideways force on the rear of the TV through the hitch?

I know from lurking on this forum for a while that there are a lot of you with a lot of experience pulling a camper, and I'm wondering if any of you have hit a deer while towing.  I know one member has mentioned 31 confirmed deer strikes, but it's not clear if any of those were while towing.

So I'd really like to hear about anybody's experience with hitting a deer while towing, and how the trailer may have affected the outcome for better or worse.

                                 ...Sidewinder

The one time I really had to slam on the brakes hard was on a not-too-well marked exit in Las Vegas which curved very sharply to the right. The Escape and RP-179 slowed with remarkable grace and speed. The trailer tracked well, and we did not add to the marks on the concrete barrier wall. I'm impressed with how well the trailer brakes work, especially with the proportional controller.