Close Calls

[GinMame]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

Do you think I could have made it?

The CLIPPER is 12' and a little bit on dead level.



45.423516,-76.253357 - Google Maps

Dave

Dave,

You wouldn't have made it. 3m = 300cm = 118.11 inches (300 / 2.54) = 9.84 feet and change. I'm glad that you didn't try.

That road looks pretty narrow. How far did you have to back up?

Cheers,
Rion

[GinMame]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

We were just west of McBride, BC on Yellowhead Rt. 16, 105 kph, and had to make an emergency stop to avoid the second of this pair. The Air Horns startled him enough that he fell trying to stop.

It does not look that close in the picture, but at that speed, the distance diminishes quickly.
This shot from the ARC, was the only close call so far on this current tour of the belt line between the 40th and 55 Parallel.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post938938

The Clipper did leave some rubber on the road!
Dave

Dave,

Had the same thing happen to me on Nantucket this past June. It was a few minutes before dawn and the Mrs. & I were in a rented Smart car on Milestone road on our way to watch the sunrise at Siasconset Beach. I hit the horn and the breaks. The deer looked up and kinda of gave me a quizzical look and I could swear that I heard the deer laughing as I squeaked by. Glad nothing happened to you in your encounter.

Happy Airstreaming,
Rion

[masseyfarm]

I had to back up about 1/4 mile on Mohrs Rd. and when I got back to the Galetta Side road, I spotted the sign indicating the low overhead. Somehow, I missed it when I made the right turn south, as instructed by my GPS.
45.423516,-76.253357 - Google Maps

Now if it had been dark???????????????

I do have the dash display/roof camera which allows good overhead clearance visibility when approaching canopy's etc., but it is not great after dark.
Dave

Originally Posted by GinMame

Dave,

You wouldn't have made it. 3m = 300cm = 118.11 inches (300 / 2.54) = 9.84 feet and change. I'm glad that you didn't try.

That road looks pretty narrow. How far did you have to back up?

Cheers,
Rion

[polarlyse]

Gotta watch those GPS's. You can only trust them so far. I've seen a lot of trucks hit low bridges while following their GPS.

[RangerJay]

Guess we've been pretty fortunate - but I do work at keeping in the front of my mind an old driving lessen - that "being a defensive driver goes a long way to diminishing the opportunity for others to get us into trouble" - the most common "spots" where those others seem to like to push the limits? - passing on hills/curves and pulling out in front - guess they just gotta get in front of that trailer - no matter what the cost .....


Jay

[Jim Lee]

Crossing the Mississippi River by ferry boat, many years ago.... busplunge: He May Be From Monroe But I'm Not Sure.....

[masseyfarm]

Came across this on the web!
Camper loses A/C unit under bridge - YouTube

It's a SOB fiver that now needs a little touch up.

YOU HAVE TO READ THOSE SIGNS.

Dave

[jspafford]

So true, Dave. Here's what happened to us when we drove right on by a sign reading: "Tight turns, 6 - 11% grade next 11 miles"

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post886555

[masseyfarm]

Sounds like a trip to remember John. Your lucky they put good material in that brake pedal eh?

We had an interesting detour here.
US Highway-2 in Washington State - part of the North Cascades Scenic Byway Loop

In Aug 18, 2011 we traveled east thru Stevens Pass, (4061'), HWY 2, WA, and because of a fire between mile 84 and 99, we had to take a detour to the north thru BEAVER VALLEY on Rt 209, the Chumstick HWY.
I was happy we had the Clipper, and not a long trailer, or a big 5ver, with an underpowered TV. The grade was unexpected, and not much shoulder on the road in places.
http://g.co/maps/xg97w

Beautiful drive if you were expecting it, but not something you like when its forced upon you. MGW always thinks I drive to close to the drop off on her side.
Dave

[10Smiles]

Originally Posted by jspafford

So true, Dave. Here's what happened to us when we drove right on by a sign reading: "Tight turns, 6 - 11% grade next 11 miles"

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post886555

JS,
I just read your post in the other thread... I would lot enjoy that stretch of road at all! We also have a Chevrolet Express as a TV (a 1999). I am glad you made it through alright.
David

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by jspafford

So true, Dave. Here's what happened to us when we drove right on by a sign reading: "Tight turns, 6 - 11% grade next 11 miles"

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post886555

Hi, I read your story and I have been on that road several times, but never with my trailer.

[noreen&sal]

Originally Posted by jspafford

So true, Dave. Here's what happened to us when we drove right on by a sign reading: "Tight turns, 6 - 11% grade next 11 miles"

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post886555

Read that post. Reminded me of back in the 70s driving a cab-over Mack with a 45 foot trailer and no power steering. Had to pick up a load at Mt. Pisgah N.C. Took what looked to be the shortest rt on the map and it took me up and over Mt. Pisgah. Like someone just said, thank God no one else was stupid enough to be on tat road. Sal.

[masseyfarm]

Mike's "Another near miss" story on I-5 reminded me of one of our trips heading north thru Seattle.

This was a few years ago and before ARC (Airstream Road Camera, see previous posts) so with no picture of the incident one tends to forget it until something twigs the memory.

My GW was following me north on I-5 with her VW Beetle and we were keeping in touch with the hand held FM radios. She was determined she was not going to get split from me, so was on the tail of the Clipper as we progressed north about lunch time in heavy, fast moving traffic.

As I came out from the dark overhead seattle - Google Maps in the #2 lane, a delivery truck in #3 lane lost a piece of dunnage that would be a 8' 4x4. I can tell you it looked a lot bigger as it slide into my lane.
I could not move much either way because I was blocked in, but I edged to the right just enough to catch the end of it with my drive wheel, change its direction, and flip the whole thing on end into the air.
No time to warn the GW, only the anxiety of trying to call her to see if she made it.

I could see she was slowing down so I feared the worst.

Finally, she answered the radio. She was OK but had hit the timber with her LF wheel and was not sure of the damage.

I pulled off I-5 at the first opportunity and she followed me to a small mall where we were able to park and survey the damage and collect our thoughts.

With the Beetle, she had a bit more room to maneuver and had been able to move to the right and just catch the timber with the spoke of the rim, leaving a large scar on the rim. No other damage. She had lost the radio off her lap when it happened, and could not retrieve it off the floor.

We thanked our lucky stars and proceeded north to do some shopping at CW, Burlington.

Dave

[Mike Leary]

We were coming into Phoenix on I-10 when a wood pallet blew off a truck. I had about a millisecond to react, and thought, "hit it, better than taking someone else out trying to avoid it." Good old 12 ply tires.

[masseyfarm]

Its hot here tonight so, while sitting in front of the fan, I will expand on an incident that happened about 3 hrs before the post quoted below.

After traveling NW on #16 thru "RED PASS" and bearing North at "Tete Jaune Cache" we were ready for a lunch break and were watching for a pulloff.

At the bottom of a long grade we spotted a "Rest Area" sign at "Small River" and braked the Clipper hard to make the right turn.
http://goo.gl/maps/wXAh

One other B Class motorhome was parked there and the couple from Australia were eating at the picnic bench.

I was still shutting down the Clipper which I parked looking at the the "Small River". MGW is about to exit the door when she spots a male "STREAKER" running towards us, down the entrance road. My GW calls me, (she figured I would never believe her if I didn't see it),and I watch as he circled the outdoor toilets and headed back out across the highway and disappeared.

As we stood and laughed about the wild life with the other couple, a car entered the highway from the other side and accelerated away up the hill to the south.

The Australian couple had to admit, that was a first for them in their 3 month North American tour which started on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA.

Just so they might have a better memory of Canada than that, we gave them a liter of Maple Syrup from the syrup capital, Lanark County, On. They said they had never had it and would like to try it.

So, as we continue on, we conclude that the streaker had gone for a dip in the "Small River" and was just air drying himself before continuing on south.

The joys of RVing.

Dave

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

We were just west of McBride, BC on Yellowhead Rt. 16, 105 kph, and had to make an emergency stop to avoid the second of this pair. The Air Horns startled him enough that he fell trying to stop.

It does not look that close in the picture, but at that speed, the distance diminishes quickly.
This shot from the ARC, was the only close call so far on this current tour of the belt line between the 40th and 55 Parallel.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post938938

The Clipper did leave some rubber on the road!
Dave

[Woosch]

Last leg home from a great trip to Southern Utah. Merging on to I84 in Baker City. Semi moves to fast lane to let me on. Just getting up to speed and semi moves to slow lane. Just as he gets into the slow lane I hear a loud bang and see a piece of what I think was sheet metal about 2X3 come sailing out from under the semi spinning like a frisbee right at our truck cab. All I could do was swerve to the right and I saw the sheet metal pass off the left side of the cab and I was sure it had hit the trailer. Fortunately it missed! Had the shakes pretty good for the next 15 to 20 miles as I contemplated how bad that could have been. My biggest thought was what would have happened if I were towing SOB. It was a pretty radical maneuver that I am sure only an Airstream could have pulled off.

[Big C]

On our last trip up to OKC on I44 a small car about 50 yards in front of us ran over a shredded tread from a truck tire. It wrapped around the drive wheel. The car went from 70 to 0 in nothing flat, then spun 45% covering most of both lanes. The lady driving had the presence of mind to look out her window and see me coming and immediately put it in reverse, backed toward the median enough for us and traffic to pass. I had already started to swerve left, but with the trailer I couldn't maneuver quickly enough without wrecking myself. Couldn't brake since the distance was so short, so sped up and passed within inches. The lady was ok, somewhat shaken. Her drive wheel was bent beyond drive able. Still see her face when we locked eyes. Both of us frightened. I was fixing to run right over her, and she knew it. Always a careful driver before and much more now.

[Foiled Again]

I smashed the streetside towing mirror on my Chevy Silverado this last trip... so how's that a near miss? Well, I was coming south using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel(s) and in the southern tunnel they had one lane of traffic working while there was maintenance going on on the other lane. And of course there were traffic cones down the center line. Only 20 miles from home - and a fairly uneventful trip. That tunnel has a railing and a very narrow walkway for tunnel personnel on the southbound lane. I was going along fine with the windows down when between a dip on the righthand side of the roadbed and the railing... I "kissed" the mirror- one second GONE. The noise was incredible because I had the windows down, and the broken off mirror even flipped into the passenger seat. Sparks flew and my immediate thought was that I'd raked the whole right side of the trailer into the railing. If I'd stopped it would have been an automatic fine so with heart in throat and sweating like a bear I completed the tunnel portion and pulled off the roadside at the first convenient opportunity.

HUGE WHEW... not a scratch on the trailer. Two windows and the door plus the long side panels - how do you spell "total it"? Well that's one way to feel better about effen up a set of mirrors I paid $500 to add to the truck wouldn't it?

Also good news, found a replacement on e-bay for $150 for just the right side.

Now for my other story.
Drove to the Poconos for a conference - the last 100 miles done at about 30 mph and saw one helluva wreck where a semi and a 5th wheel look like they kissed. The good news was the semi went off the road too, didn't just blow the fiver into the bushes and keep on going. The fiver actually stayed together though the roadside was basically gone and you could see the whole inside of the trailer. No ambulances present or jaws of life - so hopefully all the people were just shaken not injured.

I'd recently replaced the back tires. Front tires needed it but had a bit more tread and I thought I'd wait a month or two for snow before I blew another $500. Walked out of the conference second day and FLAT FRONT TIRE. Of course it's a dinky town 50 miles from anywhere with 2 tire stores one that didn't carry anything for trucks. So I got a nice tow driver to help me change out the tire (I was wearing nice clothes) and started down the road to get the original patched... when I got a low pressure warning from the opposite front tire. Both blowing or leaking at the same time? Not unless I ran over some debris.. and I don't think I did, but after looking at the sidewells, I decided to buy two new front tires. ...which of course aren't the same brand or tread so rotating them won't be a good idea. I chose cheapo Chinese just for that reason. We'll see how these work and wear, but sure felt safer going home on new rubber than on patched worn sidewalls.

Also decided a longer Airstream is NOT in my future. Between roadwork, missing signs and a somewhat wacky GPS I made a couple of wrong turns as I neared my destination. I'm from flatland East Virginia - and the Poconos are about as different from that as you can get. I'm happy (surprised and relieved) to tell you I turned that baby around three times in damn near impossibly small office parking lots... only two times did that involve the 3 part turn... back... turn again maneuver. A 30footer... I'd have bought a power tow dolly by now to get the wretched thing turned!

Whew.... (all together now, from "Life of Brian")
"Always look at the bri-ight side of life!"

Monty Python - always look on the bright side of life (with lyrics) - YouTube

Paula

[urnmor]

Paula
I anvery glad that you are safe however I could have gone along time without reading about how narrow the bay bridge tunnel is. Claire and I are looing forward to taking some trips south and that is the one area that concerns me. I don't like it just going through it in my car.

John

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by urnmor

Paula
I anvery glad that you are safe however I could have gone along time without reading about how narrow the bay bridge tunnel is. Claire and I are looing forward to taking some trips south and that is the one area that concerns me. I don't like it just going through it in my car.

John

You'll like I-95 considerably less.

Of course there's always 301 - very urban around DC.

Normally when there's two way traffic and you choose a low volume time of day to cross you can nudge the center line a bit more than I felt comfortable doing with the cones, though it would have been far cheaper to destroy two or three of those than the mirror. Be vigilant and look how close to the side you are!

Better luck to you sir!