Ouch! What happens when an Argosy MH meets the back of a dump truck

[66TradeWind]

I happened across this site
while surfing. It's enough to make you cry, fortunately injuries were minor.

[ALANSD]

I am sooooooo glad i didn't see this before my recent 2000 mile trip. Then again I don't smoke cigars!

[winner]

This brings to mind another "front end fear" I have noticed since driving both Airstream Motor Homes that I have owned that universally, drivers of oncoming vehicles are prone to turn abruptly in front of me without warning ( or turn signals usually) or vehicles I am following will suddenly stop for no apparent reason (many times not having stops lights) as if they are indifferent to the size and weight of the vehicle they are cutting in front of, or realizing a rather large vehiicle is following them.
They just assume that the motor home can stop and they have nothing to fear - NOT SO - These beasts take a good distance to stop in any case. I am very aware of these habits by other drivers SO I drive very defensively - always keeping a keen eye on oncoming traffic and always leaving double the distance I think is safe when I am following anything. I pray my diligence in this regard will keep us safe from such a misfortune and higlly recommend this practice to other operators of Motor Homes!!!!!

[ViewRVs]

From my initial drive back from Atlanta, I am amazed at how stupid other drivers are around MH's. People risked their lives trying to pass me (for fear of being stuck behind a MH) and I was exceeding the speed limit in a double yellow line area. On I-75, some moron pulled in front of me, slowed down, and then could not decide to exit or not. All the while, a 34.5 foot 14,000 lbs missle is heading towards them.

Doc, you are right. I want a huge air horn to blast at these brainless fools who think I can stop in the same distance that their Honda Civic can. I drive as defensive (for my own good as much as theirs!) as I can.

[Larry Brown]

What are some of these people thinking?.Just because that sooped up little hondas with the exhaust extensions the size of a bazooka have 4 way disc brakes and they have to get in front of you even if your going 75 think that you should be able to stop a bus on a dime.I've goten to the point now that if I see one in the rear veiw mirror I will do any thing In my power to avoid them. After riding a motorcycle you learn murfys law and predict that what ever could happen most likely will.

[winner]

I trust that these posts to this thread started by a very perceptive member of our group regarding "What Can Happen"
will be viewed by ALL of our motor home members to jog their memories about this crazy traffic out there and be mindful!!!

[j54mark]

The driver of the motorhome referenced above was, by their own admission, wantonly reckless. It takes considerable time for a dump truck doing 25mph to go from unseen to in-your-lap, but the driver took his (her?) eyes off the road for that long to look for a cigar.

That cigar could have cost somebody their life. A ticket for following too close? It could have been manslaughter.

Our motorhomes and trailers are large, heavy pieces of equipment. Very few of us have ever taken any formal training in how to operate them, we just hitch up and go. We frequently find out too late what the panic stopping distances are, what the actual dimensions are, what the handling limitations are. And we drive them too darn fast!

These things are RECREATIONAL vehicles. If you are in a hurry, you have the wrong piece of transportation equipment. We have no pre-emptive rights over anyone because of our size. To the contrary, many are technically over any legal size and weight limitation (the post '95 trailer is 8' 6" wide, but what about the awing? What about mirrors?).

And while I am good and mad, let's talk about our size. Do your really appreciate how long, wide, and tall your rig is? I am a bicyclist. I ride a bike more miles per week than many of you drive. I cannot count the times I have had a close brush with the mirrors on a truck or motorhome. Somewhere I read that being struck by a mirror is the leading cause of injury to cyclists and pedestrians in National Parks.

Ok, I feel better now. Seriously, roads are dangerous places. At various times on public highways I have encountered farm equipment, manufactured housing, livestock, wild animals, boulders, and, on one memorable occasion, a railroad depot being trucked down the road! Oh yes, and many Rvs struggling up hill. It is up to us to use the utmost caution and attention because our RVs have very long stopping distances and almost no emergency handling ability at all.

Mark

[JW84345]

Can't do much to control the other drivers. I generally cruise at 60 mph on the interstate in the 345. Let them pass. I hang back a bit to leave that extra stopping time needed for my rig. I constantly look ahead to anticipate having to stop. I do the same when towing the trailer (though travel at 70 mph with the Yukon xl and overlander).

[winner]

Great driving protocol - that is exactly the way I drive the 345 that I had - I had a steering problem with loose steering coming home from Indians, but I have had that repaired and now it steers better than my Mercedes car. Goldren Rule - always leave plenty of space behind vehicles and let the fast ones go by easily. My engine loves 55 t0 60 MAX on Interstate. Wish there were more drivers like you in these things.

[canny_banjo_man]

Hi ALL...
Winner...just read your bit abt keeping a distance, over here I always KEEP my distance for safety's sake, and you know what...some JERK always overtakes me...thus closing the gap, one guy on a motorcycle did this many years ago, HE don't do it NO more, it cost him a new headlamp and indicator unit, and himself a new exhaust system and almost ALL his rear end, he said he did'nt realise he was going so fast, and DID NOT know the man ahead of him was INDICATING and showing brake lights ready to STOP to turn RIGHT....this guy LIVES near ME, and still STAYS away from me...he is LUCKY I keep a beedy-eye on my BRAKES...etc:....why people always SQUEEZE in, I'll NEVER KNOW,
Don't know weather U guys notice this too ????
Keep up the great work...Chris.....

[winner]

Thanks Chris for your response regarding Keeping Distance! Your experience must have been unnerving. Yes, I always stay back MORE than the 10 car lengths recommended at all times - slowing if necessary to maintain that distance. I always watch meeting traffic carefully at intersections because these NUTS (talking on their cell phone or whatever) are prone to turn in front of a Motor Home - stupidly counting on the Motor Home being able to stop before broadsiding them OR indifferent to law and traffic considerations. With regard to following vehicles, I routinely use the following practice. Instead of slowing and putting on my turn signal well in advance of a turn - to protect myselve from being rear-ended by the stupid tailgaters, even though it is not covered by low, As I am slowing, instead of pumping my brakes repeatedly to light my braking light, I will for a short period of time, put my emergency flashers on,-and as I am about 100 feet from my turn, take them off , and rely on pumping brake light up to the turn, I have found this to be very effective in slowing and alerting tail-gaters to my intention to do something, of course either stop or turn. I don't believe this is prohibited by any section of the vehicle code and has really been very effective in preventing rear endings. Keep thge Faith, !!

[canny_banjo_man]

Me again Winner...
Good evening Sir, and ALL...
...Yes it WAS a little bit scarey, NO-ONE was hurt, but you know, when we were in FL : in '00, we saw thousands of drivers on phones whilst driving, it is ILLEGAL over here, and penaltys are stiff, all to do with SAFER driving, OK, I only been a driver since '72, sure have learnt a LOT, was a TAXI driver for 12 years, so I put a few miles behind me...NOT as many as you guys...that's
for sure, ( don't forget England is only the size of a BASEBALL pitch...LOL ). But I see it all, a WOMAN was SMOKING a cigarette, TALKING on her phone, CHANGING gears, and CHECKING her HAIR was still on her HEAD...ALL at the same time... now I don't know how she managed to do ALL those things, and concentrate on her driving, it REALY made me feel edgy, until I spotted the LITTLE TODDLER jumping about on the rear seat, NOT fastened in, ( another offence )....then I felt ILL...
I tried to think up excuses for her STUPIDITY...I could'nt think of ONE...after all I'm only a MAN...
Well...I'm ALL for safe driving,...where I work I am a warehouse opp: ( DONALDSON FILTERS - USA ). Also I am a SAFETY REP:, a storage racking inspector ( check for racking damage ) and a FIRE marshal, ( checking fire doors, hoses, extinguishers etc:...) I operate a fork-truck and reach truck, so have a little bit of SENSE behind me...Oh yea!!!...I'm also the site CLOWN all in a days work LOL, so I DO take my driving seriously, I seen how U guys DRIVE, and quickly adopted to YOUR way of the road, I also seen those HUGE rigs come down that slip road on I-4, and learnt rather quickly to change lanes like everyone else did...or BIG OOOPS !!!..." I don't think he wanted to be STOPPED "...got to KEEP those ORANGES F R E S H ........
....OK, I think I said tooooo much already, B-GOOD...
...Chris.....

[Pahaska]

I spent quite a bit of time working in England and I admire much about the drivers there, particularly their using signals, staying in the curb lane except when passing, letting traffic merge, not using cell phones when driving, things like that.

English drivers, OTOH, seem to be hell-bent on driving faster than I think the road conditions warrent, especially in fog. I found the drivers in Scotland somewhat more laid back than in England and the drivers in (northern) Ireland extremely laid back. I haven't sampled the Republic yet.

[canny_banjo_man]

Hi ALL......
Pahaska....Thank's for the kind words, YES you are RIGHT, In parts of Ireland, it is sooooo laid back, that the folk there are almost HORIZONTAL ant tomorrow is anotherday....HOW TRUE, as for Scotland...is it the WHISKEY that makes the lanes bend or is it MY EYES...lol, NOT saying ALL Scots are drink-drivers AT ALL, but again drive slow to MEET the narrow road conditions....
Oh dear!!! England....funny how some places seem to stand STILL in the world, WE are NOT one of those places...most of our speeders, are the YOUNG and STUPID, but a lot are REPS, trying to get to KEEP deadlines, and meet customer demands, YES we have PHONES over here too...but some Brits, like myself, go for the PERSONAL touch, and come on guys...you know yourself, some days just DON'T have enough hours in them, and to be honest I drive a little FAST sometimes, even if it is ti keep up with the rest of the flow, I WAS speeding most of the time in FLA:,....I know, I know...again ONLY keeping in the flow, and it frightened me to bits....a stranger in a strange land, but when in Rome....over here we see TOO much American T V , and think you guys are NUTS when it comes to driving, films put you up as SPEEDING, WRECKLESS and just plain loonies, but don't worry my FRIENDS, I tell 'em all the TRUTH, I personaly had NO bother from U guys at ALL, I'm sure my HIRE vehicle "HAS ENGLISH TOURIST AT LARGE" written across the rear end...LMAO...
O K, Guys have a WONDERFUL DAY 2day, stay COOL...read U all later...Chris.....