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H3 Front Clip Impact
This past Wednesday I took my bus out for it’s 3 week exercise routine. I built this habit up over the years and it’s worked out great for the bus. I take it on a 60 mile loop which includes a few climbs where I get everything up to temperature and under load. I turn on the generator and I run just about everything I can – keeps all systems working well for me. On this trip, I had maybe ten miles remaining to get to my garage. There I am cruising down the interstate at 65 mph, marveling at what a wonderful machine this H3 is, when a pickup truck passes me. He’s a few car lengths ahead when something flies off his rear wheel and comes somersaulting toward me. It didn’t take long to realize that his drive wheel thru a wheel weight, and this wheel weight must’ve been 5 ounces, it’s huge! It’s somersalting my way and I’m bearing down on it with a combined speed of certainly over 65 mph. It crashes into my front clip. I’m thinking the worst! I can barely wait to get home to my garage to check out the damage. Images of insurance claims are dancing thru my mind – fiberglass repair, new paint, new 3M protective shield. I’m fully expecting to see the wheel weight embedded in my front clip. I finally arrive and sheepishly exit my bus, hands over my eyes, I walk about 20′ to the front of this magnificent machine hoping the damage will look small from a distance. I fully open my eyes and… I see nothing! Nothing! I get closer, still nothing! I inspect the entire front clip from a matter of inches away, and… nothing! I kind of guess where the impact was made based on some slightly torn 3M clear covering, but I have several such areas from rocks over years, so I can’t say for certain which one is new. Nonetheless, that clip is made of one tough material! I believe it’s a kevlar/fiberglass composite, as is all the skin on the H3, maybe you guys know??? The projectile bounced off my H3 and my front clip didn’t so much as shrug! Much relieved! 🙂
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4 Replies
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I don’t know if it was changed, but when the first H3 was introduced for conversions Prevost spoke of the materials being Kevlar.
If your front had been stainless, such as on an XL or XLII or X3 without some form of protection you would have seen a dent.
When I started reading your post I got sick to my stomack fearing the worst. I was real happy nothing serious happened. I would rather lose a windshield than have damage to the skin. Easier to repair.
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Thanks Jon! Same here, much rather have a cracked windshield. It probably happened within a hundredth of a second, but it seemed to take forever. Time really stands still when you’re fully in the present! There’s a bunch of good info on Wikipedia about kevlar which most of us have probably heard before; nonetheless, it’s great reading, and it’s good to know that we have a worthy “deflector shield” protecting our buses! 🙂
1999 XLV X-6872, liberty #440 -
Me too, I started reading thinking the worst!
Phew…..
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My friend,You got LUCKY!!! I had a XL and one night I was cruising across west Texas at about 75 M.P.H. following a Bull Hauler Truck. We were running together,But hadnt talked in a while. All at once he swerves to the right,I am instantly thinking he is nodding off as it was about that time of the morning. I was watching him for a moment instead of directly in front of me.All at once there was a LARGE Buck standing in my lane!!! I didn’t have time to do anything,Brake,Swerve,Lift off the accelerator, Nothing. I hit him dead center at 75, I merged to the right and hit the shoulder. I was nervous when I got out because it sounded like a bomb had went off in the Coach. I rounded the entry door and stood back and looked and it was a terrible sight. My Bumper was bent so bad that it had ripped the bolt thru on the drivers side. The Cruise Air in the Spare tire bay was knocked loose from it’s mounting screws.All the Stainless up to the painted part under the winsheild was dented in at the center of the Coach. I took the Bumper off and put it in the trailer as it was blocking my Headlights. I walked back a mile looking for the Buck,Couldn’t find a piece bigger than my finger of him. It must have shredded him. There was a big mess of little parts. I am sure he didnt make it. I hated that it happened,But the way it happened there was nothing I could do.I was on him before I realized he was there. I had to finish the leg of the Tour with a wrecked,Ugly Coach. Got home put it in the shop,cost close to $9,0000 to repair everything. Lesson learned,Watch them West Texs Buck’s. You got LUCKY!!!
B.D.
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