[Ed]

We have seen a lot of RV accidents in our travels and it is clear crashworthiness is not considered. It is common to see pieces of the structure scattered over a wide area.

We have never seen a bus accident, but we have seen buses after an accident and the difference is considerable. While the damage may be extensive the structure is intact.

I think we all feel the same in that we feel safer in our coaches than we would in conventional RVs. But I would hope none of us would begin to feel totally protected. The laws of physics are not repealed just because we own a bus. We have very little in the front of the bus to absorb the energy of an impact. The coach is ponderous and will still tip over if we try to make a turn too sharp. Our brakes may be good, but trying to stop the coach as speeds increase requires a lot of distance.

Safety goes beyond crashworthiness, handling, stopping distances, etc. We still need to give considerable thought as to how to exit a burning vehicle. How will we get out of the bedroom if the fire is in the front? Will the door open if the fire has destroyed the electrical system (as happened when my coach was on fire)? Where are the fire extinguishers? Can you get out the side windows or the windshield?

I might piss a lot of owners off, but over the years I have not been impressed with a lot of owners who have the potential to be the greatest threat to their own safety. How many of you have seen a 50,000 pound coach in the fast lane pulling a 25 foot stacker trailer tailgating some car in the fast lane because 75 MPH isn’t fast enough for the coach driver? How many owners never do the most basic pre-trip inspection, including tire pressures or a brake check. My greatest concern is not for the safety of those owners, but for the health of our converters who are going to get sued by the coach driver’s estate because the accident couldn’t possibly be the fauilt of the driver, so it must have been the converter’s fault.

I’m not sure what your objective is Lee, but no matter what type of RV we have it seems it is our responsibility to drive and use them in the best way possible, recognizing life itself is a risk and we alone are responsible for managing risks.

[AL]

Jon,

I agree completely with you. We need to act responsibly to maximize our own safety.

My goal in the blog is to raise awareness of safety issues which many people may not have considered.

Thanks for your response.

Lee

[tom]

As an aside, but somewhat related is the fact I have a dash cam that is on 100% of the time the key is on.

I added it after a couple of instances where I had sufficient stopping distance between me and the vehicle ahead, yet some driver decided to pass me and pull in too close, stealing the safety margin ahead of me.

The camera all of a sudden could come to my defense if I rear ended a vehicle that pulled in too close and then had to stop quickly. I know every one of us has had that happen so having video proof we had no control over the situation was my way of at least protecting myself from the ticket or lawsuit that was to follow. It did not take me long to realize the camera is a double edged sword. The camera was watching me also. There is no way I am going to offer my video proof willingly if I am involved in an incident of my own making, but just knowing my dash cam is watching me has slowed me down from 62.5 MPH to 62.

[Roger]

Hi Lee. Those are interesting posts. I must admit that one reason I am back in a bus after going over to a plastic motorhome for a while is the safety factor, both in chassis systems and structure. Coming home from our Memorial Day trip in our motorhome this year we encountered a large 5th wheel toy hauler and pickup which had rolled several times on a steep grade on the freeway. The fiberglass skin had come off in one piece and the remainder of the trailer was literally nothing but a pile of broken sticks. The pickup was destroyed as well, and the occupants very badly hurt. Obviously its not fair to compare a big diesel motorhome to a fifth wheel trailer, but there are some structural similarities. A month later we traded in the RV for a bus. I don’t think my RV was unsafe, but I do think the bus is more safe.

Since you asked, I do have a couple of comments on your blog posts. One is that you might want to emphasize the importance of working CO, propane and smoke detectors in an RV, and perhaps installing additional units to supplement the ones that were installed by the manufacturer. I think every RV should have a CO and smoke detector in the bedroom even if there is one mid-ship.

The other thing I would mention is that many RV fires originate in the gas refrigerator. One manufacturer has gone through many recalls to install safety shutoff devices, but not all owners got the message. We encountered a burned out rig at Motorcoach Countryclub in Indio last fall with a perfect “norcold” shaped hole in the sidewall. Staying up with the recalls, and making sure the safety equipment is not defeated, is a big safety factor.

Have you ever taken a deposition in your bus? I have. I’m sure the stenographer still talks about it.

[Archived]

Explain your camera set up Jon and share pictures of it if you do not mind. It is something I have thought about doing myself.

DKO

[Roger]

DKO,

I have a dash cam mounted with a suction cup on the windshield and it points straight ahead so whatever happens in front of me is being recorded. The card only holds 15 to 30 minutes so it is constantly overwriting itself. I bought it on Amazon and it is no longer listed, probably being superceded by newer technology.

You can buy very sophisticated dash cams that allow you to not only download the video, but to also display data from Google maps as well as speed and sound. Some have all the features such as those installed on police cars so they are acceptable in court.

Mine is pretty basic but I don’t know if the lack of date codes or a GPS map renders it inadmissible.

A search of Amazon for “dash cams” or a google search will literally bring up hundreds of choices. One of our members has a sophisticated video cam that he has used as both a dash cam as well as a camera for a radio controlled plane. My point being having video proof is far better than trying to tell a cop the reason your bus ended up in the back seat of the car ahead was not because you were tailgating, but because the driver of the car you rear ended pulled 15 feet infront of your bumper and then spiked his brakes.

[Archived]

Bryan,

Thank you for your thoughts.

You comment about the toy hauler raises a particularly interesting point that I did not mention in the posts. One of the experts in the case was particularly concerned about the prevelance of toy haulers and the substantially exacerbated fire risk. Most of the toy haulers have no fire break between the hauling area and the sleeping quarters (usually only thin plywood). There is a reason fire codes for homes require fire breaks between garages and living quarters. The owners typically put gasoline in plastic containers with the toys and the risk of fire is scary in case of any mishap.

I also agree that leaving the back up camera on at all times moving is a good idea. Pilots will tell you about situational awareness. Anything which helps you anticipate or respond to yours or others potential mistakes can increase your chances of a safe trip.

Thanks again to both of you.