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Old 08-20-2018, 12:29 PM   #127
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I was trained for several weeks by the Los Angeles area RTD (Bus lines) before they let me get out on the street with a coach. What kind of training does the average Class A purchaser get? I'm surprised at how well we are all doing. If you feel unsafe driving a large strange vehicle you probably are. Get a boot camp, go to a rally, seek some training. You could take a lot of people with you if you mess up in traffic.
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:44 PM   #128
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winnebago has a test track, and does both drop and crash test on their coaches. they do extensive testing and i believe they are a leader in rv safety. im predjudice. we do own winnebago stock.
they build a steel cage around the drivers cabin area. as well as have either an aluminum or steel framing for the rest of the coach.
i have rebuilt both winnebago and itasca coaches after frontal crashes, as well as other framework problems.
.unless its a total head on with a concrete pier, or a semi, the damage usually occurs below the occupants in the front. that said, there are instances where nothing helps. speed and inattention have a lot to do with most crashes.

i have worked on winnebagos, and other brands since 1967. back when they were wood framed.
my wife and i owned part of a winnebago dealership from 1978 to 1998 and i ran the service dept from 1973 to 1998.
after having first hand knowledge of how winnebago constructs their coaches, i do feel reasonably safe.

just look out for the drivers, the other one and you.
btw, i dont know of any motorhome that doesnt have a steel cage around the drivers areas anymore.
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:54 PM   #129
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bahamaniac View Post
I've been hit in a small car several times from people running a red light. So having a huge Class A motorhome around me does make me feel safer!

That's really unlucky.
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Old 08-20-2018, 02:29 PM   #130
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I've never seen a Tour Bus Driver survive a head on collision
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Old 08-20-2018, 02:39 PM   #131
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I feel safe.

I was going 60 miles per hour when a F250 turned left in front of me and I T-boned the truck and then we slid through a ditch. My wife had some minor pain to her knee and foot I suffer no injuries. My son that was laying on the couch seat-belted in had no injuries also. After the crash the driver's door would still open, the side door wouldn't open , the bed was busted completely loose from the RV. It don't think anything hitting a pole that size would do very well. Before this crash I was worried about the safety but not So Much Anymore. Our new RV seems to be built a little more solid up front than this one so I'm a little more confident with it.
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Old 08-20-2018, 04:57 PM   #132
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I was going 60 miles per hour when a F250 turned left in front of me and I T-boned the truck and then we slid through a ditch. My wife had some minor pain to her knee and foot I suffer no injuries. My son that was laying on the couch seat-belted in had no injuries also. After the crash the driver's door would still open, the side door wouldn't open , the bed was busted completely loose from the RV. It don't think anything hitting a pole that size would do very well. Before this crash I was worried about the safety but not So Much Anymore. Our new RV seems to be built a little more solid up front than this one so I'm a little more confident with it.
Thank goodness you were not seriously hurt. thanks for the pics. You were very blessed
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Old 08-20-2018, 07:08 PM   #133
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Fatalities in motorhome passenger are very rare averaging less than 10 a year.

I also looked at news reports that I had not seen before. In one accident, a pickup crossed the center line and hit the Class C head on. Both drivers were killed. Both truck and MH disintegrated.

In a second accident a Class A blew a drive and went down a bridge embankment on the interstate and caught fire. A man and his 25 year old son on the way to the races were killed.

A third accident was a little strange. A very nice Class A driven by a man in his 80s with his wife in the passenger seat appeared to be undamaged. Except for the section of heavy decorative fencing sticking out of the windshield.

Nobody should feel safe on the highway. It is the most dangerous place outside a war zone. It doesn't matter what you are driving. Alcohol is a factor in 28% of fatalities. So be afraid.

Last week there was a fatal head on collision on a new section of I-15 that bypasses Boulder City and Hoover Dam. I had just driven that section the day before.

One driver made a u-turn for an unknown reason. My son postulated that a GPS would not recognize the new section of road and said ‘make a u-turn’.
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Old 08-21-2018, 06:19 AM   #134
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I don't have enough of the facts to weigh in fully, but I think even if I was driving our full size truck, the pole still would won.
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Old 08-21-2018, 11:20 AM   #135
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azpete View Post
winnebago has a test track, and does both drop and crash test on their coaches. they do extensive testing and i believe they are a leader in rv safety. im predjudice. we do own winnebago stock.
they build a steel cage around the drivers cabin area. as well as have either an aluminum or steel framing for the rest of the coach.
i have rebuilt both winnebago and itasca coaches after frontal crashes, as well as other framework problems.
.unless its a total head on with a concrete pier, or a semi, the damage usually occurs below the occupants in the front. that said, there are instances where nothing helps. speed and inattention have a lot to do with most crashes.

i have worked on winnebagos, and other brands since 1967. back when they were wood framed.
my wife and i owned part of a winnebago dealership from 1978 to 1998 and i ran the service dept from 1973 to 1998.
after having first hand knowledge of how winnebago constructs their coaches, i do feel reasonably safe.

just look out for the drivers, the other one and you.
btw, i dont know of any motorhome that doesnt have a steel cage around the drivers areas anymore.
If Winnebagos are built so good, WHY have I read in different forums about the poor engineering of the roof? I have read many articles where the roofs start peeling off from the front cap?
Did they ever fix that problem?
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Old 08-21-2018, 07:30 PM   #136
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Yes, I feel very safe. I see Smart Cars driving around. THAT looks scary. I feel safer in the driver's seat of my class A than I do is the saddle of my motorcycle.
My thoughts exactly. 10+ tons is a lot of weight. My biggest fear is if some chucklehead cuts me off or pulls out in front of me. Our rig doest stop on a dime!
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Old 08-21-2018, 08:14 PM   #137
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When the laws changed in states on the length of semi and trailer, the CabOver semi died. Why? Because no one wanted to get in a crash in a cab over. My little WGO View G has front airbags. Not as safe as a super C, but better than a Class A with a generator up front. If you get in a front end, you well go over most cars. In Oregon last week a SUV crossed over the line and killed two women and their kids.
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Old 08-26-2018, 08:15 AM   #138
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Originally Posted by GREGORYJ View Post
But TonyMac, Smart Car may look scary but get very high safety ratings in crash tests, Five Stars from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-o...t-cars-1203807
They are 5 star safety if they run into another smart car, if a dodge truck hits it, your dead. Common sense. Which vehicle would you rather be in in an accident. Insurance more interested in money to repair.
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Old 08-26-2018, 10:00 AM   #139
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Originally Posted by bluemoontwd View Post
They are 5 star safety if they run into another smart car, if a dodge truck hits it, your dead. Common sense. Which vehicle would you rather be in in an accident. Insurance more interested in money to repair.
Many times I have heard this. But I have seen little cars hit, and knocked some distance from the impact. Then people climb out of the little beaten egg. And what do you think costs insurance more, replacing a Smart car, or your passenger's hospital bill from breaking the truck windshield with her face?
And something to think about in your MH; Sure, when you hit the car the impact will be below you. But if that car stops you everything including the kitchen sink may be slapping you in the back of your head.
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Old 08-26-2018, 10:34 PM   #140
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On a related note: I see more and more DP being built with a kitchen table and chairs. How is this possible without them bolted down? They become projectiles that can kill.
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