Community Forums

Mike Canter · 06-17-2011, 07:51 AM

Just for friendly discussion here. I believe by now that we have all read Billsmax post on this forum where his wife had a blowout at 60 mph on their 2009 Monaco 45' Signature.
See http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/fron...ens-94852.html

By now we all know that Bills wife did everything correctly as shown in the Michelin Tire Video. Mrs Bill pushed down the accelerator and maintained control and then slowed down and pulled over. I think what is interesting is that Bill's 132 lb wife (Bill's admission) controlled a ~ 48,000 lb MH WITHOUT any aftermarket safety steering system.

The question is if the length of the MH and the tag axle that allows for more stability during a front tire blowout and a aftermarket steering device is not needed OR was it because Mrs. Bill followed the procedure in the Michelin Safety Video and or an aftermarket steering device was not needed.

One of our biggest fears driving down the road is to have a front tire just come apart like what happened on Bill's Signature. Just maybe if you don't slam on the brakes and don't panic and you hit the accelerator and maintain control it is not as bad as what we have thought. If you watch that Michelin video they are blowing that front tire apart time and time again and yet the driver maintains control IF HE DOESN'T HIT THE BRAKES in a panic.

The problem is or luck is that this is fairly rare on a well maintained MH so we don't get a chance to practice the emergency procedures much. Kinda like an ejection seat on a fighter jet. You just don't punch out for practice. Or landing a commercial jet on a river with no engines working.

So the question is are all these aftermarket steering safety devices required or are these companies praying on our fears and making money. The other question is do they work? If you consider the reverse leverage advantage in the steering system of a MH it would take a lot of force to knock that steering wheel out of your hands or not allow you to apply enough force to still turn the wheels. Is that steering safety device going to do you any good if you panic and hit the brakes and cause that blown front tire/wheel to dig into the road and turn that MH sideways and flip it?

wa8yxm · 06-17-2011, 09:08 AM

If you are asking an opinion as to was it the length of the vehicle or the Wife's Driving skills.

Buy the Wife a very nice dinner.

RickO · 06-17-2011, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

So the question is are all these aftermarket steering safety devices required or are these companies praying on our fears and making money. The other question is do they work??

I don't see it as a choice between only those two options. I would think that they aren't "required" if driving skills are such that we're confident we'll react properly in an emergency.... but, as you point out, we don't practice those things so who really knows?

Your second question is a good one that I've often wondered about. I can only remember seeing one post from someone who had a steering device and a front blow out. As I recall the report was "it worked great and I just pulled to the side of the road". Sure would like to hear more reports.

Rick

YC1 · 06-17-2011, 11:06 AM

I bought mine to take the final little drift out of the steering. After an expensive alignment, ride height adjustment etc. I wanted even more control. Sad to have to add parts to an expensive MH. I may go for sway bars too because I plan on living in this one and traveling a lot. The stock shocks seem just fine. I will upgrade those when these wear out. I only have 11k miles on it. The ride height adjustment really helped.

radams · 06-17-2011, 12:41 PM

In addition to what Mike is talking about I've always wondered if those steering devices would impede my infamous giant slalom moves while I try to evade the road alligators.

Mike Canter · 06-17-2011, 02:56 PM

It is my opinion that IF you have an aftermarket safety decive on the steering and have a front blowout and you panic and hit the brakes hard then you are still going to be in trouble. The only thing that the steering safety device is designed to do is to stop the steering wheel from being jerked around and maybe out of your hands at the moment the tire blows. It is going to do nothing for you if you panic and hit the brakes and that tire that is blown is not going to apply stopping traction to the road because there is no tread there and the other good tire is applying full braking. The MH is going to turn sideways and you are going to be in danger of flipping and rolling. I think that these devices are giving people a false sense of security.

wa8yxm · 06-17-2011, 04:03 PM

Regarding after market stearing devices like the Blue Ox True-Center (Which I have) or Safe-T-Steer or ... List of others.

They help, However in the story referenced, as I said, Buy the driver a very nice dinner because though they help, It was the DRIVER who maintained control..

Most folks when a tire blows, epically a front.. They panic and stand on the brakes with both feet.. #1 on the list of thigns you should not do I might add is Panic, #2 is stand on the brakes with both feet,, What's #3... Roll over and die, and yes thta's what comes nnext.

But she did everything right.

The most a stabilizer can do is HELP it gives you a bit more "Muscle" as it were. And it does it in two ways.

First, when you wish to turn you need to use a bit more force,, This strengthens your arms and literally gives you more muscle. 2nd when you DO NOT want to turn, it helps to hold it steady.. How much, To be honest, not much, But it helps.

What they are real good at is going straight down the road.

beejay25 · 06-17-2011, 05:38 PM

If you ever have a left front blowout at 70 MPH(Legal Speed) with one hand on the wheel and one hand holding a soft drink you would know why I have a Safe-T-Steer on my motorhome. Loud bomb sound, left front fell down, heard tire flopping on road and streering wheel never moved! Foot off go pedal, cruise off, exhaust brake slowing and pulled off road at 10 MPH. YMMV

Triker56 · 06-17-2011, 06:04 PM

I have the Safe-T-Steer on my DP.
I had a right front blow out around 60 MPH.
MH went straight as could be. But I did the Michelin thing of giving it some fuel after the big bang.

So was it the Safe-T-Steer or following the Michelin video that helped?
I have no idea, but I was glad I didn't have any damage to the MH from the tire that wrapped around the backside of the rim.

Billieg · 06-17-2011, 06:18 PM

In all my years and miles of driving a tractor trailer over the road I never had a front blow out. I lost a friend that did and saw many more. I have a Steer Safe on my rig, first thing I did to it. I want to be in the same category as the 2 previous posters if it ever happens and $300 is worth the piece of mind.

moisheh · 06-17-2011, 08:11 PM

WE blew a right front tire on our Bluebird while maneuvering a curve in Mexico. No real shoulder and a sharp drop off to nothing but huge rocks. One year previous I had a Steer Safe installed @ Q. That tire did not blow. It exploded. I started on the brakes but quickly took my foot off. The MH wanted to do a hard right. 2 things saved us: The Steer Safe and the huge bus wheel on a Bluebird. Gave me the mechanical advantage to hold it on the road. It was a mess. Remember this is an all steel unit built like a tank. THere are 2 wheel wells both steel with insulation between them. The inner one is part of the structure and it was fine. The outer one was mangled by the tire. I did not have any baling wire but found a ranch fence made of barb wire and cut off enough to wire up the wheel well The air brake hose was cut but still held air. I carry an unmounted spare so was back on the road in 3 hours. My wife was in shock. My tires were GY's and almost 8 years old. MY FAULT! If that had been any plastic MH the damage would have been in the thousands. I was able to remove the wheel well and straighten it. As soon as we are near Deming I will have a Steer Safe installed on our Monaco

Mike Canter · 06-17-2011, 08:26 PM

Moisheh, you backed up exactly what i thought. In your Bluebird with a Steer Safe installed when you hit the brakes after the tire exploded the coach was still going to turn. If you had kept on the brakes you would have lost control even with the Steer Safe. I am afraid it gives people a false sense of security and without knowing what to do such as described in the Michelin video you are still going to be in a world of trouble.

Billieg · 06-17-2011, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Moisheh, you backed up exactly what i thought. In your Bluebird with a Steer Safe installed when you hit the brakes after the tire exploded the coach was still going to turn. If you had kept on the brakes you would have lost control even with the Steer Safe. I am afraid it gives people a false sense of security and without knowing what to do such as described in the Michelin video you are still going to be in a world of trouble.

I understand what you are saying and it is a valid point. There is a very good reason why most major trucking companies put these units on their rigs though. 400 lbs of pressure helping to keep the rig straight is a major help anyway you look at it.

On the opposite side, Not all blow outs are the same so with a Steer Safe or other unit your chances of going down will be less than if you didn't have one even if you hit the brakes.

It's a lot like buying a gun and feeling safe without ever firing it or having any training. It may scare someone off but you would be much better off getting an education on how to use it first or you could wind up dead.

Maybe manufactures like Steer Safe and Safety Steer should include the video or a link to it to help fully educate their buyers. Good people like you on forums like this really help with this issue too. Maybe this thread will save a life

moisheh · 06-18-2011, 05:41 AM

I know of no major trucking company that uses these devices. Do you have the names of some fleets? Mike has made some very valid points. For most of us driving is almost robotic. Of course we watch for other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. but out reactions are always the same. With a blow out one has to do just the opposite. That is a difficult thing to learn from a video or a book. I was fortunate to be able to practice the procedure without an accident! Instinct will always have you hitting the breaks quickly. Maybe having a steering device will keep you on the road long enough to lift your foot off the brakes. Our units are an accident waiting to happen. High centre of gravity and very heavy. I would bet that more than 50% of MH drivers had never driven anything larger than the family van. I also wonder how many MH's are running around with ancient tires??