School bus rollover lessons for us all

[FL420]

https://www.today.com/video/frighten...ns-78606917835
I hope this will convince everyone who sees it to not allow anyone to be unrestrained in an RV while it's moving. The driver who was restrained by a combination seat belt and shoulder harness was probably the only occupant who was uninjured. Broken arms and legs and worse are very common in rollovers.
School bus sides and roofs are much stronger than all but the most expensive Class A's which have steel framing in the sides and roofs. Less expensive Class A's have substituted aluminum framing for steel framing behind the front seats to allow more heavy bling in the kitchens and showers.
There is a saying among many ethically challenged home builders to the effect that you should spend more of your budget on bling the customers can see and less on the things they can't see like framing and plumbing. It's obvious to me that many RV manufacturers also believe in that policy.

[Roy-c]

An RV is not subject to any of the strict regulations that a school bus is. If you roll one over it will collapse like a house of cards. The only exceptions are the very expensive ones that are built using a true bus as a base vehicle. Don't take my word for it. Look up RV crashes on the internet. As long as people are lined up to buy them and the DOT doesn't enact safety regulations the manufacturers have no reason to make them safer, only to add bling so they can sell more and maximize profits. You see cars undergoing safety test all the time and that is a selling point. when have you seen safety as a sales point on an RV?
Just my honest opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it.
PS we have a Bluebird Wanderlodge, all steel body and built like a tank just for that reason.

[FL420]

Originally Posted by Roy-c

PS we have a Bluebird Wanderlodge, all steel body and built like a tank just for that reason.

Smart man.
I was very interested in buying a beautiful 1996 Vogue Prima Vista primarily for that reason. Unfortunately it had hidden water damage from the front AC draining off the roof around the front windows into the sidewalls. It also almost killed us on the test drive in freeway rush hour traffic when I discovered the hard way the turbo was inop. Besides, the CEO didn't like the lack of space around the queen bed for her to make it easily.
If I could find a coach with the room that slides give you I would pass on granite countertops, a tile backsplash, tile kitchen floor and tiled shower stall in exchange for steel side and gusseted roof framing and two emergency exit hatches in the roof. Note in the video how quickly and easily the passengers exited through the roof hatches. I would not recommend going out head first as some of them did though. The center of the hatches were 4 feet off the ground.

[airshot]

If I were to live my life worrying about what "might" harm me, I would never leave my home! I would never drive my car, motorhome or my boat. I would have to sell my 4 wheeler then crawl into a hole and live scared to death. I live each day to the fullest, take reasonable precautions, and dont worry about what I cant control.

[FL420]

Originally Posted by airshot

If I were to live my life worrying about what "might" harm me, I would never leave my home! I would never drive my car, motorhome or my boat. I would have to sell my 4 wheeler then crawl into a hole and live scared to death. I live each day to the fullest, take reasonable precautions, and dont worry about what I cant control.

May I have all your toys when you're gone?

[Persistent]

Originally Posted by airshot

If I were to live my life worrying about what "might" harm me, I would never leave my home! I would never drive my car, motorhome or my boat. I would have to sell my 4 wheeler then crawl into a hole and live scared to death. I live each day to the fullest, take reasonable precautions, and dont worry about what I cant control.

In this case, reasonable precautions include 3 point seat belt for RV as well as buss passengers.