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micd · 05-28-2011, 11:59 AM

My scariest time driving our RV was in Yellowstone where almost every widebody RV coming the opposite direction was over the yellow line. I hugged my right white line as close as I could, hung on and prayed as each went passed. I guess they just figured they had mass on their side and everyone else could just get out of the way.

Some of the pick-up trucks and other vehicles were flying around the curves so fast they couldn't stay on their side of the road either.

My other close call was also in Yellowstone when I was backing the RV into a spot. I judged I had another 7 ft to go but decided to get out and look to make sure. Thank goodness I did otherwise I would have backed the rear wheels right over the back of the cliff. The overhand was all ready over the cliff when I looked. We got a back-up camera as soon as we got home.

Meandering Retiree · 05-28-2011, 07:41 PM

Driving through a construction zone in Knoxville, TN when a guy cuts me off and I had to ride the brakes to keep from hitting him....everything in the coach moved forward, and I missed him....evidently he thought (or maybe didn't think at all) that I could stop on a dime.

chasfm11 · 05-29-2011, 10:03 PM

We were Route 322 in NC and heading East, having exited I-81 about a half an hour before. The road was scenic but twisty. We were on the inside of curve and heading slight up hill to our righ when suddenly there was an 18 wheeler barreling down and HALF WAY INTO OUR LANE!. All I could do was throw the wheel hard to the right and pray. I braced for the impact but there was none. Between my sharp turn (the inside curve was in our favor) and his recovery, we missed by inches. I was afraid that I would have wagged my tail out into his path because of how hard I turned.

It wasn't over. Now I was off the road and the shoulder. Along side the road were solid rock walls. I slammed the fuel pedal to the floor and twisted the wheel in the opposite direction. We hit but fortunately not hard and all we caught was the leafy covering on the wall. There was a gas station about 200 yards ahead where I could pull off and assess things. I was relieved to find no damage.

The rest of the way on that road, I sounded my airhorn before going into an uphill curve.

RickO · 05-29-2011, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by micd

My scariest time driving our RV was in Yellowstone where almost every widebody RV coming the opposite direction was over the yellow line. I hugged my right white line as close as I could, hung on and prayed as each went passed. I guess they just figured they had mass on their side and everyone else could just get out of the way.

.

I'll be half of them said "CRUISEAMERICA RENTAL" on them!

Rick

clarkgriswold · 05-30-2011, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norm4015

We got her in the motorhome and my wife (retired register nurse) checked her over and found she was OK - just small cuts and bruises. About 15 minutes after the accident we saw her husband coming down the interstate at 100 mph. He had ridden several miles before realizing his wife was not behind him.

That is the closest I have come to killing someone.

Was the motorcycle rider already up and around when you got out of the motorhome? Just curious because I know you surely wouldn't have moved her otherwise - considering your wife is a former nurse.

micd · 05-30-2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO

I'll be half of them said "CRUISEAMERICA RENTAL" on them!

Rick

I hate to say it but I breathed a sigh of relief when it was a nice small CruiseAmerica C. They seemed to be cautious enough to not speed and tended to stay on their side of the road. The big Class A's were the scariest. If they were on their side I knew I was on my side so it was OK even though they pretty much took up their entire lane. It was when they were on my side, coming straight at me that I worried. The pick-up trucks and SUVs that couldn't hang onto the curves and went over the line were a bit scary also but they generally had more room to maneuver back into their own lane.

I was pretty surprised at the driving since Yellowstone specifically state that folks should go slow to avoid hitting animals who could be crossing when they come around blind curves. There is basically no shoulder so not alot of emergency maneuver room. In addition we were enjoying the scenery and not racing to a destination whereas other people obviously had places to be and they were late getting to them.

fansill · 05-30-2011, 11:15 AM

A number of years ago in our previous 38 foot gasser. Hubby finally thought that I could drive and we were heading home on Route 93 in New Hampshire. I felt pretty comfortable because after all, it was a straight, wide highway. I was in the far right lane because the old gasser could not do much over 50 on the hills and all of a sudden out of nowhere, a little sports car in the left lane decides that it wants to take the exit that I am passing. Rather than slow down and take it behind me, they speed up and try to get in front of me. I can't slow down quickly enough,, so I am forced to brake hard to avoid a collision and the only place to go is the exit ramp. I take the exit at a higher rate of speed than I am comfortable with... gripping the wheel and gritting my teeth. I fully expected the RV to flip sideways, but I somehow manage to make it around the curvy exit ramp with all 10 wheels on the ground. The two young girls in the little sports car leaned on the horn and gave me a one-finger salute as they passed me on the highway because they were unable to take the exit.

As soon as I could I pulled into a rest area, stopped the coach, and sat there and cried my eyes out. But I refused to let my husband drive the rest of the way home. I needed to "get back on that horse". By the way...he praised my defensive driving skills that day. I think that was the last time he praised my driving though....LOL!!!

Faith

chief02 · 05-30-2011, 11:57 AM

Aim high on the road, look ten seconds ahead for trouble, scan mirrors every 5-8 seconds, anticipate trouble, have an out, one second behind vehicle in front of you for every 10 miles per our, 2 second delay from the vehicle in front of you when starting from a stop, off the gas and hover over the brake when approaching lights or intersections, ANTICIAPTE TROUBLE! Just saying...

scenic route · 05-30-2011, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chief02

Aim high on the road, look ten seconds ahead for trouble, scan mirrors every 5-8 seconds, anticipate trouble, have an out, one second behind vehicle in front of you for every 10 miles per our, 2 second delay from the vehicle in front of you when starting from a stop, off the gas and hover over the brake when approaching lights or intersections, ANTICIAPTE TROUBLE! Just saying...

Very good advice there chief02...but sometimes, extreme stupidity will overcome caution.

Bob

wildtoad · 05-30-2011, 05:29 PM

Back in 2003 we were heading east (I forget which interstate) but the west bound lanes were about twenty feet higher than the east bound. Everything was going along fine when a large SUV decided to dive down the embankment heading our way. Fortunately for us he missed us by no more than 20 feet behind us. Could have been real bad...

dmsatori · 05-30-2011, 07:21 PM

On our way home from the keys last nov. a tahoe crossed the center line and all we could do was watch it happen. It was our lucky day, we walked away from it with only bruises. Even the dogs were ok. Then we found out we were hit from behind also. The jeep was shoved up in the back of the motorhome. I think the spartan chassis saved us. We just got the motorhome back and it looks great. Thanks to Creative Coach we are on the road again.

NITEHAWK · 05-30-2011, 07:46 PM

We were on our way home from camping with our class C that we had committed to a trade the next day. Raining hard, divided highway, center barrier beginning about 300 yarda ahead. Watched a Ford F-250 come at us rolling over side to side three times and ending up with the truck box halfway in the inside lane in front of us> I'm saying to myself:"Oh NO, not now!!!." We cleared the tailgate by a hair!

NITEHAWK · 05-30-2011, 07:57 PM

2nd time: Coming home from wintering in Texas, taking the "scenic" route thru the mountains while towing our Geo Tracker We were coasting downhill around a curve (about 65MPH) when suddenly a long backup of vehicles appeared on the two lane highway with deep ditches on both sides. I stood on the brake pedal with both feet, thought I was going to have to go in the ditch but ended up stopping about a foot behind the car in front. Their eyes were huge!! My shorts were slippery.
While sitting there two cars stopped behind me, then a logging truck with(fortunately) a small load came around the curve and had even less time to react than I did. He hit the brakes, smoked the tires and then slid along the shoulder past the two cars and halfway alongside our 36" coach. I bet the state patrol at the bottom of the hill could hear the both of us letting out our breath and cussing them out for not having someone back up around the curve stopping vehicles.

Eric_H_E · 05-30-2011, 08:02 PM

not and rv close call but, driving home from work KY245 2 lane country road. Not really curvy, early early morning 3 or 4. First snow of the year. get the idea. I come around a bend in the road and see headlights in the woods. Man had run off the road into the trees. I pull over and stop, he is ok, has to crawl out the back door of his 4 door car. get him in my truck check my mirror and bang. An 18 wheeler and a nother small pu hit head on right next to me. Would you beleave there was an ambelance behind the 18 wheeler. missed us compleately. Drove the man home