Crunch!

[johnhicks]

We're sitting here having our breakfast hotdogs at Blueberry Hill RVP. The front section of Blueberry Hill is a big mostly-paved pasture with hookups, about 150 sites. This time of year there only five or six of us.

Make note that in the summer Blueberry Hill does half-price for short stay, about $20 a night, right off I-95 and next door to Walmart.

Anyway, BOOM! and the MH jostles forward and back a couple of inches and Mom falls to her knees.

We rush outside and find that a nice-looking Fleetwood has become intimately acquainted with that big knuckle of our Roadmaster Falcon 2 towbar. As in punched a couple of holes in the Fleetwood's fiberglass front cap.

He backs up and the only damage we can find to the Barge is two broken taiillight lenses. The towbar is fine, the hitch is fine, the jacks are fine. The jacks didn't even move and dislodge the dirt on their pads. I do use 4x4s to back up the park brake.

The Fleetwood, not so good. The right front bumper area has two foot-long cracks where the towbar simply punched it in.

Note that I said there's about 150 sites and there was only five or six of us. I'm reminded of the perhaps apocryphal story of the two cars in Ohio.

Turns out that the gent and his wife had bought the Fleetwood MH brand-new in February. They went back to Lazydays a couple of months later to get something fixed, afterward he proceeded to back into a MH he couldn't see in a blinding rainstorm. There was no damage so everyone proceeded.

Today was the first stop on their first motorhome trip to visit relatives in Cincinatti.

He said he thought it was in Park and he was reaching for his glasses and too late. He just idled into my towbar.

He was really seriously shook up. He's around 70 or so, said he simply didn't/couldn't pay attention, and he was done.

So is this a guy who realizes he has no business behind the wheel of such a vehicle and is quitting before he kills someone, or is this a guy who is letting an "it happens" incident scare him off?

The wife wasn't near as shook up. I told her about the time the tree jumped behind me, and asked her to tell him.

I feel guilty for being in the way, but this little incident may prevent folks from getting killed.

[JoeH]

fwiw, I would really check your towbar closely.... may have damage that might compromise the safety of future towing.

[Mommalu]

The biggest problem with most U.S. drivers (can't speak for other countries) is few have been taught to use their mirrors.
One CAN NOT be a good driver if one doesn't use them, checking them often! Every 30 seconds to a minute. Situations can change rapidly, look, be aware, know what's around you.
The mirrors are the only way you can determine what is behind or beside you!
Only the mirrors can help determine if your centered in the lane. Only mirrors will tell you how close you are to street signs, fuel pumps, curbs or the trailer or motorhome behind you!
It's not rocket science, but it is a habit we must have to be a good, competent and safe driver!
Unfortunately many never realize the power of them. So sad.

Use those mirrors they will tell the story to keep us all safe.

[D_E_Bishop]

johnhicks wrote:
I think the guy's real problem was tremendous unfamiliarity with his vehicle. Going by what the wife said this may be the fourth time he actually drove it. Here in Florida there's no requirement for special training or license endorsement; there should be.

I shouldn't have written "guilty"; I feel bad for them. More than once I've forgotten the park brake. Now I take forever to make sure we're settled in and not rolling anywhere before getting up from the drivers seat.

X2

That is the purpose and benefit of having and using check lists and warning lights. A car salesman told the DW and me that his practice when stopping and getting out of a vehicle is to first, put trans in neutral, apply brake, remove foot from parking brake pedal and then put the trans in park.

To me the drivers comments indicated that he wasn't ready for owning and driving a motorhome. I can see where he is coming from and also sorry that he may not get to learn about and enjoy his rig.

[Mike_LeClair]

I, for one, instantly got your meaning when you said "guilty" as I try not to take things too literally and can relate to your metaphoric use of the word. More importantly, at least to me, is, who the heck eats hotdogs for breakfast????? EWWWWWW. I hope that the rest of your journey is uneventful. Get those lenses fixed and travel on!!!

Cheers!

Mike

[johnhicks]

I think the guy's real problem was tremendous unfamiliarity with his vehicle. Going by what the wife said this may be the fourth time he actually drove it. Here in Florida there's no requirement for special training or license endorsement; there should be.

I shouldn't have written "guilty"; I feel bad for them. More than once I've forgotten the park brake. Now I take forever to make sure we're settled in and not rolling anywhere before getting up from the drivers seat.

[rockhillmanor]

I feel guilty for being in the way, but this little incident may prevent folks from getting killed.

Just how were you in the way? :H

IMHO, JMHO it doesn't matter what 'age' the RV driver is, it's their 'ability' to drive period. Everyone is at fault if they hit another vehicle. Age is not an excuse.

I travel with several elderly senior citizens that can run circles around me with their skills maneuvering MH's and TT's.

I would seriously look over your tow bar it doesn't take much to make those out of line or malfunction when hit. Especially since it did so much damage to his coach the tow bar took a good punch.

And...I hope you made him pay for the tail light damage. :W

[azdryheat]

You feel guilty for something you had nothing to do with?

In DRIVE or not, he should have set the parking brake.

There's far too may people with money out there, with no driving skills, buying motorhomes and endangering everyone around them. Everyone buying a large RV should have to demonstrate an ability to drive it before they're allowed into public with it.

Aren't you glad that this crash didn't occur on an interstate where you were slowed in traffic with him barreling down on you at full speed?

I hope for our sake, and all the other people on the road, that he and others like him give up driving.