Van crash Geelong

barina · Guru

Van crash Geelong

Happywanderer · The Master

Marilyn Smith with two little dogs. Vic number plates. Is she one of our members on here. I know we do have some Marilyns. What a shame, just starting out on her long trip, thinks the van is a write off.

neilnruth · Guru

Can someone tell that journalist the difference between a campervan and a caravan? That's a big van for one lady and 2 dogs! Glad she was able to walk away. It's not a nice feeling - we've had it happen to us.

Happywanderer · The Master

Thats what I thought too. Campervan, what? Quite a big caravan actually .

Duh · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
I found this pic on a newsgroup this morning and thought it might be appropriate here, even though the lady wasn't speeding.

Thanks goodness thing have moved on in China since 1928, they may still be tough on lawbreakers but I doubt they would do that for speeders today....

Agree about the test JC or a course or something for big vans, truckies have to get a licence for trailers, it just doesn't make sense.

Mind you for every inexperienced caravan tow driver there are heaps that are competent ones (probably because some are ex truckies, lol).

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 02:47:40 PM

barina · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
Marilyn Smith with two little dogs. Vic number plates. Is she one of our members on here. I know we do have some Marilyns. What a shame, just starting out on her long trip, thinks the van is a write off.

I saw it on the news, and she was a bit shaken but quite ok and said maybe will delay her big trip for a while. Looked like a fairley new, big van and a large 4 wheel drive towing it. I think she was on her own, a great grandmother. I think she was quite lucky.

Duh · Guru

blaze wrote:
In one breath we bitch about overregulation (things like the competion policy affecting free camping) and in the next we talk about extra licences for caravans. Now come folks we cant have it both ways, I feel the licencing regs are about right, maybe some punishments need to be given by the courts toward max sentences. If you did the percentages of van accidents verus normal accidents I reckon the numbers will equal out about where they should be relation to pecentages.
cheers
blaze

It depends on what we are talking about blaze, on this one we'll have to disagree. Sometimes you get someone who has never towed a caravan in their life or had any experience in the caravan lifestyle, retire and get their super payout, buy the biggest and best caravan and tug they can and hit the road to fulfil that dream of travelling around Oz they've always talked about and everyone else seems to be doing without doing a bit of "training" first (read towing course or short shake down/learning trips etc).

We usually only hear about the serious accidents, there are many others caused by inexperience by some. It doesn't have to be a licence, maybe proof of having attended a caravan towing course on application for first registration of a caravan (new or transfer etc), doesn't have to be ongoing. I am thinking of two people I knew, one who had a jack knife rollover (not in the news) and the other who on his first trip with his van wiped the side off in a caravan park when he side-swiped a tree, not going fast either, just didn't allow for the cut in. That last one ended up selling his van after it was repaired, the incident made him lose confidence in his towing it.

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 05:34:35 PM

GaryKelly · Guru

No way I would be driving a tall vehicle in gusty conditions. I remember how my old VW Kombi got blown around by strong winds and that was bad enough.

neilnruth · Guru

I think we've all jumped to the conclusion that the accident was her fault. When we were jackknifed by a caravan, it was the faulty brakes on a hire caravan that caused the accident. I think we've also assumed that the lady in the accident had 'no' experience to tow such a large van. But surely, we don't know that. She may have been a truck driver in a former life and felt very much at home behind the wheel pulling the caravan. Only last week we saw a very experenced caravanner, ex-truckie, pull his dual axle van too close to a barrier and his wheel hit it hard enough to move the axle back. So, who are we to say that this lady had no experience and didn't know what she was doing? My only comment was that it was a big van for one lady and 2 dogs.

-- Edited by neilnruth on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 08:30:33 PM

justcruisin01 · Guru

It would make you ask how much experience did she have in towing a van of that size.

It brings home the same old problem, any one with a car lience can hook up size van with no experience & take off.

Its long over due for some regulation & lience endorsement after some education has been accomplished.

JC

herbie · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
No way I would be driving a tall vehicle in gusty conditions. I remember how my old VW Kombi got blown around by strong winds and that was bad enough.

I remember my VW doing the same thing and the surf boards on top almost flipping backwards,but gee how i wish i still had my split wind screen sin bin.Went all over the country in the old girl as it was called by me and my mates.Never needed much any high tec maintance to keep her going,just fuel was about all i remember spending any money on to get from point A to point B.I don't even remember putting new tyers on, but then again i always say tyers back then lasted longer than they do to day.

GaryKelly · Guru

I found this pic on a newsgroup this morning and thought it might be appropriate here, even though the lady wasn't speeding.

Sheba · Guru

I believe the original news article said the 'van Fish-tailed due to strong winds, thus causing the crash.

There have been other accidents lately, caused by strong winds. One of the recent ones was in the NT.

Have to agree with everything JC has stated. One of the reasons I have a Campervan, is the fact that I would never feel confident enough to tow a 'van, let alone reverse park etc. I know my limitations.

Cheers,

Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 09:31:45 PM

herbie · Guru

Agree in what you are saying. Even have to hold a differnt class licence to drive some of the coaster motor home busess.

blaze · Guru

In one breath we bitch about overregulation (things like the competion policy affecting free camping) and in the next we talk about extra licences for caravans. Now come folks we cant have it both ways, I feel the licencing regs are about right, maybe some punishments need to be given by the courts toward max sentences. If you did the percentages of van accidents verus normal accidents I reckon the numbers will equal out about where they should be relation to pecentages.
cheers
blaze

dazren · Guru

Blaze wrote, [ in part ]

In one breath we bitch about overregulation (things like the competion policy affecting free camping) and in the next we talk about extra licences for caravans. Now come folks we cant have it both ways, I feel the licencing regs are about right,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I see where your coming from Blaze, However on this issue I agree with JC, being able to hook up a 3 ton van with a large 4WD in your middle to late age years, with NO experience at all in the past should not be allowed without some type of competency test ??? there's a lot more to it then driving a Toyota Corrolla to work every day for 40 years and thinking '' I'm a good driver I can do this ""

I do agree we are over regulated ??? HOWEVER there are a lot of things we ''should not'' be regulated on, and there are still some area's that DO NEED to be regulated, and imho, Towing any combined rig with a trailer exceeding 1TONNE should be regulated ?? in some form or manner

blaze · Guru

I dont disagreee that some people need instruction but I maintain that its not the job of regulators, most likely could already be policed under some exsisting law. Greed greed and more greed is the problem. REmember in years past if you bought a boat, caravan or just about anything the sales person was comptat and jou were given instruction on its use, now its about how many we can get out the door on any given daycheers
blaze

blaze · Guru

Duh wrote:
blaze wrote:
In one breath we bitch about overregulation (things like the competion policy affecting free camping) and in the next we talk about extra licences for caravans. Now come folks we cant have it both ways, I feel the licencing regs are about right, maybe some punishments need to be given by the courts toward max sentences. If you did the percentages of van accidents verus normal accidents I reckon the numbers will equal out about where they should be relation to pecentages.
cheers
blaze
It depends on what we are talking about blaze, on this one we'll have to disagree. Sometimes you get someone who has never towed a caravan in their life or had any experience in the caravan lifestyle, retire and get their super payout, buy the biggest and best caravan and tug they can and hit the road to fulfil that dream of travelling around Oz they've always talked about and everyone else seems to be doing without doing a bit of "training" first (read towing course or short shake down/learning trips etc).
We usually only hear about the serious accidents, there are many others caused by inexperience by some. It doesn't have to be a licence, maybe proof of having attended a caravan towing course on application for first registration of a caravan (new or transfer etc), doesn't have to be ongoing. I am thinking of two people I knew, one who had a jack knife rollover (not in the news) and the other who on his first trip with his van wiped the side off in a caravan park when he side-swiped a tree, not going fast either, just didn't allow for the cut in. That last one ended up selling his van after it was repaired, the incident made him lose confidence in his towing it.

Hi Vic
the percentage of unreported car incidents would be far greater
cheers
blaze

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 2nd of March 2013 05:34:35 PM

GaryKelly · Guru

Reminds me of the stories when cars were something new, and licenses were unheard of. The job of teaching someone how to drive was left to car salesmen. Learners did things like pull on the steering wheel to stop the thing (as they did with reins), and ignore the steering wheel when approaching corners because they were used to the horse knowing the way. Hehe.

pricey43 · Guru

The spot where this happened can get like a wind tunnel and does have a windsock and warning signs up. That being said, it wasn't an overly windy day in Geelong that day.

Maybe she needed more weight in her van. biggrin biggrin biggrin

Happywanderer · The Master

Oh, Im going back to read the full thread NeilnRuth, I missed a few posts.

justcruisin01 · Guru

Its not just the accident thing , this can happen to anyone at any time, even the experienced.

The inability of so many people to just park a van, so many are just hoples, watch them in & out of a servo,their position on the road, they are a disaster waiting to happen .

These days we have to be licenced, qualified, operators ticket, expericenced, you name it just to scratch you butt, execpt for towing.

Yes, all over the years we have worked in jobs of all kinds & didnt need these requirements, try now to get a job without a ticket. Fourty years of experience means nothing if you dont have that bit of paper.

I agree to many things are over regulated & becomes a joke. A good example of this is in the tow truck industy, have to apply for a ticket with references etc.

this only allows you to operate as a tow person, you still have to have a truck licience which is not relevent in the application for the ticket. Now the stupid bit is anyone with a truck can load anything that is appropriate to load regulations, even farmers can load their tractors, machinery & their private cars & transport them . When it comes to loading a breakdown &/or wreck its a totaly different game, need a operators ticket .

Happywanderer · The Master

Me too Sheba. I wouldn't even tow a trailer so know my limitations too.

Duh · Guru

blaze wrote:

Hi Vic

the percentage of unreported car incidents would be far greater

cheers

blaze

True blaze, but the percentage of those driving cars is much greater than the percentage towing caravans also so you would expect a higher percentage of unreported car incidents.....