I would NEVER accept the advise that it is OK to pass from anyone else nor would I provide that advise to anyone else.
Any trucky or anyone else who provides such information is going to be legally responsible if something or anything goes wrong.
You must take full responsibility yourself.

Cheers,
Peter

I was between Norsman and Kal when I over took a road train OMG
it took forever and it's not fun as it kept me on the other side of the road too long
also it seemed like the truck driver speed up
so I never thought I'd get around him
so from now on when I'm in the West it will be best to wait
cheers Harry

What sort off idiot would even consider overtaking a road train while towing a caravan?

Overtaking road trains can be done safely it depends entirely on the circumstances, just a tip when you receive help from a truckie give them the thank you signal.

.....my biggest concern when overtaking anything when I'm towing the van is, what are the edges of the road like as I possibly get pushed further over by the vehicle I'm overtaking...

Most of us would have experienced that feeling of hitting the rough outer edge causing movement/sway in your van..and no matter how careful you are...you have no control on the idiocy of the driver you are overtaking....for that reason I rarely overtake unless the vehicle in front is slowing down dramatically in front of me..as so many do without apparent reason......

On the last crossing East to West, of the Nullabor and on a very straight stretch on W.A. side I had a vehicle towing a van slow down dramatically in front of me and his van started to shimmy/wobble.......we had both been doing 90 kmh....no other vehicles in sight...I had to pull out/around to pass, and hit a Dingo that was crossing/running from right to left...hit him mid centre of my bull bar....thud!.......I then pulled over to the left with indicator on to slow down to check damage....and the idiot who had been in centre/front then went round me in the same manoeuvre and took off at speed and must have seen me hit the Dingo.....I was worried about checking any damage to radiator....wifey was worried if the bloooody dingo was a mummy who was going to 'check' on her babies....never did see the Dingo again.... which was better than if it had died on the road......must have limped into the treed area on side of road....I have no idea if the van in front suddenly slowed in the middle of the road because he had seen the dingo on the right..no time to call on radio....why he didn't pull to the left to slow down, with left indicator on, to show his movements is beyond me...

My point being: events can change so quickly beyond your expectations when you are lulled into a false sense of all remaining 'normal' as you sail along at 90kph on a seemingly safe straight stretch of road....I could easily have jack-knifed...the sides of the road were soft mud due to rain and probably why the idiot in front did not wish to exit the road..just slowing/pulling up whilst remaining in the road.......he had also been travelling at inconsistent speeds which meant I kept catching up to him when it was never my intention to be anywhere near him...

Being 'out there' will never be as safe as sitting at home in your comfortable leather recliner.....however I'll wager more folk actually die/pass away in their leather recliners........Hoo Roo

-- Edited by goldfinger on Saturday 4th of June 2016 10:26:26 AM

aussie_paul wrote:

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Peter_n_Margaret wrote:

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I would NEVER accept the advise that it is OK to pass from anyone else nor would I provide that advise to anyone else.
Any trucky or anyone else who provides such information is going to be legally responsible if something or anything goes wrong.
You must take full responsibility yourself.

Cheers,
Peter

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 The truckie would not be legally responsible in that case Peter.  As you say "You must take full responsibility yourself." I never trust anybody's advice and rarely trust Eril for info!!!

Aussie Paul. 

 

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Paul ....  I had to look at your profile to find that "Eril" is your other half.  In that case I agree.

Peter ...  Followed your link and enjoyed the outback photos that you have posted there.  Magic when you get there but off road is not for me.  But I can see/appreciate the attraction to those who are equipped to travel those places.  

Did lots of it in my youth but only saw the dust, dirt, heat & flies.  I was too young to stop to see the fantastic country.  I was only interested in the wildlife that I was hunting.

-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 4th of June 2016 11:39:26 AM

Can't see the sense in passing one cause when he gets up a head of steam he will pass me anyway.
Good thing about having nowhere to go and all the time to get there means saving five minutes on a trip wont be a killa.
Sit far enough behind them you can see their mirrors and save money on fuel.
Communication is the big thing, let the truckie know your aware he is there and when he wants to pass let him know you will ease off a bit and let him know when he is clear

How can anyone be certain the way is clear when towing a caravan, when something like a large dingo can bound out of the scrub straight into your path in seconds...as described above

post....if he had bounced upwards through my screen, rather than bounced sideways..things could have been dramatically different for us...I never assume anything....and try to drive

accordingly...I saw one of the very large steers that roam on the sides of the unfenced road North of Menzies W.A.....lying on its side, dead, among plenty of glass....I can only imagine the

damage it must have caused to truck or vehicle.....we all dance to the beat of our individual drums and wear the consequences......Hoo Roo

From my understanding. Towed vehicles have speed limit of 100 kph that same as road trains . Fixed and under 12 to. 110 kph speed limit . Going by GPS they are right on 100 kph . Why would you want to pass ?? Unless on hill etc ? Then bloody make sure he doesn't pass you, further down the road . What I find dangerous is people passing . But only 5 or so kph faster than your going . Like it's safer not to speed and overtake over 1000's meters on wrong side of the road . Or put your foot into it ., Pass then slow down . If you have to think about it ? Best just drop back take it easy., Think about the fuel your saving and just cruise 100 m or so behind . Leaving big enough gap for others to pass ., The Radio is your friend .. Us it . On open roads .,

Baz.
You got to remember that most of those rigs have from 450hp (older ones) to around 720hp.
with "legally" 103 tons on arse. Some with 4 drag permits, more.

No matter what they do, they take a long time to accelerate from or brake from average road speed
which is normally 92/3 ish.
But can slow down quicker than you think. Every trailer is fitted with brake capacity to suit it's individual load.

But jeez. it takes a looong while to wind up from a standing start, specially if any inclines about.
They can do around 140 though if governers (computers nowadays) tweeked.
First thing we used to do and two logs.

There's more females than you think doing it too. Same as mines on the dumpers.
More reliable. no testosterone. look after trucks better.