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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: NewbeeMC9 on December 10, 2008, 06:14:50 PM

Title: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: NewbeeMC9 on December 10, 2008, 06:14:50 PM
 :o

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gear-Bus-Racing_202909.htm (http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gear-Bus-Racing_202909.htm)
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Jeremy on December 11, 2008, 02:59:10 AM
That was one I hadn't seen before. The buses certainly held up better than the motorhomes did in the motorhome race

Jeremy
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: zimtok on December 11, 2008, 06:10:55 AM
You know I would have never thought the double decker would flip onto its side.... ::)

The single straight bus cam out on top because it was the perfect mixture of size, power, and maneuverability.



.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Songman on December 11, 2008, 06:16:09 AM
Gotta love Top Gear! Those guys have the ultimate job! We checked about attending the show the next time we are in London but the waiting list is loooong!

They do sorta prove what we always say about buses vs motorhomes.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Lee Bradley on December 11, 2008, 08:16:56 AM
Doesn't look like a roll cage is needed.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: RJ on December 11, 2008, 09:53:54 AM
Quote from: zimtok on December 11, 2008, 06:10:55 AM

The single straight bus cam out on top because it was the perfect mixture of size, power, and maneuverability.



Hmmmm. . . just like a 4106 or a 35' RTS!!

:D
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: NJT 5573 on December 11, 2008, 10:30:04 AM
I welded a V bar set up into my old 05 that would push the steering box away from me in a head on. Its usually the steering box that kills a bus driver. Never had to try it out, probably for the best, because I'm not an engineer anyway, just an old circle track racer.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Len Silva on December 11, 2008, 10:34:34 AM
I once saw a wrecked Eagle (don't remember the model, but an older one) where the bus hit a bridge abutment head on at the drivers seat.  The entire driver's compartment was pushed straight back and he escaped with a broken leg and some cuts.  If there had been passengers directly behind him, they might not have survived.

I don't know if that was part of the design or just a very lucky fluke but to look at the front of the bus you would not have believed that anyone would survive.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Songman on December 11, 2008, 11:03:00 AM
At first I thought you were describing Emilio's bus, but he didn't fare as well as the one you described.. But he did survive amazingly.

This picture always gives me chills when I see the dashboard and steering wheel hanging outside the bus!

(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_dO9bg4_tViM%2FR-hQx2QUVOI%2FAAAAAAAAAvg%2Fv3t4kv2eFx4%2Fs400%2Fbus%2Bcrash%2B2.jpg&hash=18b67013406a5700e2f16c0d9819d3060d6b364f)
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: cody on December 11, 2008, 01:55:26 PM
When I was looking for a bus a friend took me and showed me an Eagle that had gotten rear ended by a semi, I was impressed to the point that I stopped looking at other brands and concentrated on trying to find an eagle with minimal problems.  I'm sure most of the other brands would have fared as well as the eagle but I was set on an eagle after that, the eagle was stopped when the semi tail ended it, the semi hit the eagle hard enough to drive the engine forward at least a foot and upward slightly, the impact pushed the eagle forward blowing out 6 of the tires, what impressed me was that the passenger area of the eagle was untouched and basically still straight, a very impressive sight.  The driver of the semi had been killed in the accident and his rig totalled, the eagle was at a shop being rebuilt, the eagle was empty at the time of the impact, the passengers had been offloaded onto another bus and the driver was waiting for a tow and was standing in the median at the time the semi hit it, very lucky for him, I don't know why the bus was on the side of the road, but it was a sight that was very impressionable for me, the accident was on I-52 just south of rockford illinois about 6 years ago.
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Hartley on December 11, 2008, 03:18:52 PM
I watched that video.. What a Blast !!

That would just be a complete blast to get a bunch of buses on a racetrack
and go wild.... Very cool stuff..

Kinda reminded me of driver training at wally-world... I had fun with the reverse
high speed slalom through the cones. The 360 degree reverse was fun too.

The only other fun was driving at park closings and through hotel row in the rain...

Dave...
Title: Re: Should I put in a roll cage for the driver?
Post by: Barn Owl on December 11, 2008, 09:51:31 PM
The motorhome race is fun to watch also:

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/121-Top-Gear-Motorhome_187352.htm