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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: eagle19952 on September 06, 2014, 01:31:56 PM

Title: Having a bad day...
Post by: eagle19952 on September 06, 2014, 01:31:56 PM
not like this guy.... :(
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10616378_352492424906073_3062099678446281875_n.jpg?oh=4966fb4aae6501b06f373306309975cf&oe=54A0F60F&__gda__=1419576198_9954898a27d5e7ce67f9416b82e254c1)
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 06, 2014, 01:46:39 PM
I guess when the motorhome wasn't able to pull anymore he decided to stop and check to see what was wrong ??? dumb that is stupidity with a S
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: wg4t50 on September 06, 2014, 02:09:15 PM
About 20 yrs ago a friend had a similar happening, by the time the Florida state polce pulled him ver, the left front wheel had ground down thru the hub, bearing & axle on  4X4 Bronco, sold it to the wrecker driver cheap.
$#!% happens
Dave M
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: oltrunt on September 06, 2014, 06:29:08 PM
I'll bet the guy still thinks "P" on the shift quadrant means pull ???
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: treeplanter on September 06, 2014, 07:24:31 PM
One of the reasons we have rear view mirrors!
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: gumpy on September 06, 2014, 07:34:59 PM
Well, it happens. And stupidity may not have had anything to do with it.

Rear view mirrors won't help. You can't even see the toad in the mirrors behind an 8 1/2 foot wide bus unless you're turning
a tight turn. Most cameras are black and white and are positioned to show the middle of the hood, so that's not going to help much, either.
In a rig like that, the engine is probably tuned to over 400 hp, so you're not going to notice much for drag until you've already done
a lot of damage. It's unfortunate that someone didn't stop him earlier.

I know a guy who had a similar problem with a dual axle flatbed trailer carrying a large SUV behind his MC9. It was night time, but it was raining,
so there were no sparks from the metal as it ground the wheels right down to the hubs!

Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: bobofthenorth on September 06, 2014, 07:41:47 PM
What Craig said.  In the space of 4 years we lost three front wheels off the Exploder.  The first I knew about them was when a following driver flagged me over.  In our case the bearing pack would go out of the front wheel, the bearing would seize to the spindle and twist the spindle and by the time we knew about it the wheel and rim would be dragging along under the damnford pulled by the tie rod and brake line.  The big 8-92 never even grunted and there was nothing amiss in the rearview camera.  As far as the mirrors go - fagggetaboutit - I could see that the truck was there but not a chance I could see the front wheels except on a tight corner. 

We had a rule that Marilyn always ran along beside the truck after we hooked up.  That caught a departure in Park once.  I don't think she ever caught anything else but once is all it takes.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: eagle19952 on September 06, 2014, 08:01:27 PM
I was kinda thinking Brake Buddy type failure....probably either brand new (poor) install or old and out of warranty...
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Lin on September 06, 2014, 09:59:14 PM
In this case, I tire pressure monitor could have limited the damage.  However, there is no way to be completely safe from all possible failures.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: wg4t50 on September 07, 2014, 02:15:08 AM
Having towed a Ford Escort, VW Rabbit, Honda Element, Honda CRV and most recent the F150 pickup, Been very lucky, never an issue YET and finally got the Pressure Pro monitor system for the F150.  Total mileage would be in the 40-50 K miles over the past 25+ years.  Think my friends issue makes me pay closer attention to the possibilities.
Love being lucky so far.
Dave M
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Jon on September 07, 2014, 04:00:11 AM
I got to buy a set of tires for an H2 Hummer because I forgot to release the emergency brake. I pulled slowly out of my driveway and for the next 1000 feet couldn't figure out if the noise was my fan belt squealing or if something else was going on. All I knew was it got louder as the bus went up through the gears.

The clue was when the road made a slight turn I noticed a beautiful set of black skid marks.

As any pilot will tell you, use a check list, do not tolerate interruptions, and double check the killer items. I do now because I know my coach will drag an H2 Hummer down the road with its wheels locked as though it wasn't even behind the coach.

Those who think the driver of the rig with the damaged toad was stupid either don't tow, are very lucky so far, or haven't made a mistake yet.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 07, 2014, 05:14:55 AM
Guess I been lucky then for 300,000 miles never had anything like that happen,did have a tow bar break on 1 side but glanced back and saw the Jeep move to the outside where it wasn't supposed to be I knew something was wrong
Me I hook up pull about 20 ft stop and recheck again JMW 

I have saw several Jeeps people that had left in gear and took off pulling a Jeep 55 mph in low gear is not a pretty sight 

The worse I ever saw was we tried to stop a guy for 8 miles around Banks ID throwing sparks from a toad with a flat he set fire to the whole area about a 8 million dollar fire and yes some people are stupid and there no way to fix it either 

I don't know about the truckers of today but the old school drivers could tell if they had a flat without the use of tire monitors and cameras
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Jriddle on September 07, 2014, 05:28:08 AM
Well Stupid or Stupidity seem like harsh words. I'm sure if this were to happen to me that is what I would be saying about myself. Only takes a few seconds of that condition and something happens. It doesn't mean you are always suffering from the condition. :) >:( ??? ;)

John
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: gumpy on September 07, 2014, 06:05:07 AM
I've towed one thing or another for about 75K over 14 years. I had a base plate break in two places on one of the explorers. It was held by only two bolts, which were both
loose. Wasn't going to be very long before the toad separated from the bus when I found it, and the safety cables were not going to save it!

I've never had a flat on a toad, fortunately. I did forget to unlock the steering one time on the manual tranny explorer with the driveline disconnect. All others since
have had a neutral tow option in the transfer so steering being locked is not possible if neutral tow is engaged.

The checklist idea is great. I just never got it done. I find that I forget to turn things off inside or latch the fridge more often then I care to admit.

A friend of ours just posted that he saw a camper pull out onto a major highway here on Friday dragging an shore electrical cord with no end on it, and a water or sewer hose!

Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: muldoonman on September 07, 2014, 06:45:35 AM
Wow! Gotta get my cb and backup camera fixed.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 07, 2014, 06:56:12 AM
LOL I have saw the Rv's going down the road with the fuel nozzle from the station still in the tank filler now tell me how does one do that ? 
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: lvmci on September 07, 2014, 07:01:38 AM
Hi All, I too had an arm of a tow bar break apart while on a freeway, on my jeep. It was the rear view camera, a picture of the jeep that hardly ever moves, the jeep started to wander in the frame, instantly grabbing my attention, trust your peripheral vision,  if something is out of the norm, give it a second look, in my case could have been a huge accident, just lucky, lvmci...
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Dave5Cs on September 07, 2014, 10:57:48 AM
A lot of you laughed when I put an off-set hitch on our Bus. But after using it  last weekend I love being able to see the side of my truck and the front left-side tires in my side mirror. I also put in 2 rear cameras so that like Jon said I can not only see my hook up bar, plate and cables etc but the other shows the whole truck and 20 feet behind it in the dark as well as a long way back in the day light. No it is probably not falsafe but it the next best thing. No pull to one side either. It also is not in the way if I have to get into the engine bay for any reason. don't have to step over or straddle the tow bar. Rode really nice. ;D

Dave5Cs
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 07, 2014, 11:01:01 AM
Why would one laugh at a offset hitch?
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: eagle19952 on September 07, 2014, 12:19:44 PM
Quote from: Dave5Cs on September 07, 2014, 10:57:48 AM
A lot of you laughed when I put an off-set hitch on our Bus. But after using it  last weekend I love being able to see the side of my truck and the front left-side tires in my side mirror. I also put in 2 rear cameras so that like Jon said I can not only see my hook up bar, plate and cables etc but the other shows the whole truck and 20 feet behind it in the dark as well as a long way back in the day light. No it is probably not falsafe but it the next best thing. No pull to one side either. It also is not in the way if I have to get into the engine bay for any reason. don't have to step over or straddle the tow bar. Rode really nice. ;D

Dave5Cs

They say it makes for less wide right hand turns....
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: gumpy on September 07, 2014, 12:27:57 PM
Offset hitches are not new, and not a bad idea. When I rebuild my hitch, I will probably put two receivers in it, one centered, and one offset to the left.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Dave5Cs on September 07, 2014, 01:22:20 PM
Clifford I don't know either but on many boards they did and I just laughed. Kind of what the boards are all about isn't it, Trial and error and see what works.

I put in 2 also one in the center was actually there and is a 2-1/2" Pintel hitch and I mounted a 2 " receiver like you were saying Gumpy to the left. Didn't notice any wider turns either way. The truck just follows right along behind!..... ;D
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 07, 2014, 01:51:51 PM
Wasn't it Curt that made the receiver than would slide from side to side about a 1 ft each side I had one on a pickup in the 90's
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Dave5Cs on September 07, 2014, 05:02:46 PM
Craig here the original post of the Bob Jones off-set hitch.
Dave

http://www.busnut.com/artdg06.html (http://www.busnut.com/artdg06.html)
Title: Re:
Post by: digesterman on September 07, 2014, 05:55:01 PM
Come to Calif if anyone doubts there's no dumb or stupid drivers, traveled down 5 today to Sac and saw my fill of them, both "professional" truck drivers, idiotic RV drivers and then of course the day dreaming 4 wheelers merging onto the hwy at 30 mph expecting everyone else to move over or slow down until they crept up to hwy speed.

Never underestimate stupidity, they will get you if you do.
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: eagle19952 on September 07, 2014, 07:10:39 PM
Ever seen one like this...

(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.serenitysys.com%2Frv%2Ftechnical%2Fhitches%2Fpullrite%2FPullRite_DSC_0385.jpg&hash=25cda7f5d666afddadbe5a763e07f3bfcf29583f)
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: luvrbus on September 07, 2014, 07:31:21 PM
Yep that was like my Curt handy as hell sometimes towing my hay equipment down the hiway
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Dave5Cs on September 07, 2014, 09:42:33 PM
You can put it anywhere you need it eh?
Title: Re: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Seangie on September 20, 2014, 06:11:18 PM
TPMS on the toad.  I've got em on mine.  That and the camera will pay for itself.

-Sean
Title: Re: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: eagle19952 on September 20, 2014, 06:13:36 PM
here's a whole new kind of bad day  ;D

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10615440_10203744576752547_3298639289213971147_n.jpg?oh=f96c4d18171064e49176e6f0288fe211&oe=54D08C19&__gda__=1422363151_aef333fc26162aaffb7af30a0c18129b)
Title: Re: Having a bad day...
Post by: Jim Eh. on September 20, 2014, 07:07:54 PM
Quote from: eagle19952 on September 07, 2014, 07:10:39 PM
Ever seen one like this...

(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.serenitysys.com%2Frv%2Ftechnical%2Fhitches%2Fpullrite%2FPullRite_DSC_0385.jpg&hash=25cda7f5d666afddadbe5a763e07f3bfcf29583f)

That hitch puts the pivot point that much closer to the rear axle to reduce the "sway" often found with the pivot point on the bumper 4 - 5 feet behind the axle. I have heard of a couple of manufacturers but ouch, a little pricey.