Interesting article - your thoughts.......?????

[Drover]

I think a towing course for car licence holders would be of great advantage to give them the knowledge needed to help gain experience, which many need.
Experience needs to be gained and that takes time, with many years as a Truckie it certainly saved us being a statistic recently, we came out with grazes on van where the cops thought we should have been toast, my reactions were instinctive and those micro seconds saved us, everyone can't get that experience but a course to endorse your car licence would go a long way. I have known many an experienced driver with many years, miles and vehicle types and they were bloody hopeless but a course may save some.

 

[Drover]

PS don't get me started on car drivers and old farmers wearing hats, my missus reminds me I'm not in my truck anymore your in a Ute, dear, with hay and your wearing a hat.most annoying.

 

[davemc]

here here @Bluey
the trick is, as he said, get the missus behind you, so when she says left - her left is your left etc.......
or, if your like me -
give her the hand held, and when she walks away - turn the volume down on the UHF in the car and reverse it my self..........

The course we did said for her to stand next to drivers door looking into the site. Although you still need to get your left and rights correct. At the Gold Coast after a couple of tries and a old guy helping, I did it basically with the rearview camera myself.
We can't do that at home as we have garden on right and retaining wall on the left then a pair of gates to squeeze through, then avoid the Gas meter . The way up is not 100% level, spent a few hours on it yesterday and need to do the front half in a minute.. We normally pull across into the street almost in front and snake back into the site.

 

[bigcol]

I agree with the concept of a caravan licence. If I wish to drive a truck with a mass of 4.5t or greater, then I am expected to have an endorsed licence for that class of vehicle, yet no requirement for a 3t Lamdcruiser with 3.5t of caravan.

a small (independent) part of me wants to resist this thought
but it is a sound and valid argument, and, as the Vans are getting bigger and not always heavier, it is almost too logical
but instead of RACV / RACQ / NRMA / etc it should be on your drivers license - State issued (or maybe a National one) so when or IF you are stopped by Mr Plod, he can see right away if you can drive & tow what you have

maybe like the Motorbike Classes..... (250cc, 500cc, 1000cc, unlimited)
something like.......

ZT = Trailer up to 500kgs
ZC = camper trailer up to 1200kgs
ZP = Small Van up to 1800kgs (say up to 16' popup or solid)
ZV = any Van
ZF = 5th wheeler type

you have to start with the lowest and progress upwards in yearly / 2 yearly increments.............

would this sound better?
not necessarily "have" to be able to reverse in a straight line ( @davemc ) but demonstrate that you can reverse, drive correctly (road position) control cornering, parking etc


just throwing this out there......................

 

[bigcol]

I think a towing course for car licence holders would be of great advantage to give them the knowledge needed to help gain experience, which many need.

agreed..............

Experience needs to be gained and that takes time, with many years as a Truckie it certainly saved us being a statistic recently, we came out with grazes on van where the cops thought we should have been toast, my reactions were instinctive and those micro seconds saved us, everyone can't get that experience but a course to endorse your car licence would go a long way.

yes it takes experience - but the knowledge that you dont have any to start with is the big kicker..........

I have known many an experienced driver with many years, miles and vehicle types and they were bloody hopeless but a course may save some.

we are all in that boat - I have a family member who had 23 shots at getting their car license
drove like a loon until they lost it, and never bothered getting it back

after reading that article yet again, I think maybe it would be a good idea for some form of licensing / competency requirement
- maybe on your HR Worksafe license (WA - mine has CN / CV / LF - Crane, vehicle self loaders, Forklift)

 

[Drover]

All good, sensible,valid points @bigcol, I agree with you..................car licence endorsment though, not some car association/club/TAFE sort of ticket , a code on the licence then no hassles when pulled over.
Heavy licences wouldn't need to have it though as if you can drag and park a HC or MC then a van should be a piece of cake ??????????????...ha,ha,ha,ha.

Actually sometimes I wonder if I've ever reversed a 40ft trailer after 4 goes with the van, trying not to yell, wishing people would "Move along, nothing to see here " and I've slotted a 40footer into spots with 6"on either side.

tip# 269....... Never try to reverse straight always come in at an angle and it will just slot in. (if not move missus away)

 

[Bluey]

no worries big col I can get the van in drive way all the way to pergola with 150mm each side at the gate its close but it goes in misses in house tending to kids I love backing it its easy with a tandem I said noob I ment nob heads my finger gets a bit quick

 

[bigcol]

I have a semi licence so any test is welcomed but I do think cars should not be able to drive as far as they like , once over a border cops should be able to say how far have u driven today ? we should have some kind of log book too, but how to police that why can car drivers just drive until they fall asleep ? some people just carnt drive long distances . my 2 shillings

I like this idea @Bluey - I have met some Nomads on the road, who had been travelling for 10+ hours in a day........ not good......
gone are my days of leaving Perth at 4.00am and arriving in Karratha at 4.00pm..........

some people DO self regulate their driving time / distance

but I have a problem with filling in a fuel sheet (so I can work out the economy) - let alone a log sheet for Fatigue..........

 

[Bluey]

I like this idea @Bluey - I have met some Nomads on the road, who had been travelling for 10+ hours in a day........ not good......
gone are my days of leaving Perth at 4.00am and arriving in Karratha at 4.00pm..........

some people DO self regulate their driving time / distance

but I have a problem with filling in a fuel sheet (so I can work out the economy) - let alone a log sheet for Fatigue..........

yes im just talking about all car drivers being able to do as they please sit at a computer all day then drive to gold coast for Christmas , must get there as fast as they can ?????????? we have all been guilty of driving to far in one stint , but towing a van is a lot more tiring I think , how can we address this who knows but maybe those new to vanning a corse or something even a licence endorsement for us all is a good thing just to make people think , I am no expert just take my time don't panic and think about what im doing like operating the big machines at work once u think ur the best something will happen ive seen so many near misses around thease machines sometimes operator error sometimes people on the ground so easy to be killed at work never stop thinking about what ur doing and stay safe

 

[Drover]

Well I've gone from thinking 900 to 1100k's a day being a good drive to now I'm looking for a camp after 300k's, no bloody log book is great.

 

[bigcol]

yeah, I must admit @Drover I usually plan for no more that 350-400kms in a day
gives me time to wake up
pack up
move out
arrive
setup
relax

 

[dagree]

Pretty much the same here....
Towing 400 - 450 max before beer time
Not towing 900 max depending on where we are headed or if it's for work!!

 

[meandher (a frost)]

Yep, we usually have breakfast, hitch up, clear up and set off on or around the stroke of 10.00hrs aiming to finish up about 15.30hrs so as to be setting up camp with plenty of daylight left. Usually try and fill up with fuel before we stop when we can for peace of mind, or at least know how far we need to travel the next day to get some go juice. Just makes me feel better is all.

Our view is that you are dragging your house with you, why race to anywhere when you can just stop where it is convenient and safe, crack a cold one and relax before nightfall comes? Our credo is that It's got to be the going, not the getting there that's good - a line I pinched from a Harry Chapin song.

We don't have any jam-eaters, so we stop when we want and where we want, as we only have to think of ourselves and not cranky, squealing faced kids demanding attention/a wee/ lollies or loudly enquiring of "are we there yet"? Sometimes I think we have missed out on a lot of good things in life not having kids, then I wake up, wipe away the cold sweat from the brow and know that I have dodged a bullet or two(or three or four)....

My days of rushing to get to anywhere fast are long gone now that I am rapidly on the definite downhill descent into dotage

 

[crustt]

PS don't get me started on car drivers and old farmers wearing hats, my missus reminds me I'm not in my truck anymore your in a Ute, dear, with hay and your wearing a hat.most annoying.

I wear a hat whist driving so everybody takes a wide berth, works real well.

 

[Drover]

Yep @crustt I'm afraid it's a bit of the pot calling the kettle, I have the hat, even the ute and hay but I'm pleased to admit not the driving style to match thankgoodness, one of the terrors of life to me is to start the old 40kph down the highway, never look in mirrors and just turn left or right on a whim........................I would demand to be put down I think.

In my working days we'd go on holidays and visit the mob in Canberra, 1300k away and do it easy in one hit, far more comfortable and relaxing than in a truck but now it may take us 3 days, stop for a fish in the Gwydir, have too long a smoko at some Dam and stay the night, who knows no rush now.................magic, but it can be a heap of fun with the billy lids in tow, we have a lot of great memories just don't take em fishing bloody pain.

 

[Bluey]

I wear a hat whist driving so everybody takes a wide berth, works real well.

great line crustt I must say I was wearing my bush hat on the trip at cup weekend will have it firmly on at Christmas