Lousy drivers towing vans.

carco

Member
Jan 20, 2019
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Gympie
Did a few thousand k's over the last few days and there's some unbelievably crook van drivers out there.
I still have my HC licence so the rumblings about requiring towing drivers to attain some extra licence level doesn't bother me, who knows it might even do some good.
I'm constantly looking for either Jayco or Expanda when I drive and I have to report that it didn't matter what brand of van, a heap were towed by pathetic drivers.
Most have huge extended mirrors that they NEVER use.
As an old time truckie it really pisses me off to see these donkeys meandering along anywhere from 85 to 95 and then boot it to some insane speed at every passing lane only to drop back to their economical speed as soon as the lane ends.
And what's with these clowns who come back to the centre lane as soon as they sight the "lane ends in 500m" sign. This stupid practice reduces the overtaking lane dramatically as well as bunching up the cars trying to get by.
The truck is 100 limited so he's got no chance to overtake. These van drivers need to look in their mirrors to see just how long the traffic is behind them.
They also need to realise any modern truck can maintain 100 uphill just about anywhere, so it makes sense to let the truck overtake and then sit back a bit behind. I'll bet the van tug will pretty quickly fall away, most don't have anywhere near the poke they think they have.
Highway towing is vastly different to off-road.
To maintain 100 everywhere on a highway you need big hp, not some asthmatic 4-potter, a big V8 or at least a Ranger.
My observations were the worst offenders drove Colorado's, Prado, MUX and so on.
If a van got up and boogied, it had a Cruiser out front.
 

mikerezny

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2016
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Mount Waverley, VIC
I sat behind two semis on a passing lane. The outside semi was hardly making any headway on the one in the slow lane. Heaps of vehicles waiting behind to get past. He never made it and at the very end of the overtaking lane, the one trying to overtake slammed on the brakes and tucked in behind. In other words, exactly where he was at the beginning.

I still shiver when I think of the time I was going around a blind corner with very clearly marked double lines to be confronted head on with one semi in my lane abreast of the other. I still can't remember who I managed to still be here today.

I don't want to start an argument, I just want to make one very clear point:

There are examples of idiots behind the wheel of EVERY type of vehicle on the road. Stupid, inconsiderate, or dangerous driving is not the sole domain of those towing caravans.

I don't drive big trucks, although I still have a heavy vehicle licence which I needed to drive TV Outside Broadcast vans around Queensland. However, I would hazard a guess that prime movers capable of climbing the Moonbi range towing a fully-laden B-double at 100km/h all the way to the top would be scarce. Well, that was my impression after easily overtaking quite a few of them in my Falcon towing a Penguin at 50-60kph. I also cannot imagine the same trucks maintaining 100km/h going downhill either.

Lets start a thread ranting about stupid drivers we have encountered without emphasis on the type of vehicle being driven.

cheers
Mike
 
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BJM

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2018
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Yamba
A good mate of mine was a well respected truck driver for Toll .He would not drive the Pacific Highway Bris to Syd because of the truck cowboys.!,Only drove inland routes.Try driving from the Gold Coast to Yamba at night ,have had trucks so close behind I could not see the head lights,diabolical in rain,you get it all ,speeding through the road works,trucks travelling too close etc,etc.Also agree many caravan drivers should not be on the road.On the road via Pacific Hwy to Grafton the other day 4 vans all driving about 75kph travelling too close to each other, obviously mates.Oblivious of the half mile of traffic banked. up behind.Mind you my older Victorian neighbour got pulled up a few weeks ago and nearly got a ticket for driving too slow on the highway.!,Given a stern warning.
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Mentone, VIC
My observations were the worst offenders drove Colorado's, Prado, MUX and so on.
If a van got up and boogied, it had a Cruiser out front.
Well well well ..... is there anything more that needs to be said here .... bwaaahaaaaaa :behindsofa::boink::bolt::car:

(PS the Colorado drivers are also more than a little questionable ... even when they're not in the car)
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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As an ex Truckie, (a retired survivor) I have found the vehicle makes little difference to the idiot behind the wheel, missed death a few times and a lot of them was truck on truck, there a lot of heavy vehicle operators who aren't fit to be called drivers, I was the bloke who checked them out at my last work place and along with car drivers some should never be let on the road solo let alone a van or trailer......................... As for the types of vehicle well again its not the vehicle but the nut behind the wheel, my Ute will happily unleash the horses at will but then I know how to drive I'm not a steerer and its a Colorado towing a big van but not an overloaded set up....... everything stays nicely tucked in behind even at 110kph but I prefer the rural roads, away from the highways, I have no need to rip along at 100kph.........

My observations over many years Ive come to the view that the bad driver towing the van is the same bad innatentive driver causing accidents driving to the shop, school or work, a towing course won't help much but a full intensive driving course would as they are usually dumb as dirt as nd have no idea, tunnel vision.

I do agree with the Prado comment and add a Pajero.


PS:


(PS the Colorado drivers are also more than a little questionable ... even when they're not in the car)


and whom are you referring to ???? Is this the reason the Navara got dumped for a mine truck ???? A bigger mobile roadblock......
 

Brad77

Member
Feb 9, 2016
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Hmmmm.....interesting. my Pajero has no problem maintaining 100 Km on the highway towing a 2.8 Ton Expanda. No nees for a big V8 Haha.......
 
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Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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Hmmmm.....interesting. my Pajero has no problem maintaining 100 Km on the highway towing a 2.8 Ton Expanda. No need for a big V8 Haha.......

What nonsense is this "No need for a V8", Sir you need to turn yourself in to a hospital for an evaluation or at least get someone to do a couple of drive by's with a nice old Rangie or Ford with a nice V8 rumbling away to reinspire.................. (not one with a sissy exhaust either) ....towing would be a breeze....
.Hhmmm 5.7 Hemi
 
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Boots in Action

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Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
I always let the truck behind me know I'm on channel and will follow his instructions when he is ready to come past. I find it reduces my stress knowing they know the best spots and plan to overtake in a couple of kms. And I get to talk to (ie. take orders from) someone other than the wife

Like you @jazzeddie1234 , I too would rather have a big truck in front of me, rather than breathing down my neck!! The bigger vehicle in front of me ensures that the road is clear of "skippies", and it is a brave driver coming in the opposite direction that that does not really keep to the left of the white line in his lane when a large vehicle is on the road. Not too close that you get any stones etc thrown back at you, and you can get a glimpse of what is coming up. But NEVER behind a multi wheeled vehicle when raining. Never ever!!! If I see (or my co-driver sees) a truckie behind me, I look for a place for him to pass as soon as possible and move over or wave him through. Always get the "thank you" toot, or wave. Basic courtesy as far as I am concerned.
 

BJM

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Sep 29, 2018
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Yamba
Drover ,maybe a 800hp Grand Cherokee Trailhawk hemi,bugger the fuel economy, anybody want to see how they perform google and watch the you tube clips.or of course the 1000hp ,GC ,music to the ears.
 
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