Moving around whilst travelling (1 Viewer)

[Jim]

I remember a case here, when someone in a Motorhome was pulled over by police because they thought they saw someone moving in the rear. It transpired that there were no other passengers. Had there been another passenger then would the mistaken policeman have wrongly nicked him? Probably.

Since reading that we now always take extra care.....to draw the blinds so no one can see lunch being prepared and brews made

 

[Allanm]

We use the aircraft seat belt method. All belts done up for take off and landing, passengers do as they like in between.

 

[PeteH]

Anyone remember this story!!

Winnebago winner?
"This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich.
"Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set.

"The Oklahoma jury awarded her – are you sitting down? – $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home."

Want a new motorhome you know what to do

Sorry to burst the bubble, BUT. In Sept of 2013. I spent 3 nights on the Winnebago Factory Site in Our R-V, waiting for a part. And having the factory tour (very good). On-site Winnebago have a small but interesting "Museum". One of the "exhibits" is a categorical denial that this ever happened . They quote, list it as. "An Urban Legend".

Pete

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[alfandM]

That's the good point of having a MH and not a caravan you can move around at will, we always make sandwiches or light food whilst on the move or swap drivers as most of the time whilst out and bout theres only the wilderness we have share with,such bliss .

 

[Rugeley Tim]

I am always amazed that June always needs the loo about 30 minutes after we start out, I find it quite amusing to watch her (through the re-adjusted rear view mirror) 'Leopard Crawl' across the van to the loo and have a chuckle when she comments about how 'unstable' and 'jolty' the vans feels when she is sat on the loo. If only she knew!!!!!

 

[Traveller_HA5_3DOM]

It looks like no one has pointed out to you that the legislation applies to any passenger including the drive seated in a forward facing seat. So no contravention of seat belt rules. I concur to some extent with the police reply about a possibility of being at fault for the general offence of having passengers caried in a manner likely to cause danger. But the overwhelming evidence of the seat belt exempted vehicles doing this would be self defeating in this. As such I fail to see how the 'likely to cause danger' could be successful.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PeteH]

Anyone remember this story!!

Winnebago winner?
"This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich.
"Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set.

"The Oklahoma jury awarded her – are you sitting down? – $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home."

Want a new motorhome you know what to do

Sorry to Burst this "Urban Myth". But Winnebago actually have a notice in their visitor centre, Forest City Idaho, to the effect stating that this never occurred!.

I must admit I have only ever heard it bandied about in Magazines and on Message boards etc;.

As a Matter of Interest (for those of advanced age) the (Winnebago) Factory is not that far from Clear Lake, where Buddy Holley. JP Richardson and Richie Vallens, Played the last Gig, before taking the plane ride that killed them and the Pilot.

 

[Norfolk Red]

It's all down to the number of seats in the vehicle wot you is in.
A Bus has more than 8seats. Your'van doesn't.

Strict rules of golf, (my saying) is that it is illegal for a passenger in a 'van to get out of seat that is fitted with seat belt and walk around.
Bad news, it's against the Law. Good news? driver not at fault if passenger is 14yrs old or older. Passenger at fault.
Think I've got that right.

Ah the old strict rules of golf theme eh, well you are allowed to take 2 club lengths relief from the hazard, but as our loo for relief is further than 2 clubs lengths away from said hazard, I have learnt on a straight road that I can get from said hazard to the loo and back whilst the motorhome is being driven by "Bear" aka the dog in approximately 27 seconds. I am working hard on this to try and get it down to around 18 seconds, and think perhaps jeans with a zip rather than button flies might help.

"Happy Christmas" everybody.

 

[Yorick]

I often send the missus into the back while I am driving, to get me a beer from the fridge

I had to go myself today, as she was having a kip in the back.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DBK]

Sorry to Burst this "Urban Myth". But Winnebago actually have a notice in their visitor centre, Forest City Idaho, to the effect stating that this never occurred!.

I must admit I have only ever heard it bandied about in Magazines and on Message boards etc;.

As a Matter of Interest (for those of advanced age) the (Winnebago) Factory is not that far from Clear Lake, where Buddy Holley. JP Richardson and Richie Vallens, Played the last Gig, before taking the plane ride that killed them and the Pilot.

For those of "advanced age" you said the same in March.

 

[PP Bear]

Sorry to burst the bubble, BUT. In Sept of 2013. I spent 3 nights on the Winnebago Factory Site in Our R-V, waiting for a part. And having the factory tour (very good). On-site Winnebago have a small but interesting "Museum". One of the "exhibits" is a categorical denial that this ever happened . They quote, list it as. "An Urban Legend".

Pete

Sorry to Burst this "Urban Myth". But Winnebago actually have a notice in their visitor centre, Forest City Idaho, to the effect stating that this never occurred!.

I must admit I have only ever heard it bandied about in Magazines and on Message boards etc;.

As a Matter of Interest (for those of advanced age) the (Winnebago) Factory is not that far from Clear Lake, where Buddy Holley. JP Richardson and Richie Vallens, Played the last Gig, before taking the plane ride that killed them and the Pilot.

Merry Christmas

 

[Kevan]

Sorry to Burst this "Urban Myth". But Winnebago actually have a notice in their visitor centre, Forest City Idaho, to the effect stating that this never occurred!.

I must admit I have only ever heard it bandied about in Magazines and on Message boards etc;.

As a Matter of Interest (for those of advanced age) the (Winnebago) Factory is not that far from Clear Lake, where Buddy Holley. JP Richardson and Richie Vallens, Played the last Gig, before taking the plane ride that killed them and the Pilot.

and who cares.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ludo]

Yes, all buses have those signs now. On coaches fitted with belts they have signs saying you must use the belt - but it's virtually impossible given the seat design.

There are also coaches with toilets on board for use whist travelling,( i.e in "motion"!). National Express, international coach tours, Siesta for example.

 

[PeteH]

Double post!

 

[Fletton]

But if passenger wasn't originally in a seat with a seat belt , they can move around but what if after they then sit in one with a belt? Or do they have to go back to the one they vacated ?

If there are belted seats available they must be used first...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[magicsurfbus]

The sanest and safest option is to stop letting rattles annoy you. We wouldn't dream of being unbelted in a moving MH.

A motorhome is neither a car nor a bus - aren't most of them are classified for taxation purposes as Private light/heavy goods vehicles?

 

[Gromett]

There are two reasons I won't drive if someone decides to get up.
The second is obviously it is illegal.

But the main reason is, having been in a car accident where lives were saved by the seat belts. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if a passenger in a vehicle I was driving died while trying to fix a rattle, go to the loo or get a drink out of the fridge. All those things can wait until you can safely pull over...

I took a bunch of friends to an Air show. They were gob smacked when I shouted at them to sit down and put their seat belt on. One wanted the loo, the other wanted to get a beer out of the fridge. They thought I was joking, until I started to pull over. I refused to move until they were sat back down and belted up again. This was due to both reason. Loads of coppers around on the the route to the airshow and not safe.

 

[Gromett]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[955matt]

Do you have these conversations?.......

"Sharp bend to the right coming"
"OK"
"I'm braking"
"OK?"
"I can still hear it"
"Ay?"
"I CAN STILL HEAR IT!"
"It's not the cooker glass lid is it?"
"Ay?"
"IS IT THE COOKER GLASS?"
"No; the packing is still in place"
"Grill or oven?"
"No"
"Blinds?"
"No"

This is so true made me laugh at work.

On a serious note i'm not sure having a seat belt on in a camper is going to help much in a crash , if you have seen the crash videos of camper vans .

 

[ambulancekidd]

If you think about it, a paramedic crew are often required to be unbelted in the back of an ambulance & the similarities between an ambulance & a motorhome are obvious even if the function is totally different! CPR on the move is especially hazardous as the driver is normally doing mach2 with their hair on fire, so with this in mind we decided to ask a traffic cop for his interpretation of the law & believe it or believe it not, we never did get a satisfactory answer. The only solution we could come up with is that you should be seated with your seat belt on & common sense dictates that its good practice to be seated but even the law is stumped on this issue.

 

[Bailey58]

I think you'll find that no seatbelt only applies to the seat you're in. If you're walking around the offence may be having an insecure or dangerous load.

My wife is a dangerous load even when seated with a belt on.

On another point, were there a seatbelt fitted to the loo, would it then be an offence if she's using it whilst travelling?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Sidney]

We have to move around. You can't make a good espresso coffee without holding the pot on the gas plate as it tends to vibrate off the bars.

Daft question really


Anyone used the bed?

 

[955matt]

yep

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

So what we are saying is that, as long as I put the Cruise Control on and Crook lock the Steering wheel straight, on a good bit of motorway, I can get to all the higher up rattles; as Jane is a bit vertically challenged, so long as I don’t crash. The only snag I can see with this is that there aren’t any good bits of motorway in the UK and I cannot wait til I get abroad to stop the rattles.

wait for a GOOGLE self driving motorhome !!!!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just smiffy]

On another point, were there a seatbelt fitted to the loo, would it then be an offence if she's using it whilst travelling?

Only if she is on it when you start off..... which in my Mrs case a 9hr drive, she should be finished.......

 

[PeteH]

Anyone used the bed?

Yes and Quite seriously too. After SWMBO`s first op` we had a 300mile drive home, she made the Journey on the bed in the R-V.

Whilst in the USA, her back "went" and the only way she could obtain any comfort WAS to ride on the bed, some 50 miles from the Camp-ground, to the clinic in Billings! (Montana).

 

[GWAYGWAY]

You ought to try a quick tap on the brakes , then put your foot down,
you've never heard language like it !!!!!

You would on some Mercs with braking assist. they come on and do not go off until you have stopped with the ABS working hard. Could be embarrassing in the out side lane at 70. The bloke behind might just join you in the cab.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[two]

I looked through the back window of a motorhome on the motorway once. One with what looked like a ‘railway carriage’ arrangement in a rear lounge. Two guys were sat opposite each other (pretending to be) playing a game of chess on the table that was between them.

 

[PeteH]

I looked through the back window of a motorhome on the motorway once. One with what looked like a ‘railway carriage’ arrangement in a rear lounge. Two guys were sat opposite each other (pretending to be) playing a game of chess on the table that was between them.

That brought back a memory!. We had a magnetic chess set, when our kids where young, and used to travel with me, bought it because the ships chess board would clear itself in a cross sea!. I haven't seen it for years, so it probably got left on some old tramp ship!.

 

[John&Kate]

We travel with our children .. There is ALWAYS " I need a wee " or " Im hungry ", its the Mrs Job as I am chief driver (of course)

It would take an age to get anywhere if I had to stop everytime.

I feel more comfortable with the kids on French roads, only in more extreme circumstances do we do it on UK roads

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}