A good buddy of mine just had a near tragic experience driving his Foretravel. Apparently, while negotiating curves??, he momentarily took his eyes off the road to check his mobil GPS. The right tire went off pavement and you can imagine the rest. Thankfully, all will be ok, eventually. I am CERTAIN, we are all guilty of doing the same thing, now with all the computer screens, camera screens, tire monitor systems gauges..... you ALL know what I mean. It takes a split second to get yourself into " no mans land".
Keep your eyes on the road and be SAFE. PLEASE.
[fixed topic title typo - Michelle]
Was it just a scare or was there damage?
I remember a few years ago on trip to Nashville and I was in a turn going left changing to a different freeway. The front right tire went a little too far to the right and the whole coach tried to go straight. I was able to gain control back. Friend that was behind me said it looked like coach or the tow car was going sideways for a moment.
The DW's job is to monitor the GPS and the rear view camera/TV while we are traveling. Also, she does keep an eye on me and the passenger side for traffic.
All this lets me concentrate on the road.
Hey, right there is an advantage of the old mechanical engines. NO VMS! :D I'm a gauge watcher so I missed the VMS when we went to the 8.3, however, my wife was happy to see me actually watching where we were going. I've added more gauges though so I am happy to report that the issue has not been resolved. (glad your pal is OK)
jor
Hence my appreciation of the Foretravel positioning of our dash gauges at the top edge of the dash to be readable with averted vision.
You old folks probably have shorter attention span
True on the gauges, Bob, you kids in your early 70s crack me up. From my uncle at 98, "old is 10 years older than wherever you are at". Born in 1899, passed in 2003 at 104.
I have always questioned why the fuel gauge (on a coach which can travel well over a thousand miles between fill-ups) is given the top center position on the panel.
If the wires are long enough and you are brave you could rearrange the 2" gauges?
You are right Bob. That was on my "to do" list for several years but when I installed my VMSpc that project was moot. So now I have a big computer screen off to the right to divert my attention.
My "someday" plan you just reminded me about is get a ramline i pad bracket with an adjustable arm that has a clamping base on it. I think you can tell where I am going on this.
My drivers window day/night shades frame is walnut. Solid.
So clamp the frame with the ram mount then put the iPad in it and run the plug in power wire back across the mounting arm and down the side of the dash and plug an iPad power supply into the inverted outlet next to my seat.
Now set the hp stream 11's to the VPMS screen.
Change the laptops setting to allow the screen to stay in when the lid is closed.
Open the screen forward app on the iPad(sling?)
The HP's screen shows on the iPad.
Close laptop lid.
Image is now in front of you low and in averted vision.
That's one.
If you want to gild the Lilly you could have a second iPad
It's would be my normal down the road screen of weather radar, windy, all stays which I run live with the coach screen centered on a weighted base ram mount on the dash.
A nicer iPad Pro could have enough area to split screen the VPMS AND the all stays.
We also use Apple maps and campground reviews and campsite photos
I also keep a old garmin gps as it shows local speed limits on its screen and I use it to keep a total set of trip figures.
Miles, speed, time idling, total hours.
If I used the garmin to got to place to place and added the next stop versus replace it the entire trips actual route should be reviewable and maybe downloadable?
The three D mode on the Apple maps guidance mode makes my old iPad get warm. It will discharge the internal battery faster than the larger charger will recharge it in that data heavy mode.
One or Two iPads would be safer? Good excuse?
I tested the sling thing once and it worked on VPMS.
I am going to get clamping arms now.
The screen on your right on the dash caught my attention
Over 10 years ago, we swapped fuel & tranny temp gauges.
We are so used to the 'new' positions, until these postings, forgot we made the swap.
Required remove several nuts, to separate front & back side panels that squeeze gauges between them.
I have often shuddered when seeing some of the "electronic dash acne" folks have posted photos of. We ran a very minimal VMSpc screen after noting the distraction of having too much non-essential info competing for your attention. TPMS was relegated to audio/alarm only when under way - no need to constantly look at it if audible alarms were properly set (same as VMSpc).
One thing the constant VPMS watching did was to help show the engines hydraulic cooling fans were on too much. Large in RMPG. Then drop. Hmmmm
So you're saying it's more important to watch VMSpc than to keep your eyes on the road? :o Wow. Just Wow.
This is no space shuttle we are operating with a need to constantly monitor all systems gauges. Glance at water temp, oil pressure and air pressure and learn to do it quickly. Spend the rest of your time driving the dam thing already.
I did mean " eyes ON the road
Can't seem to correct it
Toad fishtailed, from what I heard. Yes, some damage and brown underwear. He's ok.
Good your friend didn't wreck..Only takes an instant..I'm supposed to know what I'm doing and I have come close.. My culprit is this blasted am fm radio down by my right knee with tiny buttons that is hard to navigate sitting still and with a flash light much less while moving.. I would pay good money for an old fashion radio with a simple knob or 2 on it.. Came with no remote and it's dangerous as heck to try and find a channel on the blasted MENU. I'm guilty as well but plan to do something about it just not sure what yet unless I can find a 70's automobile in a u pull it wrecking yard and buy a radio. So yes I need to drive as well.
When I installed the VMS I purchased from Roger, it has large green dots for okay, yellow for watch and red for stop! Love these, as it only takes a quick glance to see an issue! We have also found that slowing down works so much better when negotiating the highways and byways of our country. Slow down and smell the roses and enjoy the scenery! Our GPS talks to us, so that works as well. With 4 eyes on the road, you are so much better off for any surprises. Thank you DW!
The VMSPC display for us is up at eye level, and MUCH safer to look at than the small lower level dash gauges.
Only thing missing up at eye level is the 2 air pressure gauges below eye level
Michelle I had my DW monitor the VPMS's RMPG section on smooth sections of a flat Oregon rural two lane road with no traffic and no wind as I thought I had noticed on averted vision an occasional jump from 9.0 to 11 RMPG.
That started a long term diagnostic program to ascertain why this occurred.
I personally delivered almost every out of state coach my store sold and at that time I trained the new owners how to operate and drive their coach.
That included not being distracted from the driving itself.
I am personally close to 2 million miles and 55 years without a single accident.
The Lap top that shows VPMS can be opened almost flat and can sit behind our dash binnacle in a vertical position allowing it to be viewed within the drivers normal view area,
I appreciate your concerns about my driving profile so I do not injure myself or others and I am sorry I did not explain the exact details involved in my short distance monitoring of the VPMS's RMPG on that exact road that day only for a short distance with my DW watching it for me,
I drove and built race cars long ago and safety is the key to everything.
100k miles off road on dirt bikes over 40 years plus ha# resulted in no serious injuries either.
I stopped racing because of the unsafe dust conditions.
One racing organization allowed pre running the course so we made up to 5 complete laps which allowed us the mostly memorize the course so in the actual race when dusty we could count off in our heads the time to the next obstacle.
The other group did not allow this safety issue so I stopped racing in 1973.
I hope this better explains my testing procedure used at that time
I'm likin' this idea. I'm on it!
I used to use a window suction cup iPad holder. It put the VMS screen in a good spot without interfering with driving vision. I just set up a little network with a cheap laptop and router. Worked great. I really wanted this to be totally wireless but the problem was that the VMS is so active that it drains the iPad battery in a couple of hours so I ended up having to power the iPad. Anyhow, with that exception it was a good setup.
I agree with Michelle that a simple VMS setup with essential data is best.
jor
Back when I was learning to fly, Wilbur told me to aviate, navigate, communicate - in that order. In other words, your first job is to fly the plane. Then you can figure out where you are and where you are going. Finally, you can talk on the radio to someone if you still need help.
Along about the same time, a famous comedian had one real eye and one glass eye. He was pulled over for speeding, and was told to keep an eye on the speedometer. He took our the glass eye, placed it on the dash, and asked if that was good enough.
We all have things in our coaches that distract us some while driving. Some of those are rather important (warning lights and buzzers), while others are just irritations (radio). We need to learn to "aviate" (drive the coach), let the navigator worry about where we are and where we are going, and communicate only with the navigator when necessary.
That's why I like the CarPlay radios so much. Navigation is always easy to see on the screen and with Waze the turns are announced in plenty of time to get into the correct lane. Installing one in a single din dash is difficult I realize.
I put the TST monitor on a suction mount on the drivers window. It will easily work all day without power and I rarely look at it because as Michelle said, the audible alarm is really all we need.
We are fortunate to have a Silverleaf from the factory. On our last coach we used a monitor that sat on the dash. Either way it's nice to have a screen that shows in nice big letters the speed, whether the cruise is set and it's speed, the tach, and with a touch of a button will show selected engine readings with a graph to note any change.
Last week on our trip to Texas on two lane roads my son-in-law was behind us in their coach. I asked him later if my driving was ok. He said I stayed perfectly in the lane the whole time. I think that's because the combination of Apple car play and Silverleaf makes it easy to keep my eyes on the road and learn anything else I need to know with a very brief glance.
A couple post mentioned dropping right wheels off the road. I have noticed when someone else has driven our coach,my wife very little and my sister very little and a friend who drives semi .he drove about 500 miles,with all of them I had to keep saying left,left,left.they all seemed to want to hug the fogline. I think it's due to the wide body and the driver seated to the extreme left.
I always taught the new guys to drive with the rear driver's dual about 10 inches from the lane marker or center stripe. With the rear tire there, I never worry about the right side of the coach even in the worst San Francisco rush hour. If an 60 foot articulated city bus can drive the street, so can a Foretravel. Really hard to get some to stop cutting across right hand turns as this puts the tires off the road on longer turns and can hit traffic signs, lights, fire hydrants making a right turn in a city.
Pierce
I taught hundreds of people to put your head one foot left from where they drove a car in the lane
I tend to have more confidence meeting a class a motorhome on a 2 lane vs all other vehicles.. Seem to me to be the most conscience of drivers.Have no data but have been some miles and spent most of them observing.
....9' of pavement (lane) on Mex 1 in Baja some years ago with no shoulder might change your mind about that opinion. Best to carry a spare left mirror, worst maybe a pickup pulling a fifth-wheel.
I was sort of referring to USA and class A's
Been hit head on by a pick up truck.. Been ran off the road to keep from a head on by a semi.. Never had a Class A get near me. All with me in a loaded Peterbilt.
Last October we drove Alt. 93 in Nevada up to West Wendover on I-80, between the outside rumble strips and the one down the middle I seriously doubt the was much more than 9ft of clean pavement. Pretty and pretty interesting drive.
You know, there's just not a whole lot more road than there is coach. This, coupled with the fact that motorhomes in general are not the most accurate driving machines around means total involvement in pilotage is necessary. Given the inherent reliability of these powerplants, and the fact that anything really serious is going to trigger an audio alarm, hard to see why continually scanning any gauges or readouts is necessary. Pulling a mountain, yes, as well as descending but these are inherent low speed maneuvers.
After dropping a front wheel off the right when a maniac in a dump truck decided to swing over the double yellow, went off roading hard enough to pop a windshield out of the gasket. After that experience I went with a safe t plus and now consider it an essential item. Takes a lot of drama out of this type situation.
Driving these things is fatiguing. 500 mile day in a coach feels like it was run at Daytona in the evening. My pickup, Toyota, 1000 miles a day is doable and less exhausting. Eliminate distractions, stack the deck in your favor.
These are not toys and require two hands on the wheel with total attention at all times.
Half my reasons for being a fanatic on tires and suspension is to lessen my workload while driving.
The Michelin's directional siping helps them steer straighter.
My derrière is my limit anymore. Steering wheel requires little correction even in cross winds and truck traffic
I was surprised to see some say driving the coach is fatiguing. We've had Suburbans, Escalade, Seville's, several Toronados, a couple of long bed 4 door Duramax pickups and other vehicles that could really eat up the road. I'd rather drive the coach on a log stretch than any of those as far as a quiet relaxing drive. We have had 4 Foretravels and I will admit the current one with a tag is the best driving coach I've ever driven.
If everything is good you can drive most coaches from the bottom of the steering wheel
42 feet and a tag may well make a profound difference. I've heard several experienced owners say the tag makes a big difference. And a coach that drives as effortlessly as an Escalade or a Toronado, you've got something special indeed.
My 40' without a tag loads the airbags enough to aid its stability and increase the compression dampening for bumps very nicely. When walking though the parked coach the coach barely moves. Lighter coaches moved more at times. Same thing applies to driving
Not to start a debate or argument, but I must say, we've had our FT for a while and have taken several long trips, (2000 miles plus). Longest day behind the wheel was about 500 miles. While I was a little tired from the drive, I don't feel it was any more fatiguing than a car drive. The FT's to me are a dream to drive with a great ride. Have had a few SOB's and they were tiring to drive. Love the ride and drive of the FT. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
Sure is a learning curve to center the MH at all times. I glance at the white line in my right mirror to see if I'm centered. It's a handful on the horrible roads around my area
It takes time in the seat. A marker on the dash that you can line up with the center stripe is a great aid, along with checks in the right hand mirror, but hours of correct practice are what matter. We lived in the previous coach for 8 or 9 years and in narrow places on city streets I could drive by a parked truck with just slightly less than 0 clearance between our mirrors. On our last trip through Atlanta, I was hard pressed to keep track of the right side.
Also vehicles with worm and sector steering, even though it's re-circulating ball worm and sector steering, follow the grooves worn in the road by traffic more than a vehicle with rack and pinion steering.
"Move your head 1 foot to the left in the lane when driving coaches." Told countless new owners to do that.