fagnaml Report post Posted January 8, 2019 I saw this news about a major accident on I-20 in South Carolina during my lunch time perusing of the iRV2 forum: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/class-a-dp-accident-426007.html#post4577724 http://www.wistv.com/2019/01/07/update-one-lane-open-westbound-after-rv-wreck/ I and I'm sure other less experienced Class A owners would like opinions from the more experienced owners about how an accident as "nasty" as this one could occur and what preventative measures we should take to help assure we never experience this type of incident. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bm02tj Report post Posted January 8, 2019 Nasty body was not secured to the frame very well Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted January 8, 2019 Terrible accident and it's by the grace of God that no one died. Hard to make any definitive assessments of what happened without more information, but from the information posted on the irv2 site, the RV collided with a small car and rolled. It is shocking how it looks like the body simply detached from the chassis. Some manufacturers do a better job of building a solid and strong body, even going as far as using steel framing and making sure that the body is firmly attached to the chassis. Others (most) do not. At the RV show in Milwaukee last year I was able to talk to a few manufacturer's reps, and some are still using wood framing and or just laminated walls with no support cages. Even the ones with steel framing in the body sometimes use only fiberglass in the front end. We walked away from a head-on collision in our coach in 2017. That collision really emphasized the importance of having a coach which was not only comfortable when camping but also road worthy and able to withstand a collision. We looked at a few modern RVs after the collision, but none that provided the safety features we wanted was in our price range. They're out there, but they're not always the lowest cost. We opted for another bus conversion. I think that there are many improvements in RV safety that could easily be made by the manufacturers. But, in my conversations with the manufacturer's reps at the RV show it was obvious that more consumers are concerned with bells and whistles than they are with safety. I'm thinking that people assume a vehicle as large and heavy as an RV must be safe, especially considering that they are built on a heavy duty chassis. As soon as safety and collision protection becomes important to consumers, my guess is that the manufacturers will start to come around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted January 8, 2019 As Richard said there is way to give a opinion as to how to avoid such an accident.There are so many variables, speed, road conditions. weather even health issues. So being very experienced and a novis, drive defensively every day and every mile. Drive Safe. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 8, 2019 Mike, not much info to go on! My guess is the small car, cut it to short and that happens all the time. I get a lot off cars that pass bit over my speed and cut in and slow down to 5/10 mph less than me...I'm on the break as soon as I get a feel for whats about to happen! If traffic and road allows, I pull over and stop, then roll again. It happened to me on I-5 in North CA. After cutting in , the car kept slowing down to 20 mph & I noticed a car behind me and one coming along side...I came out to middle lane,, lots of honking as I speeded up and was on phone with #311. The CHP knew at once that they was trying to box me in for insurance money! Always be on the defensive & take nothing for granted...get some good 24/7 cameras that come on when ignition is on. Front, rear and both side's! It amazes me that a person will spend hundred of thousands on a toy, then balk at a couple of thousand to cover their own bottom! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted January 8, 2019 That is why I chose a bus conversion, I previously owned two fiberglass MH's and never felt completely safe in them. Conversion may not be much better, but it was designed for commercial carrier and many built in safety features are designed into it. I came upon a very nasty one last year, Phaeton had ran off the road down a steep embankment and into a very wooded area. There were many pieces of fiberglass skin along the trail, but the unit was still upright and no injuries. Carl, I agree that defensive driving and keeping good tires on them as well as routine safety inspections is the best insurance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted January 9, 2019 Kay and Richard. I totally agree, I wish mine was metal, not fiberglass. So, the best we can hope for, is a solid cage as a foundation, that part I got. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
