Ours is a Crusader Prince. Many online comments these days of their faults and most comments are such small issues and generally easy fixed plus often under warrantee. What this proves, based on the fact this van was effectively rolled into trees on its side, these vans are built tough. This van is a composite van except a small amount of the cabinetry and is off road capable. This is not the test I wanted but does prove that point.
Mate….thanks for sharing this. That was scary canary!! By sharing, you placed yourself at the judgement of others. It was an accident, no need to explain, definitely no need to blame yourself for a decision which appeared correct at the time. By sharing your experience you have no doubt helped others avoid the same issue. Glad you are both safe. Happy travels.
The problem is it is a main road into a paid campground. It is not in an area where 2 way traffic is unusual or controlled in any fashion. There would not be an issue if the traffic was one way for a period then the opposite way for a period. that is the real issue. We moved to get out of the way of the car and he was avoiding the deep drain on his side. The edge looked like a solid grass edge in that place as the growth was covering it completely. Anyway thankyou for your comment as it is good to try and improve life for us wayward souls. Have a great new year and safe travels.
Wow 😮 We have a 10+m long caravan (2.4m wide) and thought about visiting Gentle Annie. Not sure we want to risk it now. Glad you both and the van are okay.
We are almost 15m on the road total as you probably are as well. This is not the fault of Gentle Annie but they are ignoring this issue probably because the council will not listen anyway.
That was an amazing recovery given the necesary heavy machinery readily available in that remote part of Buller district.I'm just up the road a bit further in Little Wanganui so have the same dysfunctional council that have allowed a legal 50 year old historic private common drain to be blocked not on my property to knowingly was going to inundate my house with water and cause 100K plus in structural damage.Your well documented example of BDC's ongoing careless reckless behaviour just reinforces what many others in this district already know.My very best wishes for the rest of your journey.
Thank you Neil. The council , not Gentle Annie are the responsible party here in my opinion. They know the amount of traffic this road gets and I assume they also are aware that traffic lights and automatic traffic control would work to save a lot of grief for many who travel that road. You have a great new Year
Towing is great. It is a wide van so care needed in places. Maybe we can catch up sometime. This video shows how strong these vans are. No damage inside. The fridge even stayed shut.
The left hand chassis rail was resting on the edge. Driving as much right as possible was the trick to moving the centre of gravity to roll it back. After that just muscle to roll that wheel over the edge. That was at least a 1.7 metre drop, maybe more, before the sloping bank. It looked solid as the growth gave a perception of a verge.
Gidday mate..that was a lucky save, glad some People had with decent machines were able to help. Good ol Rural New Zealand aye, not always as it seems. Happy New Years to you and your family.
@@UrbanKiwiana Thanks and a happy new year to you as well. Met the guy who headed the rescue team today at the beach. He pulled another vehicle out yesterday in the same area.
@Pelian_Crusaders +My pleasure and thank you. Geez they definitely need to sort out something like actual pull over areas or widening it a little. Don't worry about all the Keyboard warriors mate, comes with internet lol. Have a blessed rest of your week
That road looks in very good condition for a NZ gravel road. 1 thing to take away from this is never trust the grass on side of road (if needed get out and check first)
You just stop right where you are, then it becomes their problem for however long it takes. I've taken my caravan down that road many times and know it well. The incident should never have happened. Do you have at least a Class 2 licence.@Pelian_Crusaders
@@CliveWallace-bx7rg Just stopping is of course the answer I agree. The foliage disguised the edge and there we even lamp posts that made the verge look solid. We were on the grass edge one wheel width, thats all so to me at the time it should have been fine, obviously it was not. As for the classes of licence, I do not remember any training that the class 2 licence gives you that would tell you not to avoid an accident. we did not pull over by more than a wheel width and that drop was not visible at all.
Did the fellows who pulled you out charge for their services? If not, I think a few cases of their favourite beverages are in order !! 😊 A job well done in the circumstances.
A interesting moment indeed. I know its easy to say in hindsight what to do but you just need to go real slow through those narrow bits and stop if you are challenged with another vehicle coming your way. They can stop and back up if they have to. If it was a truck & trailer unit he would not move over because of the threat of the edge of the road giving way. It could have been a lot worst and the whole rig slid down the bank to the bottom. Well done to keep your cool it would have been a frightening experience. Such different country (real hills, tight corners and narrow goat tracks etc) to caravan in compared to our open spaces in Australia. Keep the adventures coming😉.
Thanks for the sentiment. The South Island definitely has more challenging roads that the North Island but there are some shockers there as well. My mistake was moving over slightly and not understanding there was a drop off. This road edge is deceptive and all of this has happened before. This video was to highlight this problem and hopefully help others that may never have been to Gentle Annie's and are thinking of going. They should certainly go to this site but also be aware of this edge. Some places it looks like a berm but it is really just grown over.
Your video popped up on my page so thought i'd watch it, could have turned out much worse for you but I think it really boils down to Council's not having enough funding from the Govt and council can only do so much with that meazly budget they get. Maybe petition the Corrections dept and get some of the PD guys/ladies to come in and clear it up some or get a community drive going and do a clear up. Looks a beautiful place tho. Watching it from Taranaki NZ.
The road IS the problem. It is narrow and in holiday season two 2.5m wide caravans meeting like this might not be unusual... so if during holiday seasons light controls were posted at the ends of the road....then traffic could easily avoid these situations....because they would never occur. That's being proactive for safety's sake.
Looks to me you should of held your line and not pulled over at all,made the other vehicle back up as there was plenty of room just in front of you to pass with ease for 2 vehicles ,I thint you need some driver training to operate what you're towing and take some responsibility for you actions & not blame everyone else.
I think the road is dangerous as the verge is not a verge and at this time of year there is a lot of traffic. Today we came back to this site at 4:00pm and had to move for a small bus, so it is possible, in that same section of road as our accident, the bits to the side where you can pull over were non existent. our van is 2500mm wide and the car in the video was at speed and 400mm from the drain which is deeper than he could handle. You are correct but what about those that don't move or slow down? Really I should not have moved.
Yep maybe you are right. So what do you do when the ground looks like a verge? I agree I should have stayed put and stopped but not moved over. Towed this van 15000km so far.
So glad you 2 are ok and the van survived! I know its an off road caravan, but isn't this taking off-road testing too far? That road is desparately in need of a set of traffic lights to allow safe travel both ways. Come on buller district council - sort this out before there is a death or serious injury! At least this time there is video evidence of yet another incident on this road.
To many people in the country now and most are RS drivers from the city way out of their depth on roads like these..I drove milk tankers and truck trailers on way worse than this...But here we are! They need to back up on the road where you had your mischief,two vehicles cannot even pass there!
I should definitely have just stopped. There were camper vans, caravans and cars behind us for as far as we could see. The biggest issue was this was the time everyone is trying to check into the campsite so a lot of traffic all at once. The traffic going in the opposite direction was minimal but quite an issue when they would not stop. Some did stop and move to wider sections but some would not.
Oh well,it's peak bloody Xmas and it's busy and it's a big van ,the Landcruiser held it and lucky some locals with a log skidder and tractor were handy,and remarkable there was virtually no damages!
@@Wilt8v92 The Fire Rescue guys told me it happens a fair bit on both side of the road. That is how they have developed the method to rescue that they used. West Coast practical thinkers.
Glad everyone was ok . Might have been a good idea to worry about the wife before the caravan though . That caravan could have actually pulled that car right over the bank with it . There are some dodgy roads around New Zealand that require careful planning before taking such a big rig there . You have a good case to take this footage to the local council or land transport and tell them this is a dangerous piece of road that needs sorting fast .
As the whole lot would have already gone fairly instantly it could not roll more at that point without some assistance or time. But you are correct I should have got her out sooner. The footage was taken mostly by my wife as the initial footage is dashcam.
Sorry mate, been there dozens of times and the road is fine. You should take responsibility for putting your rig over the side. All you had to do was stop. Sorry for your troubles and hope your van is ok
@@BrianORourke-r6x thanks and you are correct. We were taken back by the quantity of reverse traffic and the numbers of traffic moving opposite to us. Should we not go to Gentle Annie due to our inexperience????
Interesting that you take no responsibility for pulling too far left and putting your caravan down the bank. The road was fine when I was there in November, have towed a caravan up and down it no problem at all.
We are not the only van pulled out this Christmas and the fire rescue also said this is a regular occurrence. I can take responsibility for pulling too far left but how does that stop this happening to others? The reality is it looks like a solid edge so clear the bush along the edge so people can see it is a drop. Secondly at busy times of the year, as it is now, this problem becomes more likely. Your premise is it is my stupidity, that dos not phase me much as I am in the company of many other intellectually challenged people who would definitely fall into the category of having the potential to end up in a similar position. The increase of traffic over the holidays makes this more likely and it is already a proven issue with a history. This issue has less to do with lack of responsibility and is more about preventing the occurance in the first place.
1 way road u got large van in tow lucky it never rolled and pulled vechilce over should be more road signs what would have happened if u met a semi or bd truck
We 100% agree. A one way road with the amount of traffic we witnessed should not be uncontrolled. There are signs saying 35km per hour and slow down or stop when passing. The reality is it is not capable of two vehicles in opposing directions safely. Also if both of those are large then a problem occurs as it is possible neither can reverse easily on most of that road.
@Pelian_Crusaders the problem is not the road. The problem is people who are inexperienced in driving on roads such as this. When we were in there in our 12 metre bus we met a milk tanker coming out no problem.
A good workman raises safety issues with the relevant authority .... only in this case the authority is deaf and blind... Read other comments from those that live nearby...and have tried to get action form the Council... Maybe a little YT publicity if picked up by mainstream news will have an effect in time for Easter...or Labour Weekend...or next Christmas?
A good workman raises safety issues with the relevant authority .... only in this case the authority is deaf and blind... Read other comments from those that live nearby...and have tried to get action form the Council... Maybe a little YT publicity if picked up by mainstream news will have an effect in time for Easter...or Labour Weekend...or next Christmas?
Even if you are watching your passenger side in your mirror you will not always be able to pick where the ground is firm enough & if you don't move over enough for other vehicles to pass you then there is something wrong with you,...me. gawd damn caravanners!
You cannot control the oncoming vehicle so as far as I am concerned you are on the money. Sadly if you dont move the oncoming vehicle at pace probably will hit you anyway.
@@Pelian_Crusaders I have had to do such a thing as a maneuver in a heavy truck a few times not on such an acute drop off but deacceleration from 80kms & keeping it under control is not an easy thing. Both times I could of ended up on my side or even possibly upside down or rolled. With a prime mover & a trailer I kind of see it as more stable than a caravan. The danger is in the significantly greater mass. Of course many factors come into it, what you are carrying & how & where its loaded. Mass aside I feel more confident in controlling 40 to 80+ tones of death & destruction than I do a caravan. In stability I see no comparison. In both situations often the best you can do is keep it as smooth & straight as you can, maybe drop a gear or 2 if you can. You did well to only come out of it with a few scratches & a busted tap fitting. It looked like a pretty challenging angle it stopped on. The 2 tractor operators looked like they had done it a few times before. Not everyone that shows up to help knows what they are doing. Sometimes that kind of help can make things worse. So it can be difficult to keep a cool head In knowing when to say yes & when to say no & how to say it. The last thing you want to do is offend, especially when someone has shown up to help. It is an uncomfortable situation I do not like to find myself in Happy New Year
@@leonkane8240 I think a truck driver would probably encounter bad drivers more than most of us and I thank yu for your words of advise. As you would know people don't like being behind trucks, buses, tractors or any other slow moving vehicle including caravans. We pull over where safe in those situations but when the threat is in front of you at some pace and fairly oblivious to the ability you have to manoeuvre out of their way you need to make a decision quickly. Often, as in this case, a quick decision is a bad decision. The DO35 hitch we had was a contributor to a good outcome as if it was a normal tow ball the van would have tried to roll the car. The left hand chassis rail was on the edge of the drop with the right rail in the air. Hence I steered to the right to expose a longer section of the left rail onto the edge an move the centre of gravity to flip the van right wheels back down. There is a compressor box that sits lower than the chassis rail I expected to damage but somehow the edge got the wheel first and lifted out. If we kept straight we would still be in that drop.
@@Pelian_Crusaders Well I am mindful that most people think they are "good drivers" so I try to be measured in my judgement & criticism, knowing that I have made mistakes & I am far from perfect. I reside in Melbourne AU & more in recent times when I get behind the wheel of any vehicle, I am in a constant state of "fight or flee. It seems the only time I get to enjoy driving is when I get far away from major centers. It seem to me since covid more people have become more aggressive & impatient with each other, hard accelerating & late braking, cutting in & out with no margin & no respect for safe braking distance. I drive a 1981 Hilux 4x4 & it is rather lowly geared & the "high quality humans" get behind me & go out of their mind because I don't have the instant acceleration that their newer vehicles have. I am acutely aware of people's dislike of being behind large & slow moving vehicles. I think it is largely born out of disrespect & impatience. You being totally conscious in turning to the side, is to you credit & I totally agree, it is what I do rather sooner than later. It is better to do that because you don't always know the type of driver coming the other way. But I find people take advantage of that, more now @ least here in AU. With my comment about trying to keep the vehicle straight, you made some interesting points. I was more relating to controlled deacceleration of a road in most cases. You seemed to be @ low speed so I probably should of noted the difference. I have never been in such a situation where the drop off was so steep & my caravan experience is somewhat limited. I agree that you often need to make a quick decision & that can often be a bad decision. I think it is important to be decisive & confident in decision making in such situations. I have the old ball type hitch I am going to look in to the newer types, so thanks for that.
@Pelian_Crusaders yes I used to be a logging contractor so see it a bit, usually on corners though, not on the straights, you need to use your side mirrors, maybe ask someone traveling the same to warn or stop oncoming traffic
You obviously don't need/don't have the skill to control such a massive pretentious rig for just two of you. Should have bought a hiace. Better for your spacial awareness.
Interesting take, shame spatial awareness doesn’t extend to comment sections. Perhaps focus on the content rather than critiquing someone else’s vehicle choice?
Shout those guys some beers! 🍺🍻🍺🍺👏👏👏👏😎🤘 great helpers.
We sorted this on the day
Great to have local help and see you come out ok .. enjoy your holiday and keep safe.
Thanks for the comment
Good old kiwi ingenuity, well done captain and crew of good ol country boys
They were excellent and we were very lucky to have them
It is amazing to remember caravans that were built in the back yard and compare them with the travelling palaces available today..
Ours is a Crusader Prince. Many online comments these days of their faults and most comments are such small issues and generally easy fixed plus often under warrantee. What this proves, based on the fact this van was effectively rolled into trees on its side, these vans are built tough. This van is a composite van except a small amount of the cabinetry and is off road capable. This is not the test I wanted but does prove that point.
@@Pelian_Crusaders ..Oh, I'm sure,! - but they're enormous!
Mate….thanks for sharing this. That was scary canary!! By sharing, you placed yourself at the judgement of others. It was an accident, no need to explain, definitely no need to blame yourself for a decision which appeared correct at the time. By sharing your experience you have no doubt helped others avoid the same issue. Glad you are both safe. Happy travels.
Thanks John. I would rather have an honest channel of our exploits good or bad. Thanks for the sentiment. Its greatly appreciated.
Road looks really good compared to some here in OZ. Problem is big rig narrow road. Glad you escaped with little damage and none hurt.
The problem is it is a main road into a paid campground. It is not in an area where 2 way traffic is unusual or controlled in any fashion. There would not be an issue if the traffic was one way for a period then the opposite way for a period. that is the real issue. We moved to get out of the way of the car and he was avoiding the deep drain on his side. The edge looked like a solid grass edge in that place as the growth was covering it completely. Anyway thankyou for your comment as it is good to try and improve life for us wayward souls. Have a great new year and safe travels.
Wow 😮 We have a 10+m long caravan (2.4m wide) and thought about visiting Gentle Annie. Not sure we want to risk it now.
Glad you both and the van are okay.
We are almost 15m on the road total as you probably are as well. This is not the fault of Gentle Annie but they are ignoring this issue probably because the council will not listen anyway.
That was an amazing recovery given the necesary heavy machinery readily available in that remote part of Buller district.I'm just up the road a bit further in Little Wanganui so have the same dysfunctional council that have allowed a legal 50 year old historic private common drain to be blocked not on my property to knowingly was going to inundate my house with water and cause 100K plus in structural damage.Your well documented example of BDC's ongoing careless reckless behaviour just reinforces what many others in this district already know.My very best wishes for the rest of your journey.
Thank you Neil. The council , not Gentle Annie are the responsible party here in my opinion. They know the amount of traffic this road gets and I assume they also are aware that traffic lights and automatic traffic control would work to save a lot of grief for many who travel that road. You have a great new Year
Unfortunately every bloody council in the country is the same,we are to apathetic and let them get away with it...
Great to see you guys are all ok. May see you on the road one day. Robert and Nicola from Little CamperNZ.
I'm pleased that your prince was recovered. No damage or mess inside I hope.
I live in mine full time of 3 years. Not bad to tow.
Towing is great. It is a wide van so care needed in places. Maybe we can catch up sometime. This video shows how strong these vans are. No damage inside. The fridge even stayed shut.
That DO35 hitch saved the day!
A good advertisement for DO hitches definitely
Great camping ground, great sunset view
It is
Lucky u had a d.o 35 hitch. Good chance to check ya wheel bearings tho! 😅 very lucky to have been able to drive that out too.
The left hand chassis rail was resting on the edge. Driving as much right as possible was the trick to moving the centre of gravity to roll it back. After that just muscle to roll that wheel over the edge. That was at least a 1.7 metre drop, maybe more, before the sloping bank. It looked solid as the growth gave a perception of a verge.
Glad you guys are ok master Bruce!!
Thanks Burger. We are all good but that road is dangerous and needs to be one way at a time. Traffic is two way but the road is not.
Great recovery team, Well done.
Those guys were fantastic and a credit to the fire rescue service of the West Coast of NZ.
happy new year!!!
And you.........
Gidday mate..that was a lucky save, glad some People had with decent machines were able to help.
Good ol Rural New Zealand aye, not always as it seems.
Happy New Years to you and your family.
@@UrbanKiwiana Thanks and a happy new year to you as well. Met the guy who headed the rescue team today at the beach. He pulled another vehicle out yesterday in the same area.
@Pelian_Crusaders +My pleasure and thank you. Geez they definitely need to sort out something like actual pull over areas or widening it a little.
Don't worry about all the Keyboard warriors mate, comes with internet lol.
Have a blessed rest of your week
That road looks in very good condition for a NZ gravel road. 1 thing to take away from this is never trust the grass on side of road (if needed get out and check first)
In hindsight yes, but what about the car coming at me at pace?
You just stop right where you are, then it becomes their problem for however long it takes. I've taken my caravan down that road many times and know it well. The incident should never have happened. Do you have at least a Class 2 licence.@Pelian_Crusaders
@@CliveWallace-bx7rg Just stopping is of course the answer I agree. The foliage disguised the edge and there we even lamp posts that made the verge look solid. We were on the grass edge one wheel width, thats all so to me at the time it should have been fine, obviously it was not. As for the classes of licence, I do not remember any training that the class 2 licence gives you that would tell you not to avoid an accident. we did not pull over by more than a wheel width and that drop was not visible at all.
Did the fellows who pulled you out charge for their services? If not, I think a few cases of their favourite beverages are in order !! 😊 A job well done in the circumstances.
Sorted on the day
A interesting moment indeed. I know its easy to say in hindsight what to do but you just need to go real slow through those narrow bits and stop if you are challenged with another vehicle coming your way. They can stop and back up if they have to. If it was a truck & trailer unit he would not move over because of the threat of the edge of the road giving way. It could have been a lot worst and the whole rig slid down the bank to the bottom. Well done to keep your cool it would have been a frightening experience. Such different country (real hills, tight corners and narrow goat tracks etc) to caravan in compared to our open spaces in Australia. Keep the adventures coming😉.
Thanks for the sentiment. The South Island definitely has more challenging roads that the North Island but there are some shockers there as well. My mistake was moving over slightly and not understanding there was a drop off. This road edge is deceptive and all of this has happened before. This video was to highlight this problem and hopefully help others that may never have been to Gentle Annie's and are thinking of going. They should certainly go to this site but also be aware of this edge. Some places it looks like a berm but it is really just grown over.
Yes it's a bit of a down trout moment. Keep the videos coming. It's great to see our homeland 😊@@Pelian_Crusaders
A good warning thanks.
That is the reason we posted this. Thank you for your comment.
Extreme luck . Subed
Yes it was. Thanks.
Very lucky
Amen to that
The DO35 sure workes
I definitely recommend a DO style coupling. It was a life saver in this case.
Your video popped up on my page so thought i'd watch it, could have turned out much worse for you but I think it really boils down to Council's not having enough funding from the Govt and council can only do so much with that meazly budget they get. Maybe petition the Corrections dept and get some of the PD guys/ladies to come in and clear it up some or get a community drive going and do a clear up. Looks a beautiful place tho. Watching it from Taranaki NZ.
Thats a great idea actually I think.
The road IS the problem.
It is narrow and in holiday season two 2.5m wide caravans meeting like this might not be unusual...
so if during holiday seasons light controls were posted at the ends of the road....then traffic could easily avoid these situations....because they would never occur.
That's being proactive for safety's sake.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk 100% agree
Looks to me you should of held your line and not pulled over at all,made the other vehicle back up as there was plenty of room just in front of you to pass with ease for 2 vehicles ,I thint you need some driver training to operate what you're towing and take some responsibility for you actions & not blame everyone else.
ah yes, it was definitively the drivers fault. not the council or the road. or the campground owners.
We took our 12 metre bus in there without any issues with room for other vehicles to pass.
Good that you weren't hurt though.
I think the road is dangerous as the verge is not a verge and at this time of year there is a lot of traffic. Today we came back to this site at 4:00pm and had to move for a small bus, so it is possible, in that same section of road as our accident, the bits to the side where you can pull over were non existent. our van is 2500mm wide and the car in the video was at speed and 400mm from the drain which is deeper than he could handle. You are correct but what about those that don't move or slow down? Really I should not have moved.
Yep maybe you are right. So what do you do when the ground looks like a verge? I agree I should have stayed put and stopped but not moved over. Towed this van 15000km so far.
Also should this be allowed to continue with drivers like me who try to oblige such a narrow pathway?
So glad you 2 are ok and the van survived! I know its an off road caravan, but isn't this taking off-road testing too far? That road is desparately in need of a set of traffic lights to allow safe travel both ways. Come on buller district council - sort this out before there is a death or serious injury! At least this time there is video evidence of yet another incident on this road.
Absolutely. No denying this is a death waiting to occur.
To many people in the country now and most are RS drivers from the city way out of their depth on roads like these..I drove milk tankers and truck trailers on way worse than this...But here we are! They need to back up on the road where you had your mischief,two vehicles cannot even pass there!
I should definitely have just stopped. There were camper vans, caravans and cars behind us for as far as we could see. The biggest issue was this was the time everyone is trying to check into the campsite so a lot of traffic all at once. The traffic going in the opposite direction was minimal but quite an issue when they would not stop. Some did stop and move to wider sections but some would not.
Oh well,it's peak bloody Xmas and it's busy and it's a big van ,the Landcruiser held it and lucky some locals with a log skidder and tractor were handy,and remarkable there was virtually no damages!
@@Wilt8v92 The Fire Rescue guys told me it happens a fair bit on both side of the road. That is how they have developed the method to rescue that they used. West Coast practical thinkers.
Who was the genius who named this video ?
You my darling Niece
Glad everyone was ok . Might have been a good idea to worry about the wife before the caravan though . That caravan could have actually pulled that car right over the bank with it . There are some dodgy roads around New Zealand that require careful planning before taking such a big rig there . You have a good case to take this footage to the local council or land transport and tell them this is a dangerous piece of road that needs sorting fast .
As the whole lot would have already gone fairly instantly it could not roll more at that point without some assistance or time. But you are correct I should have got her out sooner. The footage was taken mostly by my wife as the initial footage is dashcam.
A skilled operator would have handled the situation quite well.
Sorry mate, been there dozens of times and the road is fine. You should take responsibility for putting your rig over the side. All you had to do was stop. Sorry for your troubles and hope your van is ok
@@BrianORourke-r6x thanks and you are correct. We were taken back by the quantity of reverse traffic and the numbers of traffic moving opposite to us. Should we not go to Gentle Annie due to our inexperience????
Yes I should definitely have just stopped for sure
Interesting that you take no responsibility for pulling too far left and putting your caravan down the bank. The road was fine when I was there in November, have towed a caravan up and down it no problem at all.
I have exactly the same caravan and had no problem taking it in there just year. It is narrow in places but I wouldn't move over for anybody.
@eagle9800 that's the key.
We are not the only van pulled out this Christmas and the fire rescue also said this is a regular occurrence. I can take responsibility for pulling too far left but how does that stop this happening to others? The reality is it looks like a solid edge so clear the bush along the edge so people can see it is a drop. Secondly at busy times of the year, as it is now, this problem becomes more likely. Your premise is it is my stupidity, that dos not phase me much as I am in the company of many other intellectually challenged people who would definitely fall into the category of having the potential to end up in a similar position. The increase of traffic over the holidays makes this more likely and it is already a proven issue with a history. This issue has less to do with lack of responsibility and is more about preventing the occurance in the first place.
I totally agree.
1 way road u got large van in tow lucky it never rolled and pulled vechilce over should be more road signs what would have happened if u met a semi or bd truck
We 100% agree. A one way road with the amount of traffic we witnessed should not be uncontrolled. There are signs saying 35km per hour and slow down or stop when passing. The reality is it is not capable of two vehicles in opposing directions safely. Also if both of those are large then a problem occurs as it is possible neither can reverse easily on most of that road.
@Pelian_Crusaders the problem is not the road. The problem is people who are inexperienced in driving on roads such as this.
When we were in there in our 12 metre bus we met a milk tanker coming out no problem.
A poor workman blames his tools grasshopper.
ok
A good workman raises safety issues with the relevant authority ....
only in this case the authority is deaf and blind...
Read other comments from those that live nearby...and have tried to get action form the Council...
Maybe a little YT publicity if picked up by mainstream news will have an effect in time for Easter...or Labour Weekend...or next Christmas?
A good workman raises safety issues with the relevant authority ....
only in this case the authority is deaf and blind...
Read other comments from those that live nearby...and have tried to get action form the Council...
Maybe a little YT publicity if picked up by mainstream news will have an effect in time for Easter...or Labour Weekend...or next Christmas?
Even if you are watching your passenger side in your mirror you will not always be able to pick where the ground is firm enough & if you don't move over enough for other vehicles to pass you then there is something wrong with you,...me.
gawd damn caravanners!
You cannot control the oncoming vehicle so as far as I am concerned you are on the money. Sadly if you dont move the oncoming vehicle at pace probably will hit you anyway.
@@Pelian_Crusaders I have had to do such a thing as a maneuver in a heavy truck a few times not on such an acute drop off but deacceleration from 80kms & keeping it under control is not an easy thing.
Both times I could of ended up on my side or even possibly upside down or rolled.
With a prime mover & a trailer I kind of see it as more stable than a caravan. The danger is in the significantly greater mass.
Of course many factors come into it, what you are carrying & how & where its loaded.
Mass aside I feel more confident in controlling 40 to 80+ tones of death & destruction than I do a caravan. In stability I see no comparison.
In both situations often the best you can do is keep it as smooth & straight as you can, maybe drop a gear or 2 if you can.
You did well to only come out of it with a few scratches & a busted tap fitting. It looked like a pretty challenging angle it stopped on.
The 2 tractor operators looked like they had done it a few times before. Not everyone that shows up to help knows what they are doing. Sometimes that kind of help can make things worse.
So it can be difficult to keep a cool head In knowing when to say yes & when to say no & how to say it. The last thing you want to do is offend, especially when someone has shown up to help. It is an uncomfortable situation I do not like to find myself in
Happy New Year
@@leonkane8240 I think a truck driver would probably encounter bad drivers more than most of us and I thank yu for your words of advise. As you would know people don't like being behind trucks, buses, tractors or any other slow moving vehicle including caravans. We pull over where safe in those situations but when the threat is in front of you at some pace and fairly oblivious to the ability you have to manoeuvre out of their way you need to make a decision quickly. Often, as in this case, a quick decision is a bad decision. The DO35 hitch we had was a contributor to a good outcome as if it was a normal tow ball the van would have tried to roll the car. The left hand chassis rail was on the edge of the drop with the right rail in the air. Hence I steered to the right to expose a longer section of the left rail onto the edge an move the centre of gravity to flip the van right wheels back down. There is a compressor box that sits lower than the chassis rail I expected to damage but somehow the edge got the wheel first and lifted out. If we kept straight we would still be in that drop.
@@Pelian_Crusaders Well I am mindful that most people think they are "good drivers" so I try to be measured in my judgement & criticism, knowing that I have made mistakes & I am far from perfect.
I reside in Melbourne AU & more in recent times when I get behind the wheel of any vehicle, I am in a constant state of "fight or flee.
It seems the only time I get to enjoy driving is when I get far away from major centers. It seem to me since covid more people have become more aggressive & impatient with each other, hard accelerating & late braking, cutting in & out with no margin & no respect for safe braking distance.
I drive a 1981 Hilux 4x4 & it is rather lowly geared & the "high quality humans" get behind me & go out of their mind because I don't have the instant acceleration that their newer vehicles have.
I am acutely aware of people's dislike of being behind large & slow moving vehicles. I think it is largely born out of disrespect & impatience.
You being totally conscious in turning to the side, is to you credit & I totally agree, it is what I do rather sooner than later. It is better to do that because you don't always know the type of driver coming the other way. But I find people take advantage of that, more now @ least here in AU.
With my comment about trying to keep the vehicle straight, you made some interesting points. I was more relating to controlled deacceleration of a road in most cases. You seemed to be @ low speed so I probably should of noted the difference.
I have never been in such a situation where the drop off was so steep & my caravan experience is somewhat limited.
I agree that you often need to make a quick decision & that can often be a bad decision. I think it is important to be decisive & confident in decision making in such situations.
I have the old ball type hitch I am going to look in to the newer types, so thanks for that.
Thanks Leon
Not the roads fault, poor driving skills
And many of us have that same problem. One day i aspire to be at your standard but time is running out.
@Pelian_Crusaders yes I used to be a logging contractor so see it a bit, usually on corners though, not on the straights, you need to use your side mirrors, maybe ask someone traveling the same to warn or stop oncoming traffic
park fark 😬
Do you know google translate translated that to parking difference, go figure....
Good old locals ❤
Coasters are wonderful!!!!
You obviously don't need/don't have the skill to control such a massive pretentious rig for just two of you. Should have bought a hiace. Better for your spacial awareness.
@@waronwoke ok. It took 35000 km to realise that so thanks. I am not sure how your life is but it is certainly pretentious.
Thanks for the comment however.
@@Pelian_Crusaders
Trolls like him unfortunately abound in YT.
He hasn't moved out of his mother's basement so we will, of course, forgive him...
Interesting take, shame spatial awareness doesn’t extend to comment sections. Perhaps focus on the content rather than critiquing someone else’s vehicle choice?