Who were the Road train cowboys??? Winton to Longreach Qld Roadtrain 9th July 20

Hi all We have just got back from 10weeks away,you should have a word to these road train drivers, they are pretty bleep off by fellow travellers like us who camp overnight in their truck stops. The other night in the Toompine Hotel I spoke to a local land owner who had trouble getting in his own front gate as someone had camped at his grid. This year we got five stars on our windscreen but the alternative is to stay home. Regards to all fellow travellers

Ease up a bit mate, not all 4wdrivers are doing the damage that you claim ! Yes there are cowboys out there, but they are in the minority. I've towed a caravan myself on many trips, the outback included, and have seen as many donkeys towing vans as they do campers. You get just as many idiots towing and driving all sorts of vehicles and vans etc....
Don't tar everyone with the same brush.



NevilleD
4WD owner and tower of a caravan and sometimes camper trailer.

Peter

Up until last weekend I would have agreed with you about those towing campers,,,,but,, last weekend we travelled from Halls Creek to the Wolfe creek crater and several campers and 4wd's past us in the opposite direction and each time I slowed down they did they same. We basically passed each other at 50kph.

I was amazed, as I really thought they would drive past at around 80/90.

Hi Fred,
As a former road train driver I have seen a fair bit. I would suggest to anyone who encounters road trains on dirt roads to give them room and even pull up in the table drain until they pass. I have done the same in my truck when I come across cattle trains as they are top heavy. The same applies on single lane bitumen roads, pull over and let them go. I even had a motorbike abuse me at a single lane bridge, a triple roadtrain full of bananas coming downhill to a single lane bridge should give way to a motorbike I think not. Common sense, pull over let the truck go by, then on your way simple. Cheers Mick

Michael and Chris
Well put, all it needs is common sense.


.

well said there Joe.
I know that road very well, have spent alot of time on it ( we used to live around Winton) and the road train drivers are always very courteous when you do the right thing.
Also, you can see them coming for a long way before you get to them, and if you came up to them on a section of roadworks with gravel, you would definately pull over and let them go. Much easier to pull up and get going again in a 4wd, than a triple.
hopefully the original poster takes the experience on board and remembers next time.

Cheers

Hear hear!

Are you seriously Trying to blame the Government ?

The way I read this post was that the speeding RT's were in a road works area, space did not enter into it and even if they were stopped a shower of stones still damages a vehicle nearby. A normal semi would have a similar result, a RT multiplies the effect x 3.

cheers Colin

Which part of 60 kph zone dont you understand.

How do y6ou know they where doing more then 60, any road train coming towards you appears to be travelling qa lot faster then they are. See the excellent reply my Mick above

I agree the roads are Crap out there at the moment.

They are doing their best to repair the damage as best as they can.

We learnt from experience towing caravans in the out back years ago, pull over where possible and let them carry on about their business.

Our caravan has a Van Bra on it to stop the stone damage and it does the job quite well, it's easy to put on and remove.

The majority of Truckies out there do a great job, I usually call them on the CB and let them know in advance what my intentions are re: giving them the road or letting them know when they are comming up behind me to call when they want to pass, they appreciate the courtesy and most times will thank you.

I just think we are passing through their districts as visitors and leave it at that.

I will take wayne b2's explanation of high speed to mean a little more than 60kph.
I agree with micks comments as i used to drive road trains myself, but as mentioned before not all people who steer trucks should be classed as truck drivers.

Hopbush,
Why would 3 roadtrains travelling together make any difference. They don't travel bumper to bumper or are you saying that they are throwing rocks at each other. Generally cattletrains leave some distance between each other as a smell buffer. Anyhow as you said experience is a great teacher, and most people learn how to share the road with roadtrains pretty quick.

Rule number 2 when traveling on dirt or narrow roads..... the biggest has the right of way.

Like

My husband drove quads last hitch and now back to tripple out Innamincka way the stories he comes home with. There is so many stupid people around that dont understand they cant get off the road as easy as cars. He did it once and had to spend the night bogged and waited for the mud to dry a bit to get him self out. No tow trucks out there.

Coming from both sides of the fence I stick to these rules as it's safer for both parties.

People don't think with roadtrains... drop a wheel off on the last trailer and there's a chance it will put the other trailers and prime mover on it's side or send it bush or rip a tank or tyre off.

Yeah getting stuck is a problem and it can cost the operator weeks of work just to pay for the recovery and then there are the other problems like live stock waiting on board and with tankers the chance of fuel leaking and at worst tipping over.

No only if that tourist had pulled over for a few minutes and everyone would of been happy.

Some people on holidays just don't think about other road users, all they worry about is setting up before dark, where are they going to camp and look at that pretty hill over there plus most do one or two trips a year in the country and don't have common road sense.

When traveling as a tourist as soon as we see a large amount of dust we find a spot to pull over and it's a good chance to have a look around, check the vehicle and have a break.

re rule 1
I dont know of too many roads 50m wide let alone pull 50 mtrs off the road.

If you used half your brain YOU would have gotten off the road , was only a week ago that on that roadworks section a a 3 trailer loaded cattle train became bogged for over 24hrs due to a terrorist [ tourist ] thinking that they own the road because A: towing a c/van and B: I'm on holidays and can do whatever I like as I have plenty of time so trucks can just sit behind my 80klm per hr in the 100klm zone. If you don't want your Toorak 4x4 damaged stay in Toorak !1

Even if there was no where to pull over you should have stopped.

The rocks thrown up by the RT's aren't doing 60 KPH - the rocks have simply been lifted from the ground by the RT wheels/tyres - and YOU have run into them from the opposite direction at 60 KPH !

If you had been stopped when the RT's passed then you would not have sustained all the damage.

I will get kicked for the following:-

How do you stop on a Major Highway without any verge to move on to.
I drive and tow with a 2002 AU Falcon wagon , live in suburban NSW not Toorak drive with cruise control @ 90 kph, except in slower speed areas

Rocks hit cars and vans when at a stop as well, so all negative replies I say to you GO bleep YOURSELVES, and read before commenting. I am not a dementing Grey Nomad, Just turned 55.

My original post was to make people aware of this danger.

Great site for finding coordinates and places.

Usual bleep Heads in forum.

Thanks I will get barred now but to all the ignorant I repeat
GO bleep YOURSELVES

Alloy - That was not called for - If the situation was as described then the trucks were in the wrong and need to pay for the damage.

And Polaris - Ive pulled off the road 20m one day when there were road trains heading my way at speed on Road Works (it was very rocky) - I ended up with the rock the size of my fist going through the windscreen totally destroying it and put a rip in my passenger seat. It was only luck my wife was too sick for the trip.

Now at 60k that is much less likely to happen and after all it was the posted leagal speed limit.

So both of you can offer your apologies :-)


Cheers Tony

wayne b2 - I'll back you up and those reply's you got are only worth binning as well as their attitude

Cheers Tony

Wayne it happens and there is no use getting cranky, we got showed with rocks by a female drive in a sparkling NEW black Ford Ranger towing a camper trailer last year on the road going into Lake Eyre...... One stone hit our windscreen and cracked it.

The sign posted speed was 60 K/ph and she was doing a lot more then that.

If your going to travel on country roads sealed or non sealed, road works or not you have to expect damage and yes it is frustrating and can leave a sour taste in you mouth.

Wayne we do 1000's of kilometers a year on bad unsealed roads and the main thing that stops us getting damage is ourselves taking evasive action.

If these trucks were kicking up that much dust surly you would of seen them coming from a distance and could of pulled of the road.

I think you might have to put this one down as a expensive experience and next time you will no what to do.

No don't get me wrong and I'm not having a go at you but you drive a AU Falcon towing a van meaning that you unsealed or poor road experience may be lacking as compared to others on this site who travel on dirt or poor roads more.

Most people traveling outback roads know the danger and act accordingly.

I feel sorry for you but please don't take it personally.

One thing nobody can be sure of is if the trucks were traveling a the sign posted speed would you of still got sprayed with stones and rock, we have had a cracked windscreen on a wide section of unsealed road where our vehicle and the other vehicle was traveling at 25 K/ph BUT we have passed many going a lot fasted and got no damage.

I sympathies with you as this is the exception not the rule as far as Road Trains are concerned. I drove over this road a week or so ago and you are correct there is no where to get off and three Road Trains in a row would be scary.

Tonyfish ,pray tell WHY and WHAT damage should these road trains pay for , its called wear and tear , if you dont like it leave your car and c/van in the garage at home, do you really believe that a road train throws rocks at oncomming vehicles on purpose.

Alloy - If In the process of breaking the law and if this was the case, then all the damage.

If the speed limit was being done, then its just plain bad luck and you cop it.

Councils pay out for windscreens every day because of slashing roadsides

Cheers Tony

Now how do we know they were breaking the law?

One roadtrain looks faster then at the same speed as a car let alone three.

Even police have problems getting visual speeds right.

One thing people may not know but I should mention is with a roadtrain and particularly a tripple is the back trailer often wobbles all over the place. The way to keep it straight is to accelerate, and while under power the rear trailer will straighten up. Maybe the drivers were doing you a favour and saving you from getting side swiped. Mick

Bruce,

I saw your version of pulling off the road when towing Vicki Easter last year, I was behind you and I am still waiting for the vehicle to come the other way ;) or was that just an Old Timers moment hehehehe

Cheers Kev