Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 07:19:02 -0700
Reply-To: John Klun <jklun@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Klun <jklun@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: center of gravity and handling in wind / Stay Out of the Wind
In-Reply-To: <160.2d8c34c6.2d9d0305@aol.com>
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Please do not ever draft an 18 wheeler without asking permission first
from the driver of the truck. (That's one of the uses of a CB radio).
My wife and I have done a lot of cross country driving in our time
including drafting fast moving big rigs. A driver once told us at a
truck stop they do not like anyone drafting them because they can't see
them in their rear views. By the same token, the draftee (you) can't
see anything but the ass end of the rig in front. If you intend to
draft, call the driver on your CB first and ask permission. If he says
yes then go ahead but follow his instructions. It's for your own
safety. We once drafted a big rig for 400 miles across New Mexico with
the driver's permission. We asked first and he instructed us on how
close to get to him, to watch his brake lights (he worked out signals
with us) and to enjoy the ride. We were in a small Chevy van and you
know the van was moving around but that was the only time our van got 22
mpg and we were traveling between 60-80 mph the whole way. Several
times the driver signaled for us to drop back for various reasons (one
of them for a state trooper heading the other way) and another time for
heavier traffic. Overall, that was one of the most memorable rides
we've ever had. We talked with the driver on the CB and the time went
by real fast and it was pleasant. I learned an awful lot about driving
during that 400 miles from the trucker.
Many drivers of the big rigs don't really want the responsibility of
having someone drafting. You can get a sort of draft if you hang back
about 2-3 seconds behind the rig- enough to feel the yawing of the van
but far enough away that you're not ticking the driver off. 10-12 years
ago, a New Hampshire woman driving a Volvo was killed when she began
drafting a big rig on one of the major interstates. The driver of the
rig was a woman. The NH woman didn't have a CB and fell in behind the
rig. The driver tried to shake the woman off and finally drove over the
rocky shoulder in the passing lane spraying the Volvo with loads of
crushed rock. The woman in the Volvo lost control and flipped in the
median. The rig driver was tried and convicted of vehicular
manslaughter and served time. The witnesses to this event testified
that the rig driver didn't stop after the Volvo flipped but just kept
going. This is an extreme example of how some rig drivers don't want
anyone drafting them.
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