Date:         Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:16:24 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: How much weight can I carry?
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <0c6a01cbec05$8aad0ea0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 3:31 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> in Germany do they allow large dogs loose
> inside a passenger car while driving ?
> A large animal in a car, unsecured, could be quite lethal as a
> flying/flailing object in a serious car crash.
> I'd think they would have laws about that in Germany ..
>

  Loose objects in a crash are lethal.  An acquaintance was killed in a
highspeed multiple roll over in his Mercedes in an Open Road Rally in Texas
about 6yrs ago.  He had a cage and helmet and six-point harness but his fire
extinguisher bottle came loose (it was in a plastic mount..they changed that
to require metal..after..)  and flew around inside as he rolled at ~150mph
after going off the road.  It stuck him in the liver or speen and he died in
the Medivac copter.

  At non-racing Track days (they are sometimes called Drivers Education
days) or Lapping days, where enthusiast clubs rent road course tracks and
allow street cars to go fast, with many restrictions....one of the most
important things they check in the rigorous tech inspection before you are
allowed on track,  is that all loose objects are out of the car.

  If I could ever get my Vanagon moving like a racecar..and it did
roll....wow, it would be a hazardous place inside, indeed,  with all the
stuff that would certainly get loose...I think I will at least double up the
latch on my rear seat...if all those spare parts started flying around in a
roll over...bad deal....

  I don't think I could teach my big Bull Chesapeake to wear a seat belt,
though...He's got a head like a 30lb river rock...that would hurt...me, not
him.