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Post by seanrua on Nov 27, 2013 13:41:36 GMT
Please excuse my obvious ignorance here, but on these German-built ( I think) Dethleff motorhomes, is the only way into the habitation area via the outside door on the right-hand side?
I feel I have been mistaken in thinking that access from cab to back body was possible without having to get out and go back to the habitation door. Now I suppose there must be some sort of bulkhead or divider wall - as on proper lorries.
My memory is failing, but I'm sure on that Swift thing the son and I had we could get through behind the front seats. Dunno, 'twas ages ago.
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Post by Firefox on Nov 27, 2013 14:37:57 GMT
There's a lot of different models in current range. Most seem to have access from the cab as well as swivel seats on some. www2.dethleffs.de/gb/motorhomes/03_advantage.php Check out the models tab - some have 360 views too. Habitation door is on right hand side. Don't fancy it on the motorway, but looking at recent tragic accident pics, if your numbers up when on the hard shoulder, it doesn't matter which side the door is on
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Post by seanrua on Nov 27, 2013 17:14:28 GMT
Thanks, Firefox.
Apparently, the reason they didn't get out was bc they didn't fancy getting the dogs out via the habitation door which was near the live lane. I suppose they would have wanted to get them out within the crates.
I cannot picture the set-up, as Carrie said the poor Russian girl was sitting behind them ( ie nearest the traffic). Still don't understand, really.
Apparently, they had the hazzard lights on, so perhaps it would have made not one iota of difference had the gavvers, the Highway Agency, and the biggest recovery truck in the world been present. That said, some have pointed out that one thing that does slow motorway traffic is flashing blue lights.
All very sad. Not made any better by daft remarks, imo. 'Twould be no surprise to me were Ajax and Derek's clone from the North to go off on one about the "dimwits" in the police force etc ( his description, not mine). That said, I am left wondering where were the boys in blue. My guess is that that time of the morning is shift-changing time. No bggr wants to do much at such times, though, in fairness, the place was absolutely swarming with emergency services AFTER the smash.
All in all, none of the events of this tragedy have given me much confidence in these here left-hand-drive ICVs. But that's just me. Perhaps, I'm biased.
Btw, their number wasn't up; this was just a warning, which may be even worse. Your point about it is correct, however, imo.
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Post by Firefox on Nov 27, 2013 17:41:16 GMT
Well, I think I was blaming the RAC when I shouldn't have been. The original report stated the RAC refused to recover them because of the dogs, whereas this was totally untrue,and the RAC were sending a truck, but had difficulty locating a bigger one at short notice. This is a problem with bigger coachbuilts though I find at 5.4m long and 3300 kg mine fits on many of the smaller rigs.
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Post by seanrua on Nov 28, 2013 8:16:28 GMT
From what I can gather, the smashed MH was 28ft long and wighing between 4 and 5 tons. Re breakdown services, it is ironic that they must have passed at least three on their way from Buckingham - two of which are almost within walking distance of the crash scene.
Life has some strange twists and turns!
--
Although I'm running late, I'm off to Newbury races now, so there won't be a peep out of me for several days.
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