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15 Passenger Vans


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Posted

I was overtaking a vehicle, on I-10, pulling a U-Haul trailer at very slow speed when I noticed the trailer was swaying all over the place. I knew exactly what was wrong so I pulled up beside the guy, rolled down my passenger window and yelled, "You have to much weight in the back end of your trailer". Presently, I saw the man pull off on the shoulder. That's all you need to do, move the stuff toward the front. When I'm pulling hay, equipment, whatever, on a trailer I always make the load heavier at the front end of the trailer. Even when loading my pickup truck I do the same; problem solved. I have, for instance, a homemade utility trailer given to me by a friend. Whoever built the trailer centered the axle in the bed. It looks all nice and symmetrical,  but that's not the way to design a trailer because when I pull the trailer empty, it sways terribly. When hauling it empty, all I have to do is put a couple of concrete cinder blocks in the front and it stops swaying. Then I can pull it 60mph with no problem.

 

It's the same principle with any vehicle. But the 15 passenger "church bus" vans have the rear axle way too far forward, like my homemade trailer, and when people sit in the back of a partially loaded one, it makes the van extremely unstable. The extra weight in the rear, made possible simply by the axle position, causes the rear to sway just like the Uhaul trailer mentioned above. I also used to drive our church bus and transported a lot of kids, so I know first hand. . I would not recommend one of these things to any church because it's a very poor and dangerous design. But if you have to drive one of these things, always, always make the kids move up front, especially at higher speeds on an open highway. I'm not saying that's what happened in the accident below, but again, having operated one of these I know how they handle on the road. IMO, a rear tire blowout should not make a vehicle lose control like this one did...........

 

http://www.chipleypaper.com/news/local/family-schools-grieve-victims-of-church-van-wreck-1.237087

 

http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4701401250463857&pid=1.7

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Posted

It's not that the axle was set forward but that the cab was extended well beyond the rear differential to create more internal space.  I used to transport prisoners in those types and when lightly loaded, everyone sat on or in front of the rear axle.  Our church buses are operated the same way, we even have one of those Fords in your picture.

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Posted

No more turning radius than a school bus. :) A school bus also has dual wheels and if one does have a blowout in a rear tire, it's not as likely to cause a flip-over. I still say the axle is too far forward I proportion to the length and capacity of the vehicle, and they should have dual rear wheels too.

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Posted

I recall once years ago on I-40 around Cookville, TN, I got behind a car pulling a popup camper & it was swaying all over the place, he would slow down somewhat, stop sawing, the speed back up, did this several times & I feared getting close to him. I was wanting to pass him & go on, yet I feared he would start swaying & hit me. I followed him about 8 to 10 miles & was I a happy trucker when he pulled off to the side of I-40.

 

His problem, he had a small car with a big popup camper, & he was in a big hurry. May have been in a hurry to get to the cemetery with him & his family, seems there was the husband, wife, & three children in that car, that popup camper was at times swaying halfway into the left lane them halfway off the shoulder of I-40. Never will forget that incident back in the late 70's.

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