Dear Editor,
You have probably run something on this in the past, but I felt I had to say it again.
While sitting behind a trailer, leaving a station in Deming, New Mexico, I observed a family, in a blue caravan with Washington plates, approach with their signal light indicating a right turn. Since the street we were sitting in was the only right turn for about a two hundred yards either side of the truck stop, I expected the van to turn.
In my usual style, I made my comment, "He has been signaling for a block, pull out." Just then the trailer pulled out and started its left turn. The van seemed to slow and then suddenly swerved to the right nearly taking off the front of my rig. Looking horrified at the trailer, the driver of the van and his wife looked back as if to say, "You idiot, we were right there." The children in the caravan were thrown around, but luckily an accident was avoided.
Shortly after, driving on I-10 toward Tucson, an 18 wheeler, with his right signal flashing approached a pull off. A driver waiting to pull onto the roadway proceeded to pull out and the 18 wheeler nearly sideswiped the other rig.
We often see drivers, impervious to everything around them on the road and the added, "forgotten," flashing turn signal light only adds to the danger. Be sure to check your turn signals. After changing lanes is one of the easiest times to "forget" to turn it off and who knows, you might just save a life.
Richard Hughes
Tucson, AZ
Reader seeks advice about covering his RV
Dear Editor,
I have a 35' 2004 Winnebago Sightseer that when not being used, sits under
trees. I really can't afford a custom cover and I have been trying to rig
some tarps over it, but I need some tips as how to tie the tarps down along
the sides. I'm using 20x10 foot tarps that will be laced together with about
4 foot or so hanging over the sides. It's there that I can't figure out how
to secure the tarps from wind.
Thanks,
Norm Daudelin
Editor's response:
Most RV technicians do not advise covering an RV with a blue (or other color) tarp. They can cause damage. Here's a short video on the topic.
