Thread: convoy discipline....

Originally Posted by vnx205

If we all keep imagining different scenarios, we will all keep coming up with different sets of rules; each one of which will probably suit that situation admirably.

Exactly.
What rules are needed is governed by where you're going and what you're doing. So long as everyone on the trip is reading from the same book (so to speak), then it should be fine. I'm sure over time some of the more common rules will just develop into habits. Then you'll forget that they were once rules, and think, geez, isn't that just common sense?

Originally Posted by vnx205

And how many are too many?
More than are necessary for safety, enjoyment, and regard for the environment and your vehicle.

If we all keep imagining different scenarios, we will all keep coming up with different sets of rules; each one of which will probably suit that situation admirably.

Bit hard sometimes to enjoy a trip where people dont have rules to keep them going.

2hrs waiting for a vehical to move off a track to allow a winched vehical to recover him was just a pain in the bum a few years back on a trip I went on up at Mt Stirling and regardless of what anyone said he didnt want to play by any rules.

He was told not to take that line but he was more extreme than everyone else,

He was asked to wait and get snached back but got himself in a position which made that too dangerous so then one of the other vehicals had to drive all the way down the track and allow all the other vehicals in front of him out and the winch back up, winch him out and then reverse back down a track that he had needed to winch up.

Rules are there for safety and so everyone has a good time as well as to look after the enviroment and your vehical.

I suppose that if you dont like the rules you dont have to come in most cases but in the situation of a convoy there has to be some basic rules that must apply.
If it's just a couple of you then you generally work it out as you go along.


Nothing like a bit of ACA editing to make it sound like I was having a go and meaning something I wasnt.

Thats what I posted and there is nothing there about specific rules per every situation, as I highlighted a basic set of rules and if you dont like the word rules then maybe Guidlines might be better suited.

No offence taken, just a pet hate as I have been quoted out of context a few times which has ended up in a crap fest.

Agree with all of it Dave, We use TEC to close gates behind, All vehicles MUST have a working UHF, and the lights idea, a good one which I may bring up @ the next club trip... But the big thing that gets up my nose is finding a UHF channel these days that isn't filled with foul mouthed scum. Because we are usually close enough on club trips we all use ch10, but even then we here yocal traffic and some of it is definately NOT child friendly

JC

McRover
I didn't think I was misrepresenting your argument.
I was just trying to keep the quote short enough so there was some chance people would take the time to read my post.
I guess when you do that there is always the danger that you will leave out what the original poster thought was the key point.
Sorry.

BTW What is ACA editing?

McRover
OK, I think I have just worked out what has happened here.

I wanted to suggest that there was really quite a lot of common ground in the posts so far.
I chose your post because it was a recent one that I wanted to agree with. I could have chosen a dozen others, but yours was the most recent one that suited my purpose.

After carefully rereading both your post and mine I can see why it looks as if I am putting words in your mouth.

What I intended as a general comment looks as if it is aimed at you specifically. I can quite understand why you wanted to clarify your position.

Rules are rules and most of us have been living by them all our life.

It starts by having the cr*p belted out of you if you don't comply when a child, along to self discipline later in life.

Rules are generally given for a purpose, and in this post of Dave's, for safety of the convoy.

It is simply really, those who don't like rules, don't have to join the group convoy.

It is a free Country, unless Rudd takes over

Originally Posted by vnx205

And how many are too many?
More than are necessary for safety, enjoyment, and regard for the environment and your vehicle.

If we all keep imagining different scenarios, we will all keep coming up with different sets of rules; each one of which will probably suit that situation admirably.

More than this many

Originally Posted by Redback
Our convoy proceedures

1) Wait at intersections

2) have fun and talk on the UHF about anything

3) one vehicle to carry a chainsaw

4) bring lunch

Baz.


Baz.

I don't mean to ACA edit; I'm selecting quotes only so I don't have to type a long winded novel myself

Originally Posted by weeds

not sure about keeping the car behind in view all the time....i quite often dropped back well out of view of the car infront because of the dust (no air-con with windows down), i relied on the car in front stopping and waitng at an intersection where we needed to turn

Agreed, I like a big stopping distance from the car in front as some people tend to habitually drive like it's rush hour traffic whereas I like to roll on, roll off.

Secondly, a dust free track lets me see the terrain, plus, although the car is A/C'ed I prefer windows down.

Originally Posted by Utemad

I prefer headlights on at all times as it helps distinguish who is in the convoy and who isn't.
Agreed.
Plus you can see the vehicles easier especially in winding bush tracks. In the dust we had on the weekend I noticed some people using fog lights (I did). Even with the red rear fog lights blazing it was difficult to see vehicles at times.
Agreed, appropriate use of lights in poor visibility is sensible & law. Inapropriate use of fog lights is becoming ever more frequent tho, but I've already bitched about that here before.
My pet hate when on a 4wd trip is people using handheld low wattage UHFs in vehicles. It doesn't take much of a gap in the convoy or a hill to render them useless. Worse still is to have no UHF at all. Sure handhelds can be cheaper but a full power set is a must have in my opinion.
Agreed, but see below
I do agree with slowing to allow the vehicle behind you watch you drive an obstacle though. This speeds things up immensely as people don't need to walk sections over and over. Although if you always have the vehicle behind you in view then that isn't a problem.
Agreed, see below
In our club as far as following goes we tend to just wait at turns for the following car to come as opposed to keeping in view at all times. Less dust and means people aren't too bunched up and constantly slowing speeding up etc. If you aren't too far apart then when a vehicle slows to tackle an obstacle then the vehicle behind will probably catch up then anyway.

Agreed, as at top.

Originally Posted by Loaded

As BLKnight mentioned above : predefinition of an obstacle or prop point is all thats needed (I use the errosion control humps as a prop point because its possable to have a vehicle stopped on one without the brakes on and in no danger of rolling away)

Its a point in the track usually in a more difficult section say very steep assent or decents where part of the way up the track a vehicle can safely stop generally where the track fattens out for a few meters or a big root or safe rock you can rest on where the vehicle is stable.
Then when he sees the car in front move on and the tracks clear he can call the following car to travel up to the safe point he is now leaving from.
If you can establish these points on very long steep hill climbs it makes it a lot safer to have a vehicle not to far away from you at the front and rear so if a recovery is needed it will make it a little easier.

It's been said but this is also an important signal to the following vehicle that there is a change of terrain for the worse and that they must stop & wait until car in front is clear in case of need to retreat (and that may sometimes be fast & unexpected!).
Comes into the same realm as tailgating really.

Originally Posted by JamesH

I remember one difficult(ish) stretch out the back of Mt Augustus, not too bad a road but a lot of dust. It was hilly and quite narrow with lots of blind bends. There were work crew on the road and the odd vehicle coming up the other way. So the lead car was giving advice on what was up front, camber of the road etc. Anyway we had some newbies with us in their Kia (don't laugh, it got them to where we wanted to go) and we thought that the occasional,"thanks mate" would have been polite when the warnings came through about oncoming trucks, potholes etc.
We pulled over for a cuppa and I pointedly asked if their radio wasn't working properly becasue we had not heard from them. "Oh we switched it off because the baby was sleeping"

To a point, in a small group, say 2 or 3.
However, calling every single oncoming car/pothole/whatever is not neccesary on a public sealed road in a large group strung out for several KMs, it just becomes absurd. Only need to call for something out of the ordinary, say a rockfall, or someone going a bit quick & using all the road, or a heavy truck climbing/descending a range in bog cog.
I've certainly been known to turn the set down in these instances.. Your friend may have just it impolite to say 'shut up & let me read the road'. Sometimes it's enough to say the road is poor or notorious for XYZ scenario, so keep your wits about you.

Originally Posted by mcrover

He was told not to take that line but he was more extreme than everyone else,
He was asked to wait and get snached back but got himself in a position which made that too dangerous so then one of the other vehicals had to drive all the way down the track and allow all the other vehicals in front of him out and the winch back up, winch him out and then reverse back down a track that he had needed to winch up.

Agreed. This comes down to courtesy & common sense really. The majority rules in a group. If everyone (almost) went out for a drive expecting it to be a mild day out then don't expect others to waste their time pulling you from every trap you insist on putting yourself in. Conversely, if the trip is intended to go looking for trouble, don't bring the RAV4.



[Maxwell Smart voice] Hmmm, would you believe a small novel, a magazine, how 'bout a pamphlet of opinionated propaganda?