We’ve had no problem driving around Australia for the past couple of weeks. But as a former bus driving instructor, I’ve keyed into many nuances that differentiate Aussie rules of the road from those we’re used to.
Even though we’ve been doing fine, we thought it would be a great idea to learn all we can from a local professional. So we stopped by the David Barnes Driving School in the greater Brisbane area to interview the owner. David confirmed many things we were already pretty sure of, but we also learned that everything Down Under isn’t always as it seems.
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Patrice and Kirk Wilde
Monday 25th of April 2016
Hi to you both down under: I've been following you quietly for awhile now - found you from the Wynn's site. I am wondering what is your opinion on 1. cell and wifi boosters - which do you recommend and 2. what type of braking device do you use on your tow vehicle. We recently had our Brake Buddy melt down - both motor and compressor. We were lucky that it did not start a fire in our vehicle - one beep was all we got as warning while we were driving and we had no idea what the beep was. The manufacturer will not ship parts, does not allow anyone to sell them. The only way to get the braking device fixed is to ship it to Kansas for repair because "it's a safety device." Needless to say, because we have no idea of the cost and are not confident it wouldn't happen again, we're not so keen on doing this or in buying another Brake Buddy.
TheRVgeeks
Monday 25th of April 2016
Welcome Patrice & Kirk! Our toad braking system is 13 years old and no longer made. If you have a diesel rig, we'd suggest looking at the Air Force One braking system. We have no personal experience with it, but our research has led us to the conclusion that if we were to need to replace our current system, it would be on our short list. It's not cheap, but appears very worthy of consideration: https://smibrake.com/towed-vehicle-braking-systems/air-force-one.php
Hope this helps.
John S.
Monday 25th of April 2016
Good information. The way you explain and highlight the different lines at 5:43 makes this video another gem.