Maybe not exactly tech but... I was wondering if anyone on the forum was currently driving a right hand drive cruiser in the US. I was curious how hard it was to get used to and if it was difficult to go back and forth between LHD and RHD. Thanks, BC
Who drives a RHD cruiser in the US?
- Thread starter Bad Chicken
- Start date
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I had an English BMW it was odd at first, pulling away from the curb is harder but I never had a problem. getting out/into the car was cool on the street side.
HZJ60 Guy
Tank Buster
There are a few guys who have "gotten" JDM's into the US and are driving them around.... Not to many though.
I plan on getting one sometime in the next 10 years....Hopefully I will and its not too awkward to learn, that is one reason I was so pissed that Tofudebeest destroyed sheila....oh well. I would assume its not too bad, the tranny is the same shift pattern as a LHD so you would just have to get used to shifting with your left hand!
I drove an Aussie 45 Xtra cab 45 pickup for 2 years. It was my daily driver and I put a ton of miles on it. It is fairly easy to get used to driving a RHD. A lot of people think that the pedals are backwards but they are not. The only thing backwards is the turn signals.
Parallel parking is a snap.
I had no problems with it except for going back to a LHD vehicle. I would get in on the wrong side and then I would always be hitting the windshield wipers in the LHD as it is in the same position as the turn signal on the RHD.
The only real problem that I encountered with RHD's is that on a 2-lane road it is quite dangerous to pass someone. By the time you veer out into the other lane to see oncoming traffic, well you are in the other lane of oncoming traffic. I learned to veer off onto the shoulder and then look to pass. I also learned to slow down a little and not pass as much but it is hard when you live in the Rocky Mountains and you have all these gawkers driving so slow. This also holds true for when pulling out into traffic from a parked position. I had a few close encounters.
One annoying factor of driving a RHD is that you cannot talk to someone in another vehicle that is going in the opposite direction. However, you could talk to people on the curb side of the street which was cool at times
IMO, I would not have a RHD vehicle again as a daily driver. Sure it is fun but it also got annoying to me. I would rather have a RHD as a vehicle that I would occasionally drive.
HTH's
Parallel parking is a snap.
I had no problems with it except for going back to a LHD vehicle. I would get in on the wrong side and then I would always be hitting the windshield wipers in the LHD as it is in the same position as the turn signal on the RHD.
The only real problem that I encountered with RHD's is that on a 2-lane road it is quite dangerous to pass someone. By the time you veer out into the other lane to see oncoming traffic, well you are in the other lane of oncoming traffic. I learned to veer off onto the shoulder and then look to pass. I also learned to slow down a little and not pass as much but it is hard when you live in the Rocky Mountains and you have all these gawkers driving so slow. This also holds true for when pulling out into traffic from a parked position. I had a few close encounters.
One annoying factor of driving a RHD is that you cannot talk to someone in another vehicle that is going in the opposite direction. However, you could talk to people on the curb side of the street which was cool at times
IMO, I would not have a RHD vehicle again as a daily driver. Sure it is fun but it also got annoying to me. I would rather have a RHD as a vehicle that I would occasionally drive.
HTH's
Waggoner5
SILVER Star
My HJ61 was no problem at all. Took a little getting used to, but then going back and forth between LHD and RHD was no issue.
HZJ60 Guy
Tank Buster
Drive throughs are a bummer!
Try learning to SHIFT with your left hand too. If you have a manual transmission that is.
Try learning to SHIFT with your left hand too. If you have a manual transmission that is.
Just got back from spending 6 days driving around OZ. Was strange for the first hour....but was 2nd nature very soon, even shifting w/lt. hand was not that bad. One thing.........you always walk up to the car on the wrong side...then try to think of something to look at... incase someone notices. Dhooo!!!
right hand driving
when i was still working in temecula ca. i had the chance of driving rt. hand drivre heep cherokee owned by the the post office in the area,it was fun once you get used to it,strange at first but like others said it just kicks in when your in the seat. john
when i was still working in temecula ca. i had the chance of driving rt. hand drivre heep cherokee owned by the the post office in the area,it was fun once you get used to it,strange at first but like others said it just kicks in when your in the seat. john
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks for the info everyone. Passing was my biggest concern. The van I was looking at was a 1990 deisel, 4wd, w/ an auto tranny. It was scooped up before I could go and see it so it's a mute point now.
Oh and Rick
for the tricycle comment.
Oh and Rick
for the tricycle comment.
I drove an HJ60 from Australia for about a year before retiring her (to canabalize the motor and tranny to go into a 62).
My thoughts on driving the RHD rig:
1) Like it or not, you'll get lots of looks, tripple-takes and stupid comments,
2) Like it or not, you will hear, probably once a week, that you should get a side job delivering the mail,
3) If you are right-handed, this is a preferrable way to drive, once you get used to it, because your strong hand is on the wheel while shifting,
4) The pedals are not mirror image (contrary to many peoples' assumption), just on the other side, so there is no getting used to pedal position,
5) If you get into a head-on collision, you're better off (but your passenger, if you have one) is worse off,
6) You will put on your windshield wipers instead of your turn signal, long after you get used to every other aspect of a RHD,
7) You will have to recalibrate your brain to be comfortable riding the right side of the oil stripe in the middle of the lane instead of the left side of it.
8) Tight parking will take some deliberation until you become comfortable with your vehicle's dimensions from the other side of it.
9) Cops will pull you over for no reason other than curiosity, which is good and bad. Its good because they might let you off when you might otherwise get a ticket, it is bad if you "roll dirty" or otherwise would prefer not to get cops' attention.
10) RHD parts will have to come from overseas most times, typically Australia.
11) Get used to parking for ATM transactions. Better have a passenger, SunPass (or the equivalent), or a long stick with roach clip on the end (or a LONG reach) for tollbooths, fast food drive-throughs and parking lot key-card scanners.
My thoughts on driving the RHD rig:
1) Like it or not, you'll get lots of looks, tripple-takes and stupid comments,
2) Like it or not, you will hear, probably once a week, that you should get a side job delivering the mail,
3) If you are right-handed, this is a preferrable way to drive, once you get used to it, because your strong hand is on the wheel while shifting,
4) The pedals are not mirror image (contrary to many peoples' assumption), just on the other side, so there is no getting used to pedal position,
5) If you get into a head-on collision, you're better off (but your passenger, if you have one) is worse off,
6) You will put on your windshield wipers instead of your turn signal, long after you get used to every other aspect of a RHD,
7) You will have to recalibrate your brain to be comfortable riding the right side of the oil stripe in the middle of the lane instead of the left side of it.
8) Tight parking will take some deliberation until you become comfortable with your vehicle's dimensions from the other side of it.
9) Cops will pull you over for no reason other than curiosity, which is good and bad. Its good because they might let you off when you might otherwise get a ticket, it is bad if you "roll dirty" or otherwise would prefer not to get cops' attention.
10) RHD parts will have to come from overseas most times, typically Australia.
11) Get used to parking for ATM transactions. Better have a passenger, SunPass (or the equivalent), or a long stick with roach clip on the end (or a LONG reach) for tollbooths, fast food drive-throughs and parking lot key-card scanners.
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