Question for all the Lhd Bay owners.

[danielgomez]

Maybe going for a van change(from a Rhd Late Bay 2l Auto) and getting my grubby mits on a Lhd Early Bay(Subaru Engine already in the back).
Question is how do you find driving them,do you find them hellish on motorways if you dont have a co driver to guide you,are roundabouts a nightmare?
Given its already got my choice of engine in the back i could maybe afford to convert it to Rhd understand the sliding door would still be on the other side but hey i could live with that.
Dan.

 

[mattd1984]

I find it fine driving my LHD, the only issue can be when overtaking on a motorway the wardrobe is in the way of the blind spot. But hay I dont often overtake so not a problem.

 

[r73]

dont really consider it a problem. you get just as many left hand bends as you do right hand ones and you dont ever worry about that in a RHD motor. its actually a lot easier to position yourself in the road - you just look at the curb for reference instead of the centre line.
good point about the wardrobe - there is a big blind spot there though. You may have a few more problems than most of us with 1600 power cos we dont do much overtaking :lol:

 

[alex4057]

Never had any grief, I find it a bit like riding a motorbike, you just do a few more over the shoulder check's before an overtake, It's nice to be able to back a LHD and a RHD into a couple of spaces open the sliders facing each other, oh and it's great for admiring the ladies on the pavements up town :lol: I do a fair few Euro trips and therefore LOVE my LHD.

 

[71Westy]

I have the standard engine, so no issues with overtaking.

The two bits that need a bit of thought are positioning at a roundabout (if you angle too much to the left, you can struggle to see), and approaching parked cars in a narrow street (again, you need to plan to be able to see past them to pull out).

Apart from that, no problems at all. And I have found people quite tolerant of the occasional gaff, compared with driving a BMW

Nick

 

[crede999]

i actually perfer LHD to RHD


chris

 

[Andy1564]

must admit it was the one concern i had with my bus before i drove it home, by all accounts for the first 20 miles or so on the motorway the missus and her mum were shouting at me to move over as i was "wandering" a bit in my lane ( they were in a car behind me ) but all sorted now and don't really notice any difference!

 

[Pickles]

We have the same wardrobe blind spot ... suppose only a problem if you have a full height westy wardrobe though. Other than that make sure your mirrors are tight and dont swing about in the breeze

 

[simo]

i actually perfer LHD to RHD


chris

Me too :shock: a rhd cab looks so wrong to me now :mrgreen:
The westy wardrobe is a bit of an issue but much improved with a blindspot mirror added and as already said great if you venture into europe!

 

[guidddo]

I have got no problems with my LHD :lol: not over here on the continent nor over there on the island
:lol:

you 'll get used to it

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Never owned a LHD before the one i have now.
Baught it in Surrey and drove to Bedford (M25 & M1) with no problems.
Only thing i find is that i still scuff the OSF tyre when i park outside my house.
Il get there in the end.
Do it 8)

Rich

 

[Danbury Doug]

I went from a RHD to a LHD and then back to a RHD again.

The only resaon I went back to a RHD drive was not because I couldn't get on with the LHD or anything, but because the current van was the model I had been after.

I was very happy with the LHD. I was worried initially whether I would get on with it, having never experienced one before, but I took to it without any problems, and my first drive in it was in the rush hour in London! .....Ok I was a bit nervous for the first couple of miles or so.
There would be the odd occasion when I would jump in, only to discover all the controls had been nicked..... and then I remembered they were on the other side of the van, oh and I would sometimes grope with the wrong hand for the petrol stirrer! :lol:

 

[CHILDSEY]

You`ll find you get used to it very quickly.
I agree with the Westy wardrobe blind spot, but not really
a problem if you use your mirrors
I drive a T5 Panel van for work with no windows in the
back, so used to relying on mirrors.
Cheers Paul.

 

[uber cool]

I have a LHD westy , the only problems I have is on a narrow country lane going round a left hand bend, as you are driving slightly blind around the corner.

Overtaking on the motorway is not too much of an issue with the wardrobe, watch the car in the rear view mirror and then when its in the side window (sliding door) you know nothing else is behind (along side). Also turn the passenger side mirror so it's sideways not upright, gives you a slightly larger mirror and if set up correctly you can see both lanes of the motorway ( middle and outside lane)

and when you are in Europe its great :mrgreen:

oh and for the first fews trips you'll be trying to change gear with the window winder :mrgreen:

and look a tit when you get back in the wrong side at a petrol station :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[danielgomez]

Well thank you all very much for your replys and advice.watch this space.
Dan.

 

[r73]

I have a LHD westy , the only problems I have is on a narrow country lane going round a left hand bend, as you are driving slightly blind around the corner.

Overtaking on the motorway is not too much of an issue with the wardrobe, watch the car in the rear view mirror and then when its in the side window (sliding door) you know nothing else is behind (along side). Also turn the passenger side mirror so it's sideways not upright, gives you a slightly larger mirror and if set up correctly you can see both lanes of the motorway ( middle and outside lane)

and when you are in Europe its great :mrgreen:

oh and for the first fews trips you'll be trying to change gear with the window winder :mrgreen:

and look a tit when you get back in the wrong side at a petrol station :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Done that :lol:

 

[Pete B]

As others have said, the westy wardrobe can be an issue but if you talk to anyone with a panel van you will then feel rather silly. Once used to the various mirrors, in daylight it is easy, I have overtaken on regular A roads many times (with the 1.6 SP engine!) and to be honest, trundling along with the HGV's gets you there just as quick.
A good friend of mine (sadly no longer with us, RIP Stumpy me old mate...) had a 3.6 Carrera which was LHD, told me he did the glovebox thing loads of times, I was just happy 'cos anyone I knew who saw us thought it was me driving my car!!!!!

Oh, can't imagine driving a RHD bus now, RHD, what an odd concept?????

 

[Graeme]

owned my 71 Westie for 10 years now & never had any problems at all. As others have said, the warddrobe gives a bigger blind spot but, look & look again & no problems.

Watching an approaching car in the rearview mirror & then spotting it in the side mirror & you'll not be long in getting distances off to a tee.

I'd use the money spare to put in a new interior rather than convert to RHD. I'm off to see Volksmad Interiors on saturday & am about to do that very thing.

Moving the R&R over to the sliding door & having the units built down the LH side of the bus so as to build in the LPG tank that sits in the spare wheel well. Might be a month or two before she's in pictures

 

[danielgomez]

"but if you talk to anyone with a panel van you will then feel rather silly"

Yip now feel a bit silly :lol: :lol:
Dan.