Everyone here seems to be on more-or-less the same wavelength. It's all about plain physics. The way a rig is driven has to acknowledge what it comprises- two heavy objects connected by a pivoting link. Only one of those objects provides propulsion- through one or two axles- and most of the braking effort. The lighter of the two objects is the one more susceptible to wind and the wind-wake of other vehicles on the road. Tyres and suspensions flex- even bodyframes and chassis too (-hopefully to a much lesser extent!)
My X-Trail pulls a 950kg caravan load- that's just 66% of the towing vehicle's k/weight. I stick to a 65kg noseweight, 44lbs psi in the caravan tyres, X-Trail's back tyres up to 36psi, and the load inside the 'van low, well-spread and secure. There's an ALKO stabiliser on the hitch. I drive at a speed between 55mph and 60mph, but have seen 70 on occasions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand the legal limit is 60mph for a single-axle 'van. My rig is solid and steady, even when crossing the Somerset Levels on M5 on a very windy day, slowly passing artic-trucks.
My previous tow-car- an MG ZS 180 was clearly not up to the job of towing. I felt the car wasn't strong enough, and the engine power was too high in the rev range. The caravan moved around too easily even at those modest speeds.
Presumably, those who turn over their rigs are not following some or all of the above precautions. I've seen tow-ers who must be doing 70+mph and already swaying alarmingly, visibly under-inflated tyres on 'vans and towing vehicles, campers throwing oodles of stuff loosely into their 'vans before setting off from sites, over-loaded towing vehicles, etc. etc.
It's common-sense, really, and as with all aspects of human behaviour, different people have differing amounts of it! Unfortunately, we all get held up in the resulting traffic jams.
Go steady: check everything: get there: enjoy caravanning!!!
I think one of the big problems is the confusion surrounding towing weights and capabilities of vehicles. Time and time again, I've spoken to people who say things like "this'll tow 2 tons" who just look at the car manufacturer's quoted maximum towing limit and think that's the heaviest weight of caravan they can tow, with no regard to kerbweights or gross train weights.
From my experience, this isn't understood by many caravan dealers either. I've been to two dealers who advised me that a caravan was well within my car's capabilities, when in fact it would have exceeded the Gross Train Weight, and so would actually have been illegal to tow.
There really should be a simple, standardised way of car manufacturers quoting towing capabilities, then this particular safety issue would be a thing of the past.
Perhaps I am wrong, but I seem to remember in the "good old days" you needed to display a 55 sign on the back of your caravan when towing. If the law caught you speeding - you got points/fine.
Has the highway code changed or is it just my ropey memory?
------------- Anything becomes a pleasure if one does it too often!
What you don't see on the roads now unless there has been a accident is the traffic police!
Driving to Oxford last week at 70 (without van) I very slowly overtook a van that was doing more than 65 and was swaying gently back and forth - all it would have taken would have been a "white van" doing 80 to really make it dance.
what is the obsession with speed at all, i know on the motorway if the weather is really bad (without van as I havent towed yet) I will lift off and sit at 60ish in the wet, or if I am not in a rush to get to where I am going, doing 70 opposed to 60 is just a waste of fuel and it gains you little on a short run. once I get me van I wont be doing 60 until I have faith in my own towing skill and experience and my baby has a alko hitck on it. my arguement is that the van will be at least 45 minutes faster to load in the summer and the same to setup so per trip I have 90 minutes in the bag so to speak so why drive/tow at speed when you can be safer going a bit slowly
give me a wave as you go past :-) just though about a name for my rig.... brian as I will have my home on me back and probably wont be going all that fast
It takes an overturned caravan, or a blowout or even strong winds to make you think about slowing down the next time, so maybe those speeders need to find out the hard way.
A lot of the time I bet its the people doing the long distances who are impatient and put the foot down a bit more to save a few minutes on the other end of the journey, 9 times out of 10 you will hit traffic when you come off the main routes so why bother speeding.
I must admit I have felt under pressure to get somewhere quicker because the other half or kids were going to miss something on TV etc, simple things add up to disaster, get them a TV in the car so they can watch eastenders on the move.
My first tme experience of towing the caravan on the motorway came with heavy rain and High wind.
I did 50 MPH and when its dry I will do 55 mph it gives me more power should I need it and a safer speed in which to slow down aslo should i need to.
I also have my sign on the back telling everyone its my first time towing (even when its not lol) and some still go past in there 4x4's with amassive van on the back doing at least 70mph...
Quote: Originally posted by Big Brian 56 on 10/9/2007
This has been posted before but feel that it must be brought to the attention of the authorities in some way, seems to me that if you have the dosh, you can just turn up at a dealers, pay and drive away, you can,t do that at a motorbike dealers, its definatley speed, had one fool on the way to Cumbria two weeks ago, flew past at approx 80/90, slowed down up the hills when he got behind something in the middle lane, which he was in regardless, and back up to same when clear in front, honestly !
oh yes you can my hubby has done it and so have a friends...
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Topic: Another van overturned!
