I have a different view.
Caravans will never be able to go through the air like a plane or bullet.
If you see a kid running down the street with a balloon on a stick & watch the ballon wobble viciously from side to side & then compare it to a caravan, you'll get my point.
Add to that these soft suspensions that have a lot of up, down & sideways flex, movement and you get a whip-cracking effect.
A slight flick of the steering wheel to avoid a pothole or skippy and it's all over red rover.
Why??
- T1 Terry
- Posts: 13706
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- Location: Mannum South Australia by the beautiful Murray River
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Re: Why??
Things only change if pressure is applied. Take the 100km/h truck speed limiters, if you didn't have one fitted you were reduced to 90km/h but if one was fitted and found to be tampered with it was serious offence. What about the B double truck configuration, they had to prove each design combination was stable before the serious changes could become the norm. Now we see 3 and 4 long trailer rigs doing the Perth run in place of dollies and trailers and I expect these will slowly start to become the norm on the Hume etc. Yet anyone can set themselves up as a caravan builder, they require no stability testing and rego is virtually a rubber stamp and give me money job.
A change in required design and an 80km/h limit to those who don't meet the test standards and 100km/h to those that do meet the requirements will have van builders either building more stable vans or going broke, maybe a towing licence with the same requirements and a plate signifying a qualified and an unqualified driver just like the P plate idea..... probably no way to pass a law demanding all trailer towers get a special licence, but a plate that identified an unqualified driver towing and their speed restriction would apply peer pressure to upgrade the proven skill level with the approved licence and approved equipment
T1 Terry
A change in required design and an 80km/h limit to those who don't meet the test standards and 100km/h to those that do meet the requirements will have van builders either building more stable vans or going broke, maybe a towing licence with the same requirements and a plate signifying a qualified and an unqualified driver just like the P plate idea..... probably no way to pass a law demanding all trailer towers get a special licence, but a plate that identified an unqualified driver towing and their speed restriction would apply peer pressure to upgrade the proven skill level with the approved licence and approved equipment
T1 Terry
A person may fail many times, they only become a failure when they blame someone else John Burrows
If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine. – Jim Barksdale, former Netscape CEO
If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine. – Jim Barksdale, former Netscape CEO
- Greynomad
- Posts: 8020
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 4:16 pm
- Location: Rutherglen, Vic.
Re: Why??
Many moons ago, when I had hair, I had to tow my late father's 12'6" van from Newcastle to Melbourne... with our then-only vehicle: a Kombi.
Combination of rear-engine + the 'sail' behind = rear end steering the front... ALL the way.
Never again!
That's why we went straight to a m/h when we started serious touring (when the ankle-biters were out of nappies). Started with removing the middle seat in the Kombi & replacing with a foam mattress. (A-Bs slept on the engine cover, top-n-tailing it!) It just progressed from there.
Before we bought our second m/h, we test-drove a 5er. Amazingly stable, even braking in a roundabout didn't worry it! Were in Serious Planning mode until a 5er owner pointed out that, at some stage, I'd be an inch out backing up to the hitch and have to shove it sideways...
........................
We bought a Coaster instead.
Combination of rear-engine + the 'sail' behind = rear end steering the front... ALL the way.
Never again!
That's why we went straight to a m/h when we started serious touring (when the ankle-biters were out of nappies). Started with removing the middle seat in the Kombi & replacing with a foam mattress. (A-Bs slept on the engine cover, top-n-tailing it!) It just progressed from there.
Before we bought our second m/h, we test-drove a 5er. Amazingly stable, even braking in a roundabout didn't worry it! Were in Serious Planning mode until a 5er owner pointed out that, at some stage, I'd be an inch out backing up to the hitch and have to shove it sideways...
........................
We bought a Coaster instead.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields
Ray
--
"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"
"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
W.C.Fields