Basil Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Don't normally post here as I am now a motorhome user, had caravans for over 25 years though, and did not want to start a them and us row. But I was listening to the radio today and was shocked to have heard road hold ups (M5 M6 and others) due to overturned caravans, five in total so far by 1130hrs. What's going on? Is it due to new lets try caravaning people? What do you think/know? Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I don't know why Basil but we noticed three overturned caravans on the M4?A48 between Swansea and Carmarthen last weekend on the way home. Whether it's tiredness, too much speed, inappropriate loading, inappropriate towcar or a lack of stabilising kit I really don't know but two of the three were 4x4s and the third a Mondeo and all with what seemed like a reasonable sized caravan for the car? I did feel very sad for the families involved who had lost their caravan and their holiday, but fortunately no body appeared to have been badly hurt in these incidents. Welcome to the ranks of Motor Caravanners Basil and there is, or should be, no antagonism whatsoever between different styles of camping as what is right for one is wrong for another - we are all different and have different perceptions and needs and long may it continue! Vive la difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 I would say it is inexperience. And with the increase in popularity of caravanning then this follows with a higher proportion of caravan related accidents. I can honestly say I think I have just about towed everything - SA trailers, TA trailers of all sizes, Horse Box, Folding caravan, SA Caravans and TA Caravans. I have had scary moments but because of defensive driving and low speed have managed to recover. I drive as smoothly as I can and stay out of any "trouble" I see ahead. I also religiously stick to a maximum 50mph on normal roads, 60mph on Dual carriageways where the limits permit and move over regularly to let people by. Sadly I can confirm that not everyone does this. We live in a holiday area and it may be tiredness after a long journey of they may always drive/tow like this but some people drive like lunatics when towing on the M27 and the A31. You have to wonder at a driver with young kids in the back driving too close to the car in front even if he was NOT towing! - 70mph and one arm on the wheel and towing a caravan. This is not a rare sight. And if the caravan has not been set up properly then the odds are stacking up for some sort of accident. I have to wonder as well about tug choice as well. Some that I see must be right on the limit but that does not stop the driver from bowling along at 70mph. And these days if you have an accident whilst towing and a) you have not informed your insurance company, and b) you are not towing with a vehicle within the safety guidelines then you could have a problem. These days most of them are looking for any excuse not to pay out. Best not to give them one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 Hi, thanks for your replies. I too am an experienced tower with a very similar background to you Clive. But we have always had people towing, and I'll use the term 'irresponsibly' to cover those things you raise, but this year there seems to be an increase in the number and scale of overturned accidents being reported (not by the news by the way but from traffic reports so I don't think it is the usual media hype). Tracker has reported in his post on three that he has seen. I just wonder what other factors, other than these 'new' caravanners, might be coming in to play here e.g. lighter towcars, heavier caravans are there previously unknown stabilty problems with the designs of some of the new vans (some I have looked at seem inherently unstable with 'fixed' rear beds for instance). All conjecture I know but the situation doesn't enhance the reputation of caravans when one or two hour hold ups are created by an overturned outfit blocking two or all three lanes of a motorway. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Now if the news reported every car accident with the same relish they do when there is a caravan incident there would be no time for any other news! 260 vehicles were involved in an accident on a German Autobahn the other day so you do have to get these things in perspective. Another problem is that there seems to be no reliable information on the causes of such accidents. We can assume that some will be caused through lack of experience, too higher speed, badly matched outfits, poor loading and poor maintenance but equally they could be caused by bad behavior by other drivers. Its easy to sit in judgment but unless we know the real facts we can't start to look for solutions. Don't know the exact number of caravans on the road but from memory I think its at least half a million so in percentage terms the number of such unfortunate accidents is still quite small and I suspect a lower proportion that those involving other vehicles. Unfortunately the emphasis always seems to be placed on the inconvenience such accident cause other road users rather than terrible affect it must have on those involved, even worse if it happens en route to an annual holiday. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Have to agree with all the points above. I was particularly concerned to hear from one chap that his SA cvan was "fantastic" but was a "bugger to tow" because it was more prone to snaking than any other van he had! he put it down to the rear kitchen layout that made it tail heavy. This was even though he was at pains to make sure the nose weight was correct. We both concluded that for towing, end kitchen designs were probably not a good idea. We now have a Senator Wyoming that has an end bathroom and a fixed bed with the kitchen area just to the front of the axles. We tow with a LR Discovery and I am always impressed at how stable the outfit is compared to the previous single axle cvans. One odd thing that did happen tho' which could flag up the possible lack of maintenance of outfits (both car and cvan) and that was when we had the Bailey 5 year chassis check done last year they reported that the brakes were out of sync with one side coming on before the other. Now the same place had serviced the thing the previous year and they assure me that the brakes were checked then and all was OK. Now due to my Mother in Law being very ill and sadly dieing in Dec last year we did not tour at all in the last 12 months, We kept it on our seasonal pitch and just grabbed a few days here and there when we could. So with virtually no use at all, how did the brakes get so out of sync in the 12 months it just sat there? Whatever the reason, they were - and extrapolating that - how many cvans are being towed without having proper maintenance? A badly loaded caravan towed too fast and too close with brakes that snatch on one side???? - the driver brakes as they would when not towing and this great big white shed they are towing suddenly twists and pushes the rear of the car to one side. 8-) 8-) 8-) Anyone else got sweaty palms????? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted July 26, 2009 Author Share Posted July 26, 2009 Whilst I accept your points Klyne, I did state that the accidents I reffered to were NOT reported by the media but were picked up during the morning by me listening to the TRAFFIC buletins that were reporting on hold ups on various roads and it started off with one on the M5 then a second a bit later then the M6 then various A roads until there were 5 overturned caravan accidents causing hold ups up until 1130. Incidentally there were a further four overturned caravan accidents in the afternoon, now I regularly listen to the traffic news and I cannot recall a time where I had heard of so many hold ups caused by overturned caravans. I have heard a couple in the past that could be considered iscolated incidents but this seemed beyond the norm hence my question. You are quite right that without knowing the full facts there will be no definitive answer but I for one still find it a little peculiar that so many had occurred on this busy first major holiday travel day and must confess wondered whether the numbers of 'new' caravanners this year may have had an effect. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Bas I have read about these accidents on other forums and they were attributed to BBC Radio News. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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