anti snake

panelbeater · 17-02-2013, 22:22

i will get the t2 fri and will be towing for 2 weeks.
only thing is at the moment i have a snake bar and my 750kg sprite tows lovely behind my zx.
the t2 has a swan neck ball so i cant fit my snake bar,unless you know different,any advise please.

cncfabs · 17-02-2013, 22:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by panelbeater

i will get the t2 fri and will be towing for 2 weeks.
only thing is at the moment i have a snake bar and my 750kg sprite tows lovely behind my zx.
the t2 has a swan neck ball so i cant fit my snake bar,unless you know different,any advise please.

What are those snake bars for i do loads of towing never had one i just drive to road conditions

Lazy-Ferret · 17-02-2013, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by panelbeater

i will get the t2 fri and will be towing for 2 weeks.
only thing is at the moment i have a snake bar and my 750kg sprite tows lovely behind my zx.
the t2 has a swan neck ball so i cant fit my snake bar,unless you know different,any advise please.

You can get a stabiliser attachment for swan neck bars.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...balisor&_rdc=1

If you are anywhere near the bridge, I have a second hand one you can buy for £20. We may actually be heading over to Lakeside either Monday or Tuesday, so could meet up. Postage is a killer as it weighs a tonne.

solarman216 · 18-02-2013, 00:03

750 kg sprite on a T2, you can tow that at 100 mph even if poorly loaded, what do you need a "snake bar" for I regularly tow a 4 wheel car trailer with a T2 on it and have hit 90 without any hint of problem, trailer is 450 kg, T2 SWB guess about 1800kg with roll cage two winches and associated iron so all up 2200 plus and tows a treat, Rick

Lazy-Ferret · 18-02-2013, 01:07

What you guys are forgetting, is for a lot of caravan insurgence companies, you have to use a stabiliser, or you are uninsured if you have an accident.

Having been on the receiving end of having the stabiliser jump off the bracket, and only realising when the caravan tried to over take me on the M5, after being overtaken by an artic, I think that any safety device is worth while for everyone on the road, not just the person towing. The thing is, all vehicles can let you down, I was towing with a Volvo 240, which won tow car of the year for many years, a blow out in a T2, and the sudden change in the set up, might be just enough to send you into a snake.

It's one thing towing something for a few miles, it is another setting off with a van on the back, and trying to relax into your holiday while you are covering several hundred miles, and stand a far greater chance of being distracted or making a mistake at some point in such a long journey.

solarman216 · 18-02-2013, 01:57

Point taken, one thing I do not have that caravans have is the effect of wind, so on that basis alone I guess a stabiliser could be worth while, Rick

firebobby · 18-02-2013, 10:16

We had a lucky escape once when towing our old ABI caravan, we were going down a hill on a motorway when a van went past quite quickly, this set the van into a snake and I was lucky to be able to get it back from total loss, I was towing with a Volvo 850 TDI and a snake bar.
I have the ALKO stabiliser on my caravan and have never had a problem with it, though if a large vehicle passes to close, you can still feel the van move away from it.

AD Ent · 18-02-2013, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by firebobby

We had a lucky escape once when towing our old ABI caravan, we were going down a hill on a motorway when a van went past quite quickly, this set the van into a snake and I was lucky to be able to get it back from total loss, I was towing with a Volvo 850 TDI and a snake bar.
I have the ALKO stabiliser on my caravan and have never had a problem with it, though if a large vehicle passes to close, you can still feel the van move away from it.

I wonder if this would be as much of a problem if towers could travel at 70mph. ? or would it be worse?

panelbeater · 18-02-2013, 13:38

thanks guys.i cant afford a alko hitch,i normally overtake the lorries,never knew you could get the adaptor but i would need one with the right angle end across the bar not alongside it,looking on the ebay link (thanks for that)it looks like both are available.
looking at them i will be able to alter the one i have got being a dab hand at making things.
lazy,thanks for the offer,at least i know where 1 is if i need 1.
i will see if i can modifie mine other than that a trip to your area with my van for a weekend might be in order.

Lazy-Ferret · 18-02-2013, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by panelbeater

thanks guys.i cant afford a alko hitch,i
lazy,thanks for the offer,at least i know where 1 is if i need 1.
i will see if i can modifie mine other than that a trip to your area with my van for a weekend might be in order.

No problems, as you say, you know where it is..

My one is one of these..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SWAN-NECK-...item4d097331d6

Lazy-Ferret · 18-02-2013, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by AD Ent

I wonder if this would be as much of a problem if towers could travel at 70mph. ? or would it be worse?

To be honest, it is more the vehicles that are not doing the speed limit that are the problem, at 60, you should not really be overtaken by a lorry anyway, but many break the speed limit. Even if you take it up to 70, you are still going to be overtaken by transits, sprinters etc, and they really do shift some wind at 80mph. I found the worst is when a lorry wings you, they don't really have the power to get past you, especially the speed limited ones, but they do not want to be behind a caravan, so they sit in the middle lane, with the cab on the rear corner of the caravan for ages. That is when you feel the set up become unstable, and it just takes an extra gust to push you over the edge.

At least at 60, most cars still have a bit of back up power in the engine, and as hard as it is to do at the time, the only way to get a bad snake under control, it to pull out of it...

The only bad snake I have ever had, I was at the point of no return, and it was either trying one last ditch attempt to parallel the crash barrier to get it straight, and stop, or listen to the Experts, and stick your foot down..., put the dog back in charge of the tail... When you are travelling at 50mph, and the you already have no control over the car, sticking your foot down, has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done, but sure enough, it pulled back in line, straightened up, and I was able to pull over on to the hard shoulder to recover.

panelbeater · 18-02-2013, 17:56

i have only ever had one time the twin wheel burger bar i was towing for a concert at framlingham castle started to sway,i was in a twin wheeled transit and that made me slow down,funny thing is i was doing about 55.
i felt it ,saw it and the car that was coming up to overtake it saw it and backed off,put his hazards on to control the flow,which i was grateful for,it came under control but i was very wary about towing some ones bar.
my van is very stable,i thought i had over shot a left turn of off the a12 but hit the ankers and how i got round i dont know as it was not a feeder of but a back on itself left one,that gave me much respect in the zx and sprite.
i puckered my b=m though.

solarman216 · 18-02-2013, 23:49

When I came back from up North with Briggies motor on the trailer and a spare T2 engine in the back of my T2 I wanted to see how well it would do, it was late at night on the M1 and I pushed it to 90 (on the speedo) kept this up for a long time slowing on some gradients then recovering, then at about 75 suddenly started snaking not bad but bad enough, my misses needed new knickers, what we had entered was rutting and the trailer was running up and down these rut as it is 7 ft wide, once I realised what was happening after a few tense moments, pulled into the middle lane while having foot to the floor, job sorted, all I can say is the T2 is a fantastic tow motor, Rick

Thomas-the-Terrano2 · 18-02-2013, 23:58

a stabilizer bar or hitch doesnt make a bad outfit safe.

yet to see a policy that states have to have one, nor are they
a legal requirement. most new caravans come with the hitch
variety, though suggest you want to try without to see how it feels
first.

Ive towed my 1700kg twin axle tin tent behind 2 terranos and a patrol
without any extras, though do have a receiver for a snake master
on the current terrano. your 750kg sprite is going to be less than 50%
of the towcar, indeed it could almost carry the caravan let alone tow it.

Lazy-Ferret · 19-02-2013, 00:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas-the-Terrano2

a stabilizer bar or hitch doesnt make a bad outfit safe.

yet to see a policy that states have to have one, nor are they
a legal requirement. most new caravans come with the hitch
variety, though suggest you want to try without to see how it feels
first.

Agree.... But it is unlikely to make things any worse.

Our camping and caravanning policy does. We are covered for third party damage on the car insurance, but if we want the fully comp and recovery benefits of the club policy, then we have to have a stabiliser.

I have to say the T2 tows a dream, the only vehicle that I enjoyed towing with as much was my Automatic V70, but I love the height of the T2, and the ease of how you can go up the gears and stay there for all but the more major hills.

17-02-2013, 22:22	#1
panelbeater Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: clacton on sea essex Vehicle: nissan terrano 2 2.7 tdi Posts: 1,639	anti snake i will get the t2 fri and will be towing for 2 weeks. only thing is at the moment i have a snake bar and my 750kg sprite tows lovely behind my zx. the t2 has a swan neck ball so i cant fit my snake bar,unless you know different,any advise please.

18-02-2013, 00:03	#4
solarman216 Off road maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bexhill on Sea Vehicle: Y60 Patrol Me, 3 ltr Mrs Posts: 17,432	750 kg sprite on a T2, you can tow that at 100 mph even if poorly loaded, what do you need a "snake bar" for I regularly tow a 4 wheel car trailer with a T2 on it and have hit 90 without any hint of problem, trailer is 450 kg, T2 SWB guess about 1800kg with roll cage two winches and associated iron so all up 2200 plus and tows a treat, Rick __________________ Ex banger racer now off road maniac Lokka on the front with manual hubs Diff lock on rear 3 inch SS straight through exhaust Manly winch bumper with 13000 lb winch 10 spike ground anchor, with multiple straps and blocks Super strong body cills capped with scaffold pole 20% stronger springs all round aggressive off road tyres on wheels so just swap. Aim to get stuck and be completely self sufficient in extraction, love getting muddy, 2ft deep is good but rare.

18-02-2013, 01:57	#6
solarman216 Off road maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bexhill on Sea Vehicle: Y60 Patrol Me, 3 ltr Mrs Posts: 17,432	Point taken, one thing I do not have that caravans have is the effect of wind, so on that basis alone I guess a stabiliser could be worth while, Rick __________________ Ex banger racer now off road maniac Lokka on the front with manual hubs Diff lock on rear 3 inch SS straight through exhaust Manly winch bumper with 13000 lb winch 10 spike ground anchor, with multiple straps and blocks Super strong body cills capped with scaffold pole 20% stronger springs all round aggressive off road tyres on wheels so just swap. Aim to get stuck and be completely self sufficient in extraction, love getting muddy, 2ft deep is good but rare.

18-02-2013, 23:49	#13
solarman216 Off road maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bexhill on Sea Vehicle: Y60 Patrol Me, 3 ltr Mrs Posts: 17,432	When I came back from up North with Briggies motor on the trailer and a spare T2 engine in the back of my T2 I wanted to see how well it would do, it was late at night on the M1 and I pushed it to 90 (on the speedo) kept this up for a long time slowing on some gradients then recovering, then at about 75 suddenly started snaking not bad but bad enough, my misses needed new knickers, what we had entered was rutting and the trailer was running up and down these rut as it is 7 ft wide, once I realised what was happening after a few tense moments, pulled into the middle lane while having foot to the floor, job sorted, all I can say is the T2 is a fantastic tow motor, Rick __________________ Ex banger racer now off road maniac Lokka on the front with manual hubs Diff lock on rear 3 inch SS straight through exhaust Manly winch bumper with 13000 lb winch 10 spike ground anchor, with multiple straps and blocks Super strong body cills capped with scaffold pole 20% stronger springs all round aggressive off road tyres on wheels so just swap. Aim to get stuck and be completely self sufficient in extraction, love getting muddy, 2ft deep is good but rare.

18-02-2013, 23:58	#14
Thomas-the-Terrano2 Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hackenthorpe Sheffield Vehicle: Terrano2 R20 lwb 2.7TDi Posts: 5,234	a stabilizer bar or hitch doesnt make a bad outfit safe. yet to see a policy that states have to have one, nor are they a legal requirement. most new caravans come with the hitch variety, though suggest you want to try without to see how it feels first. Ive towed my 1700kg twin axle tin tent behind 2 terranos and a patrol without any extras, though do have a receiver for a snake master on the current terrano. your 750kg sprite is going to be less than 50% of the towcar, indeed it could almost carry the caravan let alone tow it. __________________ M6YTB / 20YTB '60' 2010 Ford C Max Zetec 1.6i, black '56' 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0TD, silver 2021 Bailey Pegasus Grade SE Turin caravan Smile, its more likely to confuse. One Life, Don't Just Live It, Drive a Nissan, or ...... a Jeep. Owner of Nissan 4x4s 2005 to 2019, and maybe in the future too!

18-02-2013, 01:07	#5
Lazy-Ferret Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Sevenoaks, Kent Vehicle: Terrano 2.7TDi SE Touring Posts: 5,221	What you guys are forgetting, is for a lot of caravan insurgence companies, you have to use a stabiliser, or you are uninsured if you have an accident. Having been on the receiving end of having the stabiliser jump off the bracket, and only realising when the caravan tried to over take me on the M5, after being overtaken by an artic, I think that any safety device is worth while for everyone on the road, not just the person towing. The thing is, all vehicles can let you down, I was towing with a Volvo 240, which won tow car of the year for many years, a blow out in a T2, and the sudden change in the set up, might be just enough to send you into a snake. It's one thing towing something for a few miles, it is another setting off with a van on the back, and trying to relax into your holiday while you are covering several hundred miles, and stand a far greater chance of being distracted or making a mistake at some point in such a long journey.

18-02-2013, 10:16	#7
firebobby Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: South Bucks Vehicle: Terrano 3.0 SVE 2005 Posts: 3,499	We had a lucky escape once when towing our old ABI caravan, we were going down a hill on a motorway when a van went past quite quickly, this set the van into a snake and I was lucky to be able to get it back from total loss, I was towing with a Volvo 850 TDI and a snake bar. I have the ALKO stabiliser on my caravan and have never had a problem with it, though if a large vehicle passes to close, you can still feel the van move away from it.

18-02-2013, 13:38	#9
panelbeater Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: clacton on sea essex Vehicle: nissan terrano 2 2.7 tdi Posts: 1,639	thanks guys.i cant afford a alko hitch,i normally overtake the lorries,never knew you could get the adaptor but i would need one with the right angle end across the bar not alongside it,looking on the ebay link (thanks for that)it looks like both are available. looking at them i will be able to alter the one i have got being a dab hand at making things. lazy,thanks for the offer,at least i know where 1 is if i need 1. i will see if i can modifie mine other than that a trip to your area with my van for a weekend might be in order.

18-02-2013, 17:56	#12
panelbeater Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: clacton on sea essex Vehicle: nissan terrano 2 2.7 tdi Posts: 1,639	i have only ever had one time the twin wheel burger bar i was towing for a concert at framlingham castle started to sway,i was in a twin wheeled transit and that made me slow down,funny thing is i was doing about 55. i felt it ,saw it and the car that was coming up to overtake it saw it and backed off,put his hazards on to control the flow,which i was grateful for,it came under control but i was very wary about towing some ones bar. my van is very stable,i thought i had over shot a left turn of off the a12 but hit the ankers and how i got round i dont know as it was not a feeder of but a back on itself left one,that gave me much respect in the zx and sprite. i puckered my b=m though.