Towing Speed

[4wheel]

This morning we went up to the Strawberries and Steam Fair near Swindon -lovely day with plenty to see.However,on the way up the M4 there was a goodly breeze blowing and we passed a car and caravan doing about 65mph.Now I said to the good lady that I thought (comments please !)that he was travelling too fast with a caravan in tow.
Low and behold on the way back on the M4 this evening there was a caravan upside down on the centre reservation,all mangled and bent,no sign of the car.Not the same combo as it had just happened but what is the consensus of a safe towing speed ?? :question

 

[geoffdown]

This morning we went up to the Strawberries and Steam Fair near Swindon -lovely day with plenty to see.However,on the way up the M4 there was a goodly breeze blowing and we passed a car and caravan doing about 65mph.Now I said to the good lady that I thought (comments please !)that he was travelling too fast with a caravan in tow.
Low and behold on the way back on the M4 this evening there was a caravan upside down on the centre reservation,all mangled and bent,no sign of the car.Not the same combo as it had just happened but what is the consensus of a safe towing speed ?? :question

law is 60mph on duel and mways 50 single carrageways i tow between 50mph tol 60 but only 60 if the weather is good i.e no wind or rain:thumbs

 

[clivvy]

I agree with the above, there is alimit for caravans for a very good reason. Once, I saw a Zafira ZXR towing a caravan down in wales, over took me in my MX6 at about 70 mph...over took!! idiot.

 

[geoffdown]

I agree with the above, there is alimit for caravans for a very good reason. Once, I saw a Zafira ZXR towing a caravan down in wales, over took me in my MX6 at about 70 mph...over took!! idiot.

but the idiots dont no its law for towing anything i see them towing car trailers past me when i am doing just over 70mph:augie

 

[clivvy]

but the idiots dont no its law for towing anything i see them towing car trailers past me when i am doing just over 70mph:augie

yeah, its very scary.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

yeah, its very scary.

don't forget it's not just speed it's about not overtaking! No using the "fast lane" on the motorway. Most of the caravan accidents i have seen (and near misses) have been going to fast!

 

[solarman216]

don't forget it's not just speed it's about not overtaking! No using the "fast lane" on the motorway. Most of the caravan accidents i have seen (and near misses) have been going to fast!

No such thing as a fast lane, it is the third lane or overtaking lane, just a little point, Rick

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

No such thing as a fast lane, it is the third lane or overtaking lane, just a little point, Rick

note the " " around the term :thumbs

 

[solarman216]

note the " " around the term :thumbs

OK, Rick

 

[4wheel]

Interesting,thanks.I have towed everything from a small trailer to a 25ft cabin cruiser which had a mind of it's own.Always sat at about 50mph just too be safe.Funny thing is one of the better towing vehicles was a 2.1i water cooled VW Combi.I think it's brick shape pushed all the air out of the way and made towing easier.Had a lot of torque in 3rd as well so not too bad on the hills,much better on the downhills though

 

[solarman216]

OK some interesting points here, a caravan yea right no way would I be pulling one at 70 plus unless there was no wind at all and even then I would be careful, but car trailer with car on it, low side wind resistance no problem at very high speeds if the whole outfit is balanced right, the only time I have had any sign of a problem is when encountering rutting in the nearside lane and that disappears under 70, Rick

 

[Deleted account DD]

loading, tow vehicle type, trailer to vehicle match and driver ability affect the way a caravan outfit makes safe progress more than anything else.

Some people are more dangerous at a walking pace than others at 60mph plus.

The weather is contributory but if i had been given a beer for every time it is used as an excuse for incompetence id be permanently pissed.

Switched off drivers are switched off drivers towing or not.

Be honest how many of you who tow are REALLY aware of whats going on around you?

How far ahead or behind you do you KNOW whats going on? if you ask most drivers cant tell you beyond the 3rd or 4th car. Thats appalling if youre considering towing on the speed limits with all of its associated maneuvers.

Other "fieldcraft"............... going down the M1 for example the trees at the side grow bent over because of the wind, how many of you look ahead at them to see if the ones further on are moving more than the ones youre going past at that point ie an increase or direction change in wind?

Do you look at your sat nav or route plan and actually think "ahh yes, flyover or bridge........windy maybe?"

How many actually know or check nose weight? too much or too little can be fatal. A reasonable gauge is under a tenner.

Do you understand about the bow wave from your vehicle as well as the ones youre passing and the effects of them?

Have you ever even thought of the different effects of that bow wave between single carriageway (ie oncoming) with the increased closing speeds vs dual carriageway (ie more overtaking or being overtaken)

How many of you stash the awning under the fixed bed at the back? tins and heavy packets in high cupboards. Do you know where your c of g is or even what it is?

Thats only a few of the points that Ive come across talking to hapless individuals (failed safe tow drivers) who funnily enough werent to blame (or so they tell me) across the board both general, vehicle and caravan towing.

None of us are perfect, I certainly arent but Its having knowledge of and switching onto points like that that make the difference between as safe a tow as poss and someone who gets by and relies on fingers crossed.

 

[pgrem]

hi,here in nz the speed for all vehicles towing is 90km.vehicles not towing is 100km,cheers pete

 

[73anth]

i bought my lwb terrano with the intention of towing a decent sized caravan, just bought a twin axle van (advised to for more stable towing) about 26foot total length.
whilst towing it home, i went up to 70mph, and it was straight as a die, no shakes or anything, but as someone else posted above, this is before all the extras are added on, and the family are in the car!
i think it will always be a learning curve, as the weather changes ect.

 

[barry23]

:augie well i tow at 70 mph all the time on a m/way ,, have dunn for 20 years ,, guess iv been lucky over the years never a wobble ,, but think its how you load your caravan ,, but lets face it some caravans are put on the back of some cars are just over weight for the car from the word go ,, why the police dont drag them over for is another question ,, been a HGV driver well ex one ,, if i was over my axle weight on a lorry your dunn for it full stop ,, so why are cars with a over weight caravan aloud to plod on down the m/way for :nenau

 

[illy]

I had to do an emergancy bracke and an avoidance manoevure on the m5 last year (not easy with a van on the back) to avoid three cars piroeting as a fourth car cut across from the right hand lane so as not to miss his exit, if id been doing 70 I hate to think of how it would have ended up. Sorry to drive at speed of 70 and + are crazy. Not to say a total disregard for other peoples saifty, you cant antisipate what the nob eliment are going to do infront of you.

Sorry if it offends but thats my opinion

illy

 

[Deleted account DD]

I had to do an emergancy bracke and an avoidance manoevure on the m5 last year (not easy with a van on the back) to avoid three cars piroeting as a fourth car cut across from the right hand lane so as not to miss his exit, if id been doing 70 I hate to think of how it would have ended up. Sorry to drive at speed of 70 and + are crazy. Not to say a total disregard for other peoples saifty, you cant antisipate what the nob eliment are going to do infront of you.

Sorry if it offends but thats my opinion

illy

once a vehicle is going across in front of you instead of away in front of you speed becomes kind of irrelevant.

It comes down to a big chunk of good luck on top of anticipation and basic skills.

 

[rustic]

I've towed my boat on it's 4 wheeled trailer, overall length 26 feet and weighing about 2 tonnes, ie same as my Mav.

As the trailer wheels are further back than a Caravan of a similar length, and the boat is more stream lined, it tows as straight as a dart.

In fact it "tries" to cruise at 70 mph so you have to be more mindful and keep it to 60 mph, takes quite a concentration to keep it at that.


Any idiot can tow a trailer at high speed, it's when something goes wrong there is a problem.

The brakes on a trailer rely on the over-run principle, and if the set up is not in a perfect straight line when braking, then the trailer can overtake the car, ie jack knife. Worse on wet roads. I won't even consider ice or snow !
That's assuming that the brakes on the trailer have been serviced correctly, and not that the handbrake sort of works.

An MOT for a trailer/caravan.... could that happen ? :nenau

If the trailer brakes were independant and were controlled directly, eg say air brakes like on an artic, then this would me a much safer set up.
Having said that, the maximum legal speed is 60 mph for an artic on a motorway, 50 on dual carriageways, and ONLY 40 on single carriageways.
And the drivers of these vehicles have more driving hours than most caravan owners.

I rest my case.......:thumb2

Having driven down the A14 and A11 hills ( What hills you say? ) towards roundabouts, it is then you realise how long it takes to stop this type of rig, even on a dry road, especially when some ***** pulls into your lane and starts braking for the roundabout. "We have a new crumple zone in front"

So you have to be more aware of what is around you, and where the escape route is.
The middle lane of a motorway doing 60+ mph is not a safe place to be, although you sometimes have to overtake lorries that are limited to 56 mph.:doh

The driving test does not test the towing rules directly, you can get this bit wrong and still pass your test.
Maybe that's why I have been overtaken by a car and trailer in the third lane doing 80+ mph MANY TIMES
Even a 40+ foot glider trailer.....behind a small car.


Use the speed cameras to check on trailer speeds, and ( Going into song now.....

"Book em All"
"Book em All"
"The long and the short and the tall....."
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Add your own verse here..... :lol :lol :lol



Basic towing advice.
Allow enough time for your journey.
Think twice before overtaking.
Make sure your car and trailer are fully serviced.
Plan your route, avoid steep hills, and narrow roads.
Don't overload the trailer/caravan.
Don't fit a stabiliser just to control an unstable load.
Get the hitch weight in the right region, see vehicle handbook.
The trailer and vehicle should be level.
Don't drive while tired or grumpy.
Take regular breaks.
Drive to the conditions, don't speed.
Have an escape route.
Keep your distance.
Have suitable mirrors that allow you to see past your trailer/caravan.
Make sure all lights work on the car and trailer/caravan.
Try to anticipate idiots, shouldn't be too difficult if you assume everyone is an idiot other than you.

Lots of other advice....

 

[davenclaire]

basic rules ? basic test

the driving test dosent need to contain towing rules its a test of basic driving if you want to tow anything nowadays you need to take a towing test. and every time you want to learn to drive a different class of vehicle then you need to sit a theory test for it. has any one tried the latest theory test ?

 

[rustic]

the driving test dosent need to contain towing rules its a test of basic driving if you want to tow anything nowadays you need to take a towing test. and every time you want to learn to drive a different class of vehicle then you need to sit a theory test for it. has any one tried the latest theory test ?

There are many drivers on the road (like me) who have taken the old version of the test, and can drive any caravan set up without further tests.

There are many people in their 40's who just buy a trailer/caravan having never towed before. Perfectly legal.
I also include drivers of 4x4 vehicles towing an off road 4x4 on a trailer, or classic cars or bangers on a car transporter trailer.

The modern test does allow towing but with a maximum gross train weight, meaning that to tow a larger trailer/caravan they go for the lightest car. BIG MISTAKE !!!!