One for the caravanners ...

[Predictable Bob]

This explains why you need to pay attention to the way you load your van !

(And also why there's so many caravans spread across 3 lanes of the motorway at this time of year)

[Hazzo]

Yeah, that plus the fact the numpties want to drive at 80 mph too instead of the 60mph permitted tow speed on dualers and 50 on all other roads. H

[BUSHWHACKER]

Told you it wouldn't take off!!

[Maverick]

One thing that I found out this year which also doesn't help, is that most nose weight guages that you can buy are hidiously inaccurate.

[GIRDLES]

Getting the van loaded correctly is a must, The number of times we pass other caravans being towed with nose up or a slight snake at 50-60 is crazy.
to check your nose weight use a bathroom scale with a stick and a small board.

[Hazzo]

We don't have them in our house, no-one wants to know if they're a fat bstard or not, I did see that tip on some caravan fora though and I agree bad loading is the biggest problem. H

[dieselboy]

Damn caravaners! Was almost taken out by a French one on Monday on the M25. Crazy French people.

[si tate]

Yeah, that plus the fact the numpties want to drive at 80 mph too instead of the 60mph permitted tow speed on dualers and 50 on all other roads. H

I never do 80mph, always sit it at a steady 95mph.


Joking aside i did manage to do 85mph one day without realizing it, it was only after i'd passed half a dozen cars & thought "why are they going so slow" that i noticed, never done it since.

[Hazzo]

speedfreak

[Predictable Bob]

Joking aside i did manage to do 85mph one day without realizing it, it was only after i'd passed half a dozen cars & thought "why are they going so slow" that i noticed, never done it since.

Snap !

First motorway tow with the Surf, I was travelling north on the M1 near Nottingham on a long hill and hit some traffic, pulled out to overtake some slow lorries and stayed with the traffic ...

Oops - 85mph (Without overheating !)

PS
Back on topic, IMHO overloading the back of the van is far more dangerous than overloading the front !

[GIRDLES]

I always tow around the 70 mark, makes the climbs easier and the gearbox don't keep switching down. When abroad even at 70-75 we get passed by other vans, If the Gov introduced a test for towing maybe they could increase the 60 limit and get people loading the caravan correctly.
Then we wouldn't keep getting stuck behind other vans doing 50-60 in the overtaking lanes and snarling up the roads.

[Predictable Bob]

errr ... they introduced a towing test a few years ago - most of us don't need to take it cos we have 'grandfather' rights !

[GIRDLES]

I know you take a test if your a new driver after 1997 , but look at the average joe with a van hooked to there motor and he is more likely to be 30+ got his grandfather rights for Towing, but has no idea how to tow safe,or load correctly. Its someone with grandfather rights who just hooks up and then finds the van snaking all over the road, or worst case on its side.

[Rustinho]

errr ... they introduced a towing test a few years ago - most of us don't need to take it cos we have 'grandfather' rights !

Post '97 licences allow you to tow unbraked trailers up to 750kg and braked trailers up to 1500kg, as long as the total mass of vehicle and trailer does not exceed 3500kg and the mass of vehicle and trailer does not exceed the MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) for the vehicle as stated by the manufacturer.

This pretty much covers you for most caravans - certainly with a Surf anyway!

I have actually started looking into doing a trailer test at some point just in case it ever turns out to be useful but there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of places that offer any training.

[Hazzo]

I remember reading somewhere the HGV training places or whatever you call them do it. H