HGMonaro replied:

take it out into a parking lot and try it? I imagine what's on your a-frame could limit how tight you can drag the van around.

robak (QLD) replied:

Jan,

I've had a look in the Austroads catalogue, which is the australian standard for turning circles, and there is no mention of passenger cars with trailers.

I imagine that the turning circle of the trailer is slightly smaller then that of the car which it is following. I could be wrong though.

Are you after the turning circle (u-turn) or are you planning to a reverse manouvre?

The forumla for these would be very complex. You'd have to know the front and rear overhang of the car, distance between axles, track width, degree of wheels at full lock, length and width of trailer, distance between your rear axle and the trailer wheel, the trailers rear overhang and the speed required.
It'd be much easier to simply go out to the local shopping centre carpark and measure it physically.

R.

Member - Shane D (QLD) replied:

I would think that you will have a LARGER turning circle with the van on because the pajero may/will out turn the van. . . . . I'll explain
If you put the paj on full lock and start turning, say, to the right, the gap between the drivers side blinker(paj),and the front of the van will close up and continue to close-up the more you turn,eventualy coming into contact with a frame,MAYBE.
best to try in an empty parking lot(other reply suggestion) and see if this is the case and measure the full circle (or kerb to kerb)with cold hard tape before you get out the calculator and slide rule.

Shane.
ps have fun with the ego's den that is council

Dave198 replied:

Highlands, as Robak suggested, don't forget the overhang on the rear of the van, while you are making your plans.

I guess you would have something like 2 metres swinging around behind the wheels.
Dead easy to nudge a tree or wall or something like that while you are manouvering around. It will probably be in a blind spot.

Also, if you can find a large gravelled area to test your turning circle, it would be easy to see you tyre marks then.

Dave

D-Jack replied:

Good question and thread. I hope Mike Harding responds to this as it is a topic not covered before (as far as I know!) :)