Truck drivers view of a caravan rollover

One of the reasons I don’t pull my van at over 90kph.
If I get a wobble I apply the van brakes without engaging the 4WDs brakes, until all is stable.
I wouldn’t be releasing them as he did.
But it’s easy for me to say this in hindsight, as all circumstances can’t be fully evaluated from a video.

There seems to be a trend to tow bigger van with little SUVs. Maybe this needs looking at along with the towing capacities! There is big difference between towing a two tonne box trailer and a two tonne full sized van. You also need to know what you are doing! Michael

Forgetting that driver didn't know what to do in the circumstances, watching the dynamics in play as the van rolls, maybe a good reason for off road hitch to be used, allowing the car to stay on it's wheels?????

Both hands on the wheel and gently accelerate first and foremost.
If you can then apply trailer brakes only and gently.

Anybody disagree with this?

Even though it's almost 2 years ago, can't help feeling for the occupants of that car, especially the passenger/s. Scary moment, with the potential for some serious injury.

Would've upset the truckie's day too. Poking along, probably on time, and suddenly he's got a duty of care on his hands, and a wait for emergency services. Not exactly in the suburbs either.

Bob.

The vehicle handling issues aside.

This video shows clearly what could possibly happen to a large number of the caravans on the road.

The problem is that caravan design has for the most part not progressed at all since the 50's.

We are still towing a format ( they dont call it a pig trailer for nuthin') that is well known as unstable in heavy transport.

We persist in building caravans that are as cheap as that possibly can be in the chasis and suspension depratment.

IN particular, most caravans and trailers do not have shock absorbers or any form of roll management (sway bars).

AND worst of all, all too often salesmen sell and people want to buy, packages that push the limits of the towing vehicles capacity.

Regardless of price paid, most caravans are crude, fundamentally unstable and too large for the vehicle towing.

cheers

A month ago a bloke said to me any trailer that is big enough for brakes, the driver should have a upgraded license. Too many people have trailers, big caravans or boats and no experience. At one stage in the early 60s I was driving a small semi-trailer of 16 feet but I still had to have an articulated license, that was after driving low-loaders carting bulldozers. I now see many people who tow vans much longer than that on normal car licenses. You only have to see some drivers trying to reverse vans into camp spots to see that they might be able to tow vans but they cannot back them. I know a woman that said it does not worry her towing a van at 110 to 120 kms per hour but I have seen that she cannot back her own vehicle into a carport. I have been rounded up many times by P platers driving at 110 to 120 kms per hour towing boats in a 100 zone.

It was all over red rover the moment he lifted off the loud pedal.

If he kept the right foot into it, it would have just kept pulling it straight.
But then again towing with a gutless Subaru it probably didn't have enough go left to do it.

In this video is it showing the effects of the double pendulum action? I understand that at a certain high speed once this situation occurs it can not be controlled as the action and movements of the trailer are unpredictable. However if this occurs when driving, I agree with those that stress to avoid applying the vehicle brakes, but it would require a great deal of actual practical experience and training not react instantly and apply them. In this regard the need for specific driver training when towing these larger rigs seems necessary and an ordinary car licence perhaps should be endorsed to permit it.

Hi Guys - Maybe this film could be made compulsory viewing before you buy a van, also reading this forum... All I can say is "Please Lord dont let me PANIC when this happens to me"..

When I was 17 and had my license for about 6 months I had an elderly man pull out in front of me. Instinctively I applied the brakes, my beautiful V8 LX Torana pulled to one side as the left hand brakes on the car locked up and the right hand didn't. I hit a car that had nothing to do with the incident. The only damage to the elderly mans car was a scratch on his bumper from where my rear bumper bar just touched. When the cops arrived they let the elderly man go as it "wasn't his fault". Apparently I should have run right into the side of his car and taken him and his wife out. Then it would have been his fault, and I wouldn't have had to come up with $7000. (I have had a major problem with the justice system ever since.) Well, the owner of the car I hit was luckily very understanding and an old Holden lover, so he kindly paid the excess on his vehicle. I learned a valuable lesson this day. Always be prepared.

Since then I play over different situations through my mind. What could happen and what I would do to properly resolve the situation. The more you play it over in your mind, the more it will be an instinct when it happens to you. It has saved me a couple of times since then. Especially controlled braking in a situation you need to stop without an abs enabled vehicle.

People that drive trailers over 2 tonne on the highway should have done a defensive driving course and then (and only then) should they be able to drive over 60 on the highway with a 2 tonne trailer.

Josh

Here is another example of an all too similar situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no9i2MgKKFI


Remember...fundametally unstable.

cheers

John and Regina raised an important issue about ageing and driving. Here's a checklist:click

Older drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes than younger ones (click) but they are also more likely to self-regulate and take fewer risks.

Overtaking with a van is not an everyday driving skill and as posted we don't have to demonstrate it to get a license and most drivers would get little practice doing it in order to learn.

I favour a graduated license testing system and an extension of the license endorsement system. Even currently, you can get a license without having to demonstrate simple survival skills like going through a suddenly arisen narrowing of road space or recovering from a slide.

I seem to be with the majority. Being somewhat older we had to learn to DRIVE when we went for our licences, not how to pass a "driving test". Usually the local cop had seen us getting about in Dad's car or more likely in those days UTE and had a good idea of our ability in the first place.