Caravan towing setup

What service/channel is What's up down under on?
I would like to watch it.
William.

I googled it.
Looks like 10play.

I recall many years ago buying caravanning magazines and on all the reviews I never rember seeing a pair of towing mirror.

It also amzes me how many cars can be driven along the sea shore with sea water spraying everywhere. Imagine unknowingly buying one of those demo vehicles and how long it would take for the rust to start coming out.

Yes, it is amazing what can be done to make a sale.

Batts.
Journalists have to be some of the DUMBEST on the planet. They get so much wrong! Either they have NO idea or they Don't care to check anything for truthfulness.

Spot on, too many vans are leaning forward, and add to that the lean forward puts more on work on the leading brakes and less on the trailing brakes - tandem axle vans are designed to travel as level as possible.

Way too many are on the road not set up well.

Cheers
John

I don't fully agree with your statement about caravans being level. Things have changed a lot over the years particularly with suspension improvements and TBW recommendations.

For example, we had our van and vehicle professionally weighed just before we went on an extended trip.
NOTE we had towed this van fully loaded behind the new tug at a tow ball height that I chose, being very slightly nose down. Towed safe, straight and comfortable.

At weighing the van and vehicle was compliant across all axles, GVM and GCM. However, as the TBW was at 7% of the van it was suggested it be lifted to make it level...not nose down (as stated it was only very slightly nose down by eye)

The operator recommended we lift the front 90mm that made it level and that added 9kg to the TBW

The following week we set off for an extended trip and once we were outside the built-up areas I was travelling ~ 90 kph, my preferred speed when towing a heavy van

Multiple times the caravan got a sway up once I hit the open road (it never did before the lift) and after a particularly alarming sway when I really had the beejesus scared out of me I slowed and had a good think about the situation. Meanwhile we had travelled a few hundred km with me thinking the whole thing through, allowing for wind (very little), road conditions (all sealed but with some "wheel ruts" that develop over time on sealed but well used roads, often those with heavy traffic) I came to the conclusion that the lift of 90mm to get it level resulting in the 9kg TBW putting more weight on the caravan rear axle was the cause....no other explanation.

I pulled over later that day, dropped the hitch back to the previous level (pre weigh). This put the caravan slightly nose down by eye but in reality 90mm down from level

We have since travelled towing ~5,000km safely, straight and NO SWAY

So, the moral here is not one size fits all and I believe every vehicle and combo need to be set up specific to their characteristics, the distance of the axles back from the tow point, the type of suspension and perhaps dual or single axles may all have a bearing on tow characteristics. not a generic statement of level.

Hi Batts,

It certainly isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to caravan TBM. There are so many recommendations as to what the TBM should be, and whilst 10% of ATM is widely quoted, there isn’t really a definitive weight. I have a seen some “experts” say between 8% and 15% of ATM.

In my case, my 18’ single axle Off Road van has a 2.6 Tonne ATM, and I tow pretty close to that weight. My TBM is 340 kgs, with a slightly “nose down” attitude of the draw bar. This is close to 13% of ATM. This has proven to be an ideal set up. In the 9 years we have had this van, travelling on highway, gravel and in high winds, in over 10,000 kms, it has never once developed any sort of sway.

Macca.