Some Blokes should never Ever attempt to tow anything!!!.

Submitted: Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:00

ThreadID: 61255 Views:4982 Replies:7 FollowUps:7

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Member - Axle

Followed a guy towing a tandem axle caravan yesterday, it was down a winding bit of road and every time the brakes were applied a cloud of blue smoke bellowed out from one side of the van. It was obvious he had severe brake lockup on one side, Did he pull over?, No Way!, kept on going for about 10km and some, ( i had to turn off,) Talk about flat spotting tyres, more money than sense, or just plain ignorant to the fact he had a problem. Better off disconnecting the brakes if you can;t get them adjusted right on the run, other than carry on like that. Any way , a bit of amusement for the day.

Cheers Axle.

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Reply By: Neil & Pauline - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:20

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:20

I followed someone into a parking area and his brakes all locked up (with lots of smoke) when ever he braked. I suggested that he should probably back off the brake adjustment. The answer was "it has always been like that and when the tyres get too bad I just replace them. Better to have good brakes than none at all".
Not much more you can do with some people.

Neil

AnswerID: 323119

Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:27

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:27

Haha, Thats about it!!.

Cheers Axle.

FollowupID: 590190

Follow Up By: Member - Nev (TAS) - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:35

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 14:35

Would that be the case on an Axle following an axle following an axle? .... lol
Sorry couldn't resist it.

FollowupID: 590191

Reply By: Hairs & Fysh (NSW) - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 15:35

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 15:35

The scary thing Axle,

Is these people walk amongst us every day.

I helped a chap set up his electric brakes on his triple side loading horse float one. A real big sucker.
He was using an 95 TD 80 series. Could not get him to understand that you don't have the float pulling your car without it's brakes helping.
His theory was that the horse floats brakes are lot cheaper than the cruiser's, so why not let it do all the work.

;-P

AnswerID: 323129

Follow Up By: Thermoguard Instruments - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 16:31

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 16:31

Hi All,

I'm not normally one to propose more "Nanny State" regulation but... The sooner a driver needs a different class of licence (and testing) to tow a trailer/caravan of more than, say 1500 kg ATM, the better. (Or even ANY braked trailer over 750 kg ATM if you like.) We've been travelling with our van(s) on and off for over 6 years now and the increasing number of incompetent van tow-ers on the roads is getting scary.

And with the increasing affluence of the retired baby-boomers, more and more of these rigs would have a Gross Combined Mass higher than the GVM of Light Rigid truck (4.5T GVM) - for which, of course, you need a different class of licence and testing...

Or, if the State Governments don't have the balls for this (and they won't) at least insist that all new 'van owners complete an accredited towing course?
Ian

FollowupID: 590207

Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 17:26

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 17:26

Ian! Your displaying way to much common sense!!, It dosen't exist any more!!.

Cheers Axle.

FollowupID: 590222

Reply By: curious - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 17:51

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 17:51

I watched a bloke tow a tandem trailer with one wheel locked up, smoke billowing everywhere and he didn't even notice or slow down until his mate in the car in front of him noticed and forced his mate to stop. Definitely car in gear, brain in neutral,

AnswerID: 323154

Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 19:06

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 19:06

Oh Axle...

Yer 10 years too late to have seen me tow a 27footer around, up and down and across Oz.

I bought the van as a shell and set up the interior to our requirements. The van weighed in at 3.5 ton at first as it had a motorbike on the front. Then I bought 4 new rims and tyres for the van.

I soon found out that the rims set the front tyres too wide for the cable brakes, and the cable was rubbing on the tyres when I applied the brakes. So I disconnected the brakes. Drove around like that for 5 years and towed the van around 250,000km.....lol...never smoked a wheel.....lost one once though.....just used the gears on the LC and later the G60....them were the days :-)

Cheers

AnswerID: 323162

Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 19:34

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 19:34

Hahahaha,! G/Day Willem, OOOOOOOOH,! Those poor gearboxes.

Cheers Axle.

FollowupID: 590237

Follow Up By: Member No 1- Monday, Sep 01, 2008 at 08:03

Monday, Sep 01, 2008 at 08:03

now we now why your knees are stuffed....all that extra pressure on the knees when applying the brakes to get it to stop....hahaha

FollowupID: 590292

Reply By: Member - Glenn G (QLD) - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 21:27

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 21:27

As I have said on another forum, that anyone with the money to buy a big car and caravan, can tow it with no experience. yet you need a truck licence to drive an articulated vehicle !

Makes no sense
Giffo

AnswerID: 323188

Reply By: Member - Barnesy - Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 22:57

Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 at 22:57

Bit of amusement. Ivanhoe crossing in Kununurra, crosses the Ord river. Big signs stating "only experienced drivers in 4wds should even attempt to cross this river, and only during the dry season". The water was running fast and nearly the height of the top of 4wd wheels.

A bloke and his missus had a 2wd hilux hire camper and tried to cross it! He got half way when the car started sliding sideways towards the edge nearly went over and into the river! He put his foot down and sped to the other bank and nearly washed a bloke off the causeway who was fishing!

The locals were having a good laugh at this free entertainment.

Barnesy

AnswerID: 323197

Reply By: Cape York Connections - Monday, Sep 01, 2008 at 17:52

Monday, Sep 01, 2008 at 17:52

Seen A fellow towing his whellie bin at about 70k per hour.
He forgot to unhook it from his tow bar.
It had the death wobbles but really funny.

All the best
Eric

AnswerID: 323291