Caravan Safety Warning As More People Than Ever Hit The Australian Open Road

The pandemic led to more and more Australians taking to the road in a caravan, but the idea now comes with a warning following multiple horrific incidents.
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[@rattenfanger1502]

Use your brake controller to brake the van only.

[@hankwiltschut]

Bad advice! You don’t accelerate. Apply the caravan brakes independently!!!

[@paulharper362]

Whoever told them to accelerate when the van starts to sway should be charged with criminal ignorance. Absolutely the wrong thing to do.

[@222good]

Whoever taught those guys that accelerating to pull out of a fishtailing van is giving out incorrect information! At slow speed it might be effective, but at 80 or more kph it will not help and might even intensify the issue! It's best not to do it any speed so that it doesn't become a natural reaction! This info going out to the general public is possibly going to get someone into great difficulty! (My comment is learned from a highly esteemed Australian caravaning expert!)

[@Livedaybyday71]

You are-100% correct

[@carolekennett257]

Speeding up to pull out of fishtailing is bad advice. To stop the van needs to be braking independently of tow vehicle.

[@mattpocka2948]

Make them go thru the the weigh bridges like trucks do....

[@brentonl1746]

I would of thought they would of had a brake controller installed in a area that is easily accessible, this should of been pressed the first they thought something wasn't right.

[@bobkats]

CORRECT ANSWER, same as trucks have.

[@derekrowanphotograpics]

I’ve had this argument with TMR QLD since 2018 with the typical Bureaucratic Run Around, now with explosives popularity of this user group (Recreational A Frame Towing) the statistics are only going to increase especially with the inexperienced. Certainly a License upgrade is required, however what is more the issue is the loop hole excluding this Kamikaze Tourist group from the National Heavy Vehicle Fatigue & Mass Management Act is how both the Car & Caravan is weighed. Currently this group is weighed separately as to Car (4.5 max GVM) + Caravan (upto braked 5 ton ATM) excluding the group from similar weighted Heavy Vehicles with appropriate Policing regulations. In other words, a Truck weighting same combination mass traveling on the same road has to obey the Heavy Vehicle Registration because of it’s Weight, yet a Caravan can travel from Cape York to Cameron’s Corner then to Coolangatta without stopping like a Kamikaze Tourist. I’ll like to see changes to Appropriate Training & Licensing with the closure of the Exclusion mass & fatigue Loop hole by weighing the Car & Caravan as Combination mass ensuring this user group is inline with similar massed vehicle regulations, stopping Kamikaze Tourists from disaster.

[@stevegoodwin5841]

No training should include trying to accelerate out of this, it doesn't work quick enough. You have under 2 to 3 seconds to apply TRAILER brakes only(trailer is going faster than tow vehicle in this sway) to save you from disaster. Don't apply tow vehicle brakes. Place that controller between driver and passenger and both learn how to use it in emergency. Robert Pepper on his KZbin channel nails this issue perfectly. Yes other factors come into it like weight distribution, B doubles, road trains and semi trailers wind generation, weather, road conditions and speed but correction can be achieved. Practice technique so you are ready in an emergency. Limit caravan weight to be lighter than tow vehicle would be a good thing as you don't want tail wagging the dog.

[@bobkats]

Here is an old truckie tip that will help, in big trucks, well american and aussie built, we had a lever on the right of the steering called the hand peice, this activated the trailer brakes, if you got out of shape, most caravans now have electric brakes, with a brake controler, if you set your trailer brakes, to engage first or instal a button, that only activates them, while you accelerate, you can save yourself, if you think quick, loading is another point, we always check our ball weight before hooking up, you can be under weight, but over weight on your ball or axle, if you are not sure talk to older truckies they will help you, if in doubt don't, for the cost of a weigh bridge ticket, it is better than the other outcome,.... excuse my diction.

[@Rogerdodger1246]

They don’t need a lisence. They just need to make a full rig weigh mandatory.

[@Livedaybyday71]

As someone that will be a novice at towing a caravan all these Tips & advice help big time it's my understanding that when loading a caravan the weight needs to be evenly distributed also something that I found out is that having stabiliser bars fitted to your caravan will help level out the caravan so the caravan and car will there be level if that information was wrong then that's ok but I will seek professional advice in regards to how to distribute the weight in a caravan appropriately I know that the car that I hope to buy has a towing capacity of 2500 kg so to tow the caravan if it was to weigh around 1500 kg hypothetically then I would only load the caravan with around 500 kg so the weight is actually less than what the maximum capacity I could toe also again if this is wrong please let me know but I will seek professional advice

[@baeruuttehei1393]

After 30+ years of trucking in Europe (where brake controllers and such are not allowed for caravans) I have seen that caravans with overrun brakes can only be saved from a sway situation with a sharp brake action that reduces speed and pulls the combination in line again. Most cars lack the power and torque to pull a combination in line again, especially at speeds of 80-90 km/h! Safe travels everyone!!

[@alyssaoconnor]

I live in a tourist area and am in the position to see many of our accidents. While I agree there should be a basic towing course I don’t think we need an extra licence as towing is already covered within car licensing. However in our area most of our tourist accidents and issues are caused by motorhomes which should need a higher licence and a standard test in person if it’s hired.

[@user-vr1xh2ib8v]

Push trailer rake controller to slow the van as it is traveling faster than the car

[@henktulp4400]

Main reason for fishtailing is NOT ENOUGH pressure on the towhook!!! Do not forget that the pressure on the towhook is reduced QUADRATIC with the vehicle’s speed increasing because of the wind pressure on the front of the caravan, this force will try to tilt your caravan backwards! I often haul Amarican vans on a dual-axle trailer and rarely travel with towhook pressure less than 100/150 kg!!! If the loaded van has a high roof the tendency to fishtail increases, same for a heavy LPG tank fitted in the rear, a couple of times I felt the tendency to fishtail; moving the loaded van 20 to 30 cm forward on the trailer ALWAYS cured it! Those saying that the pressure on the towhook should not exceed 50 talk RUBBISH… I have been towing trailers oftenly in the past 40 years…… Kind regads,drive safe!!!!

[@ebaarch6723]

Ridiculous that you would use the accelerator you need to use the brake controller. Also it's not always about the weight and how it is loaded. It can be that the caravan has not been manufactured properly

[@kevinsmith3671]

Simply slow down load the van evenly and drive at a speed in accordance to the road conditions

[@chinook3302]

We live next to a caravan park and the staff there tell me they have to reverse visitors caravans in for them as some can’t reverse themselves. Scary that these old people are even allowed to drive these things on the road. Time for a mandatory licence upgrade for caravan towing.

[@apollo8352]

About half the accidents seem to be people forgetting they have a caravan attached when it come to lane changing and breaking....how many have gone to the bother to ensure the caravan brakes come on before the vehicle breaks, hardly anyone! Which is where this silly idea of not touching your brakes to correct the early stage of sway... of course if your caravan brakes don't work braking with the vehicle will make the jackknife effect worse... So make sure your brakes on the caravan are set up to come on before your vehicle brakes do before you go above 60 kph. And remember sway below 60kph is almost unheard of....so it is z speed thing!

[@4x4maximus]

I can tell you what happened in everyone of these. It's not the law to make the tow vehicle heavier then van just the beginning. But it needs to be set in legislation. They must be pulled into heavy vehicle weigh bridges. Owners must be licensed HC truck license and complete courses and training.

[@quackyduck1499]

We tried in 2005 through 2007 to get proper regulations on towing caravans so forth and a national license scheme. It was voted down by every state. They're more interested in their own power over the safety of people. Even our own minister of transport turned to us and said it was our fault... Us instructors, because we thought we were Top Gear. That is the intelligence of a politician.

[@ajdale18]

Not sure why people tow 3.5t plus caravans at 105kph, I tow a 2.2t hybrid camper with a landcruiser as well and do about 95kph tops. Any faster and my fuel economy skyrockets and the van begins to act like a sail. Who told this guy to accelerate when you get the speed wobbles, seems counter intuitive.

[@TheByard]

I have done a lot of trailer towing in my lifetime and had a few fish tails in my time, these have been caravans rescued from a broken-down tow vehicle. My fault in a way because I did not check the loading inside the vans, plus they only had the run-on type brakes. So, making the van brake before the tow vehicle is near impossible, the trailers we used had independent electric or hydraulic brakes operated by a switch/lever in the tow vehicle. On a descent the trailer brakes can activated first to put backward pressure on the tow hitch, this keeps the combo straight. If a sway starts flicking the switch when the van is in line with the tow vehicle, it will straighten up. When loading the extra equipment used while parked, like awnings, table & chairs, coolers, bikes etc. need to be balanced and not overload the van. Also, the towing vehicle needs a balance load and not be overloaded. So many are seen driving down the road at night with headlamps disturbing the birds in trees. This means light steering and pour braking.

[@heinzmodricky6410]

And yet, all of Europe and South Africa don't have electric brakes - they only have run-in type brakes. So what is different in Australia? It's the beloved independent trailing arm suspension. Go-Pro videos showing how "well" they work have seduced everyone in believing these to be superior to a fixed beam axle with leafsprings. Soft suspension with shocks operating at angles, combined with no live camber correction is at fault. But no amount of talking to journos and fellow industry players is taken note of. All trailer suspensions should pass a standardised roll over test, ditto for the final RV build. The industry is putting lives at risk unnecessarily.

[@crxdelsolsir]

The accident was caused by speed. I bet without speed it would not be swaying like that. Now, it may or may not be over the speed limit, but safe towing speed and speed limits 2 different things. Towing vehicles need to travel on their own safe speed, aware they are towing and constantly feeling "in touch" the towed vehicle and hit speed limits as a secondary item on the wish list. Unfortunately crashes happens due to: Lack of concentration, lack of awareness, greediness to take everything and anything over loading it, lazyness not to take time to spread the weight double checking and triple checking, too cheap to buy items such as tow ball weight checker, weight distribution kits (essentially safety devices) because hey you can use that money elsewhere instead of safety etc. lack of self discipline speeding up (to get there faster, to not be overtaken, forgetting they are towing something etc)

[@AU_4591]

Many out there do 😊the limit 100/110 then rubbish those that do below the limit 90/95 is sufficient in many cases. Theres no law that says you have to to the mac speed limit if towing.

[@kerrycooper-dean4243]

Try telling that to the guy with the Ram LDM and the McMansion-on-wheels who thinks he’s indestructible and will tell you that a thousand times how he can do 110 with no problems.

[@JJSPARROW1978]

I think I'll get a boat.

[@graemejohnson9025]

buy a liveaboard yacht, and you can sail around australia for free...

[@okcantbelieveit294]

Won’t need to worry soon with the price of fuel going up the way it is! No one will be able to afford to go anywhere!

[@simonpepper9721]

You find a good spot and stay. Vanning is not driving along a road with a van.

[@JourneyWithUs13]

❤❤This is good to know and shared 😊 I think as a Big project of land with retired big caravans 🚐 with like-minded individuals living off the grid and sustainable living 😀

[@GlennLittleford]

Oversized vans towed by inexperienced drivers. You dont need a house, its just somewhere to eat and sleep.

[@johnc2438]

Solution: room service!

[@marcuscurtis9554]

Not everyone has the luxury to afford motel/hotels rooms all the time when holiday travelling.

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

@@marcuscurtis9554 But they can afford a $100,000 tow vehicle and an $80,000 caravan? And then the fuel, maintenance, site fees, etc? Caravaning costs big bucks.

[@nielpapenfus4321]

It is obvious what they were doing while driving, by looking at the pants position after the crash. 👨‍❤️‍👨

[@carldryan]

Caravanning with a mate hey haha

[@grantbudd124]

Tow ball weight

[@horstwestpfahl2459]

Why don't they just build caravans like cars?? 2 wheels at the front and 2 at the back. I've often wondered why caravans had wheels in the middle..🤨

[@robertwilson1827]

💰

[@romainp4318]

They wouldn’t turn if they had wheels at each corner

[@horstwestpfahl2459]

@@romainp4318 Semi Trailers Turn. Just put the rear wheels close to the center, Not on the very end.

[@richardtoewater3815]

Just slow down. It’s not that hard

[@benmorrison9004]

No amount of "slowing down" will make up for an incorrectly loaded van

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

No, but it's hard not overloading the van, it's hard selecting the correct tow vehicle ( it's a light truck, by the way!), it's hard measuring tow ball load, axle loads and adjusting the placement of the load to address any issues, and it's hard for all number of people who have barely towed a thing in their life, to develop the instinctive skills required and to maintain the level of concentration required, to operate the combination, safely. Speed is just one factor.

[@Kerry-xu7fq]

What the heck is a caravan?