8 foot wide caravans

[Grador]

Would love to know your thoughts/experiences of an 8 foot wide caravan. We're planning to upgrade to one and are really taken with how spacious they are inside, an obvious plus but wonder what it's like to tow in comparison to the standard width vans.

 

[JezzerB]

Love it far prefer it the width makes little difference tbhon the road unless you were Cornish. Laneing you just be a bit more aware ,with our truck as long as it is it's length that worries me more but no issues at all yet.
Internally however that little bit extra just feels do much more spacious far less knee knocking and even the dog is more settled.he loves it mm maybe the underfloor heating!

 

[Grador]

Love it far prefer it the width makes little difference tbhon the road unless you were Cornish. Laneing you just be a bit more aware ,with our truck as long as it is it's length that worries me more but no issues at all yet.
Internally however that little bit extra just feels do much more spacious far less knee knocking and even the dog is more settled.he loves it mm maybe the underfloor heating!

Thank you so glad that you're enjoying the van. Glad that the width isn't an issue towing, problem is you don't know until you try so you've put my mind at rest.

 

[Raywood]

You are only talking about 5 inches or less. Not come across anyone who has had a problem in normal driving. If you use sites hidden down very narrow lanes though it might just make life a bit more difficult.

 

[RogerL]

You are only talking about 5 inches or less. Not come across anyone who has had a problem in normal driving. If you use sites hidden down very narrow lanes though it might just make life a bit more difficult.

Conventional caravans are 2.3m wide (7'6") but some are narrower at 2.2m (7'3") or 2.0m (6'6") so could be considerably more than 5".

A potential problem is getting towing mirrors out far enough from the car to see along the caravan sides - Milenco sell extra long arms but other makes may not.

 

[JezzerB]

WE have the Milenco grand aero-they have a big range of adjustment-you'd have to have a very narrow car for them not to give you a good view behind.

 

[RogerL]

WE have the Milenco grand aero-they have a big range of adjustment-you'd have to have a very narrow car for them not to give you a good view behind.

I disagree - I use Milenco Grand Aero on my VW Touareg - but fully extended they're only just wide enough to see along the side of our 2.3m (7'6") caravan - it's not the very widest SUV but wider than most so I think all towcars would need the extended arms to see along a 2.4m (8'0") caravan.

 

[Buckman]

We have the Milenco Grand Aero on our Jeep and no issue seeing the rear corners of the 8' wide caravan. The width of car is 2.45m which includes the side mirrors.

 

[JezzerB]

Ah well the op can easily source mirrors that fit the bill -the length ofthe rod on the grand aero and clamping options mean the grand aero would suit most-Roger you must have a narrow car or small mirrors -when we upgraded to 8ft Isimply pulled the rod through the clamping points a bit further .

 

[RogerL]

Ah well the op can easily source mirrors that fit the bill -the length ofthe rod on the grand aero and clamping options mean the grand aero would suit most-Roger you must have a narrow car or small mirrors -when we upgraded to 8ft Isimply pulled the rod through the clamping points a bit further .

My VW Touareg is hardly narrow - 1.94m over the body, 2.21m over the mirrors - our caravan being 2.28m wide - the mirrors are Grand Milenco on standard length arms.

I'd need the optional longer arms if we had an 8' caravan.

 

[JezzerB]

Mm how long are the arms-no issues withours-wonder if ours came with long arms as std-got a good view and rod to spare-mind the Nav is quite wide? Only when worry i have is the plastic mirror surround when clamping- don't want them moving but don't want to over tighten. AHA we are 2085 wide-never seems that wide-it's the length that I have to watch!

 

[Beachball]

Only the other weekend someone was leaving storage lunar Quasar 686 Twin Axle with a Transit van i ask him where his towing mirrors were he said i see with the Transit van mirrors i doubt very much he can see behind . (i would not like to say what comment i got back )
i always thought if you tow you got have Towing Mirrors i am beginning to wonder because i see alot with out them as well

 

[Raywood]

Towing mirrors are needed if you cannot see down both sides of the trailer without them. This means most cars need them but a Transit should be wide enough to be legal without them for a Quasar. Basically the mirrors must stick out further than the sides of any trailer.

 

[Beachball]

Just to be on the same page this is a 8ft width caravan
Ford Transit Van SWB Semi Height Width 1.83m = 6ft 5ins
I still think he needs towing mirrors

 

[Buckman]

Just to be on the same page this is a 8ft width caravan
Ford Transit Van SWB Semi Height Width 1.83m = 6ft 5ins
I still think he needs towing mirrors

On checking the Ford Transit is 2.47m wide with mirrors. However not your problem if he wants to tow without mirrors. . I would have remarked to the wife about it and not confronted him as that is looking for abuse.

 

[Beachball]

Hi Buckman
Funny you say a Ford Transit is 2.47m wide with mirrors
You know i am looking at a (SWB) Short wheel base look it up because i found it less
Overall width (mm) 1974 = 6ft 5"

 

[ProfJohnL]

i always thought if you tow you got have Towing Mirrors i am beginning to wonder because i see alot with out them as well

The law only specifies what you should be able to see, it does not specify how you achieve it, so do you need extension mirrors if you have the required field of view with the tow vehicles normal mirrors, and the answer to that specific question is NO! But there other reasons why in 99.9 cases the answer is practically yes.

The legislation says you must be able to see the whole of both sides of the trailer when the outfit is dead straight from the driving position. For that reason the rear view mirrors (orpossibly camera's) have to be set wider than the trailer to achieve the requirement.

If the tow vehicles are not wider then the trailer, then the mirrors cannot see the whole sides of the trailer, then extension mirrors will almost certainly be needed.

 

[Beachball]

Hi Prof
Just seen this there is a legal requirement for you to have mirrors that allow you to see clearly an area that is 4 metres wide from the side of your caravan at a distance 20 metres behind the driver .
A 3 point penalty on your licence
Been prosecuted by the police
A fine of up to £1,000 for each mirror infringment

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Prof
Just seen this there is a legal requirement for you to have mirrors that allow you to see clearly an area that is 4 metres wide from the side of your caravan at a distance 20 metres behind the driver .
A 3 point penalty on your licence
Been prosecuted by the police
A fine of up to £1,000 for each mirror infringment

That is in essence correct.

The legislation does not say you have to use "extension mirrors" but if you can't achieve the required field of view with the standard vehicle mirrors, then it follows you will need to use extension mirrors.

There is at least one car manufacturer (Honda e) that is using cameras to replace side mirrors, so there may be a revision to allow the use of camara's that's not yet been fully circulated in public.