Caravan overturning while towing.

[ian_374348821]

I have returned home, luckily in one piece after pick van up from a service. On the journey traveling along the motorway at 55 - 60 mph the van went up on one wheel and has scrapped away a large section of bottom trim and left a 10 inch hole in the front locker. The wind was quite strong and the van was completely empty.

Could any answer if a alko stabiliser would help prevent this?

What speed would you drive at in windy conditions?

Is there a minimum weight you should not tow below?

Thanks

 

[trucker]

Ian sorry to hear of your misfortune, I hope you are ok.

I drive a HGV lorry for a living and we have been instucted to drive at 40mph on the m-way in high winds. I personally not take the caravan out in high winds if it can be at all avoided, to the extent our January holiday every year we book 4 days so if we need to stay longer for any wind to die down we can.

If the wind can blow over a hgv artic empty weighing 22 ton enough said.

Kevin

 

[Lutz]

Without experiencing the same conditions it's a bit difficult to say whether an AlKo stabiliser would have prevented the misfortune. What one can say, however, is that it would make it less likely. What does concern me, though, is that you were doing 55-60mph in what was obviously strong wind. In very unfavourable conditions, it may be necessary to slow right down and, if neceesary, stop and interrupt your journey until the wind subsides.

 

[Del_374232870]

I wouldnt drive at 55 - 60 in windy conditions with a full van never mind an empty van. Depends on the conditions but for me i would probably be doing 45 max and thats a loaded van with a low centre of gravity, have to say I dont like towing an empty van at any time as they can be unpredictable.

 

[emmerson2]

Shouldn't one tow/drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions?

 

[Tapestry]

Hi

Sorry to hear about what happened to you and your van. Hope you are ok. We towed our caravan today from one storage to another, to be closer to our new home in another part of the UK. We had the choice of 2 routes. Due to the wind we experienced on part of the motorway on route up, we travelled home a different route avoiding the exposed part of the motorway, we avoided the strong winds. We can tell the difference between our van empty at servicing times and with gear in for weekends so adjust speeds and driving. I was always taught you drive and tow according to weather and driving conditions and consider different routes, may be slower but you get there safely. We have always towed with an alko stabiliser so don't know what its like to tow without.

Hope you are not put off towing and your van is repaired soon

Annette

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ian,

sorry to read of your experience, I am very glad that no one was hurt.

You pose an imponderable question, without knowing exactly all the conditions at the time of the incident, it is not possible to predict if a stabaliser would have made any difference or not.

Speed is certainly a factor, and in windy conditions, lower driving speeds are certainly to be recommended. - even stop a journey if the gusts are worrying you.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Ian

Hope you have recovered from your nasty experience.

It doesn't seem like you had a snake, or did you?

High winds and caravans are not a good recipe. Like the others say keep your speed down and avoid exposed motorways if you have to travel at all.

I've never towed without a stabiliser, a Scott years ago and in recent years Al-Kos. Hard to say if one would have helped you but I like it there as a safeguard rather than allowing me to travel at speeds not really safe for the weather conditions.

Chers

Alan

 

[Garfield]

Hi,

It sounds like your'e lucky that it didn't go right over. The couple that bought our last 20'twin axle caravan drove from N Wales to N Yorks to see it armed with payment so they could take it away on the day they saw it, unfortunately the wind in N Yorks was howling a gale. I did offer them 20 or so concrete building blocks to put on the floor of the caravan for the return journey but wisely they opted to return when the wind had subsided.

I doubt that an alko stabiliser would have had much effect as they are intended to damp out an oscillation rather than resist the initial deflection

 

[ian_374348821]

Ian sorry to hear of your misfortune, I hope you are ok.

I drive a HGV lorry for a living and we have been instucted to drive at 40mph on the m-way in high winds. I personally not take the caravan out in high winds if it can be at all avoided, to the extent our January holiday every year we book 4 days so if we need to stay longer for any wind to die down we can.

If the wind can blow over a hgv artic empty weighing 22 ton enough said.

Kevin

Thanks for all the feedback. We are new to caravaning and have only had one since sept 2007. This is the first time we have towed the van empty or in windy weather. Luckily we were not hurt and I guess we have learned from this. Just hope it is not too difficult to get the van repaired.We will contact our insurers monday am when they open.

Thanks again

 

[JasonR_374341560]

No one seems to have asked Ian a few questions.

If the van was not loaded had you checked that the nose weight was correct?

I would have expected to have had the van twitching about behind me before it tipped.

I've always found that you get some warnings in high winds and you see other vehicles being effected by the wind.

Did you not feel, notice or see anything that made you think that you might need to slow up Ian?

If you did, you slow down or you look stupid!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lutz]

I fully agree with Jason on this one.

 

[trucker]

Jason R good post and then.................

"If you did, you slow down or you look stupid!!!!!!!!!!!"

why must you be so cruel, the poor guys had an accident and has been brave enough to tell us about it and ask some good questions, he doesnt need to be talked down too like a school boy

Kevin

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Well it's a world of cruel knocks Kevin.

If you want to take it further Kevin, Ian sounds from his questions that he is very inexperienced. Yet he is says he was travelling at between 55 and 60 mph with an empty van and says "What speed would you drive at in windy conditions?".

Sorry Kevein that hints that he knew it was windy, as a trucker and experienced driver surely you note tell tale signs as you drive in wind, rain , snow and ice etc.

Sorry Kevin, but better Ian feel a little harshly treated on a forum than become an accident statistic.

I have seen a few caravans lift, but have yet to see one just lift in a flash without warning.

 

[Royston]

Hi ian, sorry to hear of your towing incident, guess you will

not forget in a hurry .

The tyres on caravans are normally set at the maxium towing weight (which should be indicated in your caravan manual)

so when you are towing a empty van it will tend to bounce around

having very little down weight to keep it steady.

All the answers listed are concerned with the speed of travel, quite rightly so ,

As a rule of thumb when towing I divide the distance mileage

by 50 to give me a estimated journey time.

Last year leaving Essex on a nice sunny day as I travelled north on the A1 the winds started to get up very windy from the west , getting onto the A66 ,the winds were strong enough to keep my speed below 30mpg going down some of the very steep hills along that road. The van never twitched at all I have alko 1300 hitch

which does help,even at that speed no lorries passed me which can be unsettling in windy conditions.

All the above is based upon a single axle van, never owned a twin axle so I cannot comment with regards to their towing limitations.