Instability Caused By Passing Vehicles ( On motorways)

[bertieboy1]

I have found the greatest towing instability when being passed by another vehicle is caused by -
1. car transporters
2. Ford transit vans
I find buses and articulated lorries with closed side trailers make very little disturbances.
Does anyone else have similar experiences or least liked vehicle(s) to be overtaken by ?

 

[RogerL]

Speeding white vans and some buses are noticeable when they overtake but I don't count it as instability - I don't get any issue with car transporters but I know they're often highlighted by caravanners.
On ordinary single carriageway roads I do notice a huge variation in the effect of the bow-wave of different HGVs coming towards me but never been able to pinpoint the reason(s) for the variation.

 

[BrownhillsBob]

I have found the same as you Bertie boy. On motorways I find I get slight instability when being overtaken by car transporters or transit sized 'box' vans. Coaches and articulated lorries have very little affect on the stability.

 

[Raywood]

I think with car transporters it is all about aerodynamics. They have that much open body and various vehicles that they can create far more turbulence than anything else on the road. With white van man it is usually just speed and a bit of size.
Coaches can create turbulence but seem to be less of a problem now that they have speed limiters.

 

[AbbeyOwner]

I have some instabilitly caused by ford transit vans and sometimes lorries, but not that much it causes the van to snake

 

[Gagakev]

Read a tip on here a few years back
When being overtaken by larger vehicles move over towards the hard shoulder (not on it) and create a bigger gap even if it is a foot or so
it will make a differance, kept this in mind and seems to work for me, no instability issues.

 

[RogerL]

I think the original tip is to move TOWARDS their lane as they approach from behind, which will get them further away - but then move AWAY from their lane as they come past.
That's what I used to do when towing at 98% but simply unneccessary now I'm down below 85%.

 

[otherclive]

I think the original tip is to move TOWARDS their lane as they approach from behind, which will get them further away - but then move AWAY from their lane as they come past.
That's what I used to do when towing at 98% but simply unneccessary now I'm down below 85%.

I did the Caravan Club course and I dont recall anything being said about moving towards the lorry, only to move towards the hard shoulder but not onto it.

 

[RogerL]

My "original" may be going back a very long way - but it was a CC tip at one time.

 

[xtrailman]

I remember Rogers tip, but i just move to the left if i remember, and usually lift off to allow a slow passing lorry to pass.

Car transporters i find the worst, high speed white van man second.
Only had one snake after a very fast moving coach passed, back in the days when 70/80 mph seem to be what they travelled at.

Not much upsets the mazda CX-5 i have now, its much more stable than the Xtrail i had, even though its lighter.

 

[RogerL]

The only snake I ever had was nothing to do with being overtaken - it was caused by insufficient noseweight with no-one else around, a real trouser-changing moment.