M3 today

[kopite]

1st.Another poor unit on its side today i coudn`t see anybody injured thank God.Just as a thought does anyone know of a unit going over with a ALKO staberliser or ATC fitted.
2nd.In the past week i`ve been passed by two outfits and one motorhome with roof lights wide open do these pop open by themselfs or not being checked.I have tried to catch their attention but i cant catch them up i did take the fuse out of my limiter but the driver seat drops so it looks like the truck is being driven by a monkey(no comments please)
3rd.Two miles passed the accident today a bailey onion cut infront of me i did flash my lights not out of frustration but to let the driver no that there unit was wagging like a puppys tail so if your the driver of a black focus with an onion following you please slow down
happy vanning everyone

 

[GeorgeandAde]

I seen a caravan being towed by a Disco last week.
Car indicated to overtake...nearside indicator light on caravan flashing.
After he passed the lorry he indicated to return to inside lane and guess what?.........yep...........offside light on caravan flashing

 

[otherclive]

Caravans fitted with Alko stabiliser can go unstable and may overturn. All the stabiliser does is dampen the start of oscillations using friction pads. It will raise the speed in which instabilty sets in but by how much depends on many variables such as load, load distribution, car load and suspension, tyre pressures, external effects such as wind, road surface other vehicles and your speed. Also dirt grease and Alko pad condition will affect its performance. So its better than not having one but how much you gain is variable so there is no substitute to doing things correctly in the first place. As for the ATC it should prevent instability setting in but as to whether you can get instability or an overturn I don't know.

 

[Surfer]

3rd.Two miles passed the accident today a bailey onion cut infront of me i did flash my lights not out of frustration but to let the driver no that there unit was wagging like a puppys tail so if your the driver of a black focus with an onion following you please slow down
happy vanning everyone

Did you mean Orion? Sounds as if the driver was a vegetable anyway!

 

[ProfJohnL]

All the stabiliser does is dampen the start of oscillations using friction pads. It will raise the speed in which instabilty sets in..........

Hello Clive,
Not quite accurate. The conditions at which instability arises remains the same, whether ATC is fitted or not assuming all other factors are equal. What ATC does is begin to counter the instability.

 

[otherclive]

Agree on the ATC, but with friction pads in the system a potentially unstable system will not necessarily 'exhibit' instabilty at the same speed as one without friction pads. If the friction pads dampen the 'instabilty' then they are surely making the system less likely to exhibit increasing oscillations but it would all depend on whether the system is classed as Overdamped where it returns to equilibrium without oscillating, Critically Damped where it returns to equilibrium as quickly as possible without oscilating, Underdamped where the system oscillates at reduced frequency compared to Undamped with oscillations gradually reducing to zero, and Undamped where the amplitude of the oscillations increases. The caravan -car scenario does not contain a great deal of friction (cf to the forces involved) ,in those small pads contained in the Alko coupling head so I'd guess its classed as Underdamped. In which case if someone feels the outfit beginning to go they could make it worse by taking the incorrect action so levels of friction become somewhat academic. The friction pads dont alter the natural frequency of the system, only its response to force inputs.

Hence my view that there are so many variables you have to assume that the actions required to reduce the likelihood are loading, outfit match, and driver actions. The Alko couipling might just make the difference between being able to detact and react to a situation rather than loosing control. In which case its a useful aid. The ATC would be better as it reacts quicker and takes the correct action by braking the wheel(s).

Cheers

Otherclive

 

[NigelHutson]

In theory a caravan fitted with ATC shouldn't be able to get into a "snake", as correctly pointed out above, the brakes are applied on the caravan when yaw is detected (and it doesn't need much for the system to cut in), and therefore should pull it straight again. That said, if a swerve is so violent, it could cause the caravan to tip before the ATC cuts in, but it would have to be a really violent swerve..

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Clive,
My appologies, I saw the reference to ATC and did not fully read the thread. Yes there is a difference between friction pad systems and ATC.