Overturned caravans this weekend

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all

RAY wrote "colin

All the new or nearly new vans, in the main, do have alko stabilizers, so i not sure how you have arrived at your conclusion?"

very easily ray it's called a pair of eyes,

altogether I have seen I think 5 overturned vans in my travels

all of them in the last 5 years,(average one a year) 2 of which were range rover variants (dont know the models) one was a volvo est, one was towed by a jeep type pick up, the other was towed by a large saloon,(merc or jag) all the vans in question were 6mtrs+ and new or at least looked new before being turned into a pile of doo daas,

but on the other hand I have never seen a 3 or 4 mtr van towed by any type family car in any sort of trouble in the whole of my many thousands of miles travels, thats where my conclusions come from.

what I have seen however and so frequently it is frightening is the moron who passes you doing 70+ with the van wagging it's tail like some demented terrier.

perhaps we should do a poll of forum members, with 4 questions.

1. have you seen an overturned van??

2. if so what van was it??

3. what vehicle was towing it??

4. where was it?? (as some members may have seen the same one)

I think the answers could tell us a great deal.

colin

 

[xtrailman]

Lutz

You have obviously not had the same snake that i had.

After a coach passed at speed, the rig went into an immediate snake, no preable.

When i had a slow puncture, the instability was gradual, and i was able to correct it, primarily by reducing speed.

colin

You need to go to spec savers, having only 10 days ago doing the new van inspection, i dont recall seeing one new van with out a stabilizer.

And i had my glasses on!

Me thinks you talk rubbish? or just having a laugh?

In answer to you poll

1/ yes

2/ a van on its side.

3/ A different one everytime.Usually facing into oncoming traffic.

4/ on a motorway evertime, two lane or three.

 

[Lutz]

I'm afraid I do have an issue with your comment about the coach going past at speed, resulting in an uncontrollable snake. When driving, you are obliged to use your rear view mirror so as soon as you saw the coach approaching at a speed considerably faster than your outfit, it would have been wise to take your foot off the accelerator pedal while it was overtaking. That would probably have been enough to prevent a snake in the first place.

 

[xtrailman]

lutz

If i reduced speed evertime a lorry or simular started to overtake, then my jorney time would greatly increase.

The only time i lift is when a lorry is struggling to past, as a courtesy.

 

[Lutz]

Surely you are not being overtaken all the time? The few seconds that lifting your foot off the accelerator whenever the odd big, heavy vehicle is about to overtake, is hardly going to make any appreciable difference to your journey times.

 

[xtrailman]

Lutz

Travelling at 55mph to 60mph, i am constantly being overtaken.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi ray

1. A overturned van is no laughing matter is it.

2. I don't wear glasses with 20/20 vison no need to go to specsavers.

3. obviously yours are not reading glasses because what I acctually wrote was " several of which had no stabiliser at all or the accident happend during some difficult manouver"

 

[ProfJohnL]

It is generally accepted that travelling at a lower speed reduces the probability of instability. Ultimately a stationary caravan does not experience instability.

Therefore if you experience instability you are travelling too fast.

 

[Lutz]

One must differentiate between an overtaking vehicle that is likely to cause trouble, like coaches doing 70mph and car transporters, for example, and other heavy trucks that crawl past. Most will fall into the latter category and they are unlikely to cause instability. (If they do, too, there is something wrong with your outfit - probably the noseweight wasn't set properly). Only in exceptional cases like those mentioned above should any action on your part be necessary, and that shouldn't make an appreciably difference to your journey times.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

I totally agree, one thing I learned a long time ago was to use your mirrors effectively nothing is going to suddenly zoom past causing a snake, you should have seen them comming a long way back, and when they approach you just drift over to the left a bit giving them a wider berth so you are not caught out by the vortex,

or in the case of the moron (as mentioned earlier) will be going so fast as not to overtaken by anything.

 

[xtrailman]

Colin

I think you have hit the nail on the head, so to speak.

Obviously i need to increase my speed, prevent any lorries or coaches passing, this will prevent instability induced by over taking lorries, and reduce the need to use the rear mirrors so often.

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

All, as I said earlier Drivers & Chauffeurs, Drivers give 100% concentration, plan well ahead, and do likewise with there rear view mirrors as Lutz has stated. The chauffeur has his holiday head on and only sees the amber nectar at the end of his journey!

Allan, & Gill.

 

[xtrailman]

I was some what relieved to see no more posts stating the make and model of overturned cars and caravans.

At lest most drivers are obviously watching the road, rather than rubber necking, often a cause of motor way pile ups.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/product-range/new-caravans/ranger/picture-gallery/images/007L.jpg
Bailey at least do supply caravans with no stabiliser

Vision Express are good

 

[xtrailman]

Watson jg

Below is the extract from my post, which caused the amusing posts following.

Note the words "in the main".

colin

All the new or nearly new vans, in the main, do have alko stabilizers, so i not sure how you have arrived at your conclusion?

I have tried vision express, but spec savers i believe have the edge?

Anyway i got a free eye test. May be you should try them?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Ray

I was supporting you by showing that not all new vans have stabilisers as you stated

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Ray

I was supporting you by showing that not all new vans have stabilisers as you stated

Well as I thought I will now stop digging again!!

 

[xtrailman]

Wake up!

You have been dreaming?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Wake up!

You have been dreaming?

Mmmmmmmmm

 

[Gafferbill]

Just for the record...........

Coaches and buses are now fitted with speed limiters set at 65mph in the UK.

Thus on a motorway most will be travelling at this speed, giving them a 5 mph overtake advantage over the tower who wants to travel at 60mph.

This set of circumstances has all the ingredients of a bow wave induced snake snake.

 

[Gafferbill]

Just for the record...........

Coaches and buses are now fitted with speed limiters set at 65mph in the UK.

Thus on a motorway most will be travelling at this speed, giving them a 5 mph overtake advantage over the tower who wants to travel at 60mph.

This set of circumstances has all the ingredients of a bow wave induced snake snake.

?? Only one snake!!!