Reversing

[Gumbo]

agree with you, inability to reverse in front of the cops will not go down well.In fact I think there are grounds for the police to prosecute on the grounds the driver is not in full control of the vehicle

No they won't, No Grounds What So Ever,No Test was Required by LAW Just checked with a Lawyer, he dosen't think the CPS would not dare risk it. The can of worms associated with this would be to big for Goverment to risk. His reasoning would be the Police could pull anyone in and ask them to reverse. The defence would be " I was under undue pressure to carry out a manouvere( with a Caravan attached )which is not required by Law " A Caravan is not a Vehicle, the Car is the Vehicle which if you can Reverse is sufficient in Law

 

[Lutz]

A caravan, as any other trailer, IS a vehicle, Gumbo. It is obviously not a motor vehicle (sometimes also referred to as a self-propelled vehicle), though.

 

[Gumbo]

Correct Lutz, my point being there is No Group on a UK driving Licence for Driving a Caravan. Towing one B+E Yes but driving one No.

I just phoned a Traffic Police Officer his view being "I wouldn't care if the van needed to be unhitched, and then moved as long as it was moved when requested "

What we have here is someone saying the Law would be involved and clearly it would not.

ps I can reverse ok I only replied to stimulate debate

 

[Chaps]

Oh dear, I'm one of those with a mover who jokes about not being able to reverse! Actually, I can manage quite well when out on the open road and recently achieved a 5 point turn (sorry, couldn't make it in 3) in a crowded car park when we missed the turning to a CL. Unfortunately though our car HATES reversing with the van on when on grass. The clutch starts to smell very quickly and using the mover just takes away the risk of a very expensive car repair.

Also, I agree with comments above re tight spaces on sites. We've just returned from Sheepcote Valley CC site in Brighton and the hardstanding pitches were very difficult to negotiate for those with longer outfits. We had to move our car to allow our neighbours across to get in and he was very good at reversing. If our awning had already been up, he quite simply would not have been able to get on his pitch using his car. I also find it rather disconcerting how many people see it as sport watching fellow caravanners reverse onto their pitches, especially if they don't get it spot on first time.

So, Chrisbee, I will keep using my mover at every opportunity, thank you very much, but I assure you, I DO have the skill and confidence to tow safely on public roads (rant over)

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Gumbo

I've often felt the Law is an Ass and in view of what your mate says , then my feelings must be right.

Just one thing, I always thought the caravan whilst attached to the vehicle and in use on the road was seen to be a trailer. The RTA requires the need for minimum insurance cover to be in existence on any vehicle used on our roads. That cover will normally extend to cover road traffic incidents arising out of the use the caravan/ trailer.

Does everyone towing make sure their car insurance also extends to third party liability cover whilst towing?

The real point originally made is that admissions are being publicly made by those who cannot reverse. This can only tarnish all us tuggers in the eyes of other motorists.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Gumbo]

Everone can reverse they have a driving licence to prove it. Just some people can place/park a caravan better than others. The ones who are not excellent at this manouvere, just use Movers

 

[weejock]

Firstly I think movers are a great addition to a caravan.

No I don't have one as I need the payload but I can see plenty of situations where they would be very advantagous.

However to be unable to reverse your caravan properly in my mind should exculde you from driving it on the public highway.

What about a chap I know who will not turn right at a junction if a car is waiting because he is not very sure where the caravan will be.

Yes he is driving within his limits but I cannot for the life of me understand how people can think they are safe drivers if they cannot control their vehicle properly.

Surely a small test at local VOSA centre for say

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Gumbo,

You are missing the point.The point is what about the many caravanners who do not have movers and cannot reverse their outfit. The point of this thread is not that some can reverse better than others, but that some cannot reverse their outfit at all. Surely they are a liability should reverseing be required.As i said earlier i have seen many cases over the years were these people have caused chaos and given caravanners a bad name. Something we can do without.

Hamer

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all

wether we like it or not gumbo is right there is no requirement to do a test for reversing a trailer and thank god there isn't one because any test would have to include a few different types of trailer both with and without brakes each one requiring a pass mark before you could tow all types of trailers what a nightmare that would be???.

to be honest although I have towed trailers for 40 years I do not reverse unless it is absolutely nessesary. as I said in my earier post reversing is somthing either you can or can't do, or rather can do but with different levels of success if anyone tries to tell me they can reverse into a narrow gap or onto a confind pitch with an audiance every single time without fluffing it is telling porkies.

and that is with a great big slab on the back anyone tried to reverse a 4ft camping trailer that you cannot see untill it has allready gone past the pivot point no "well give it a try" at least once.

it is only on modern vans with reverse overide brakes that it is possible to do a quick reverse manouver anyway, on the old vans there was a lever that had to be pulled back to stop the brakes comming on exept that it could not be operated by one person as it was spring released so had to be held in place untill the damper locked it and that was after the brakes were fully off so you had to pull forwards, if you were pointing downhill you had to first apply the hand brake. not an easy matter then reversing, so how did we manage well truth is we didn't just went from home to site and back again without ever having to reverse at all, I cannot say it caused any hassle it was something one just managed to do it did not make us a liability to anyone.

colin

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Colin-Yorkshire,

I can assure you that over the years i have seen many caravaners who cannot reverse become a liability to other road users.

I live in a so called "holiday hotspot" more like "wet spot" at the moment and have seen for myself the chaos caravaners who cannot reverse can cause.

The point as i said earlier is not wether or not a test is required but wether or not people have a responsibility to learn how to reverse their caravan.

Over the last 20 plus years i have taught many caravaners how to reverse, as my father did many years ago. Some pick it up quickly some very slowly but all have got there in the end. The extra confidence it gives them is plain to see.

They will be safe if having to reverse, a credit to caravaners and not a liability to other road users.

Hamer

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi hamer

I do understand what you are saying as my father taught me how to reverse when I got my first van in 1967 on the local pub carpark on sunday afternoons after closing time, after a couple of sessions I could just about put the van anywhere without uncoupling it, fair enough.

but my point was it was such a pallava to get the thing into reverse mode that on the road you tended not to reverse at all instead you learned how manover the unit around problem situations, leaving a big gap around the unit when parked, avioding small places,and towns going on to the next roundabout instead of reversing into a side road ect,it became second nature it is something I still do today, to be honest out of the last 4 or 5 trips out I cannot ever remember having to reverse the unit at all.

the main trouble if there is one when towing is the local yokel in the beat up landrover that was never fitted with a reverse gear (you know the ones) expect you to reverse the van 2miles back up a country lane because he doesn't have a reverse gear so cannot back up 25 yards into that field entrance behind him.

or the ones that dont pull over to let you passed in case their tyres get dirty.

their the ones i call a liability on the road

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Colin-Yorkshire,

Please don't get me going on about old beat up Landrovers!!

We never try to go in the direction of a cattle market on market day. We usually at some point get stuck behind one of the said vehicles, doing 2mph uphill, belching out loads of black smoke, no number plate and usually no indicators or stop lights.

Odd how they never seem to be stopped by the police.

Must stop now---as my wife would say "shut up you decided to come this way".

Hamer

 

[colin-yorkshire]

yeah I know what you mean bl**dy true though

colin