Towing Widths

[mcghee]

"Discrimination" Lutz - Very funny.

Germany a country with some of Europes best roads and some with unlimited speed limits but speed limit for caravans I think is only 50 MPH / 80KPH, I also seem too remember your posts re tyres and shock absorbers on caravans. It seems we have to respect the German ideas but it is not a two way trade.

Of course maybe the German speed limits is due to the problems wcaused by 2.5 metre wide caravans so they just limit the speed for all caravanners ;-)

mcghee. If you were to drive a 2.5 metre wide caravan to Cornwall its width would be an issue all the way and on some parts of the journey the extra width would be a danger to you and other road users. Any issues re a long van turning are only for a minute part of a journey.

Cris, I have towed my 8ft wide to or through most of Britain and a fair part of France. I've towed it through many city centres including Paris, I've towed on little more than single track roads in the Scottish Highlands and I can assure you the extra 100mm of width makes not a bit of difference. I agree with wholeheartedly that there are many for whom this would not be possible, but perhaps they should be towing at all?

 

[MikeP]

Most UK campsites that I have been to are accessed by "trucks". Calor gas delivery vehicles and dustcarts are truck sized. And farm CLs are usually accessible for tractors or combines. Yes, there are some sites - and especially "back garden" type CLs - where access might be a problem, but this can be included in published site info.

 

[allen1]

I really dont know if I should be adding more fuel to this debate,but here goes anyway.I have driven many miles in europe and the UK with my 2.5 wide caravan and have never had a problem with entrances to sites even though I am a massive 6ins wider,And regularly reversed into my standard 10 ft wide driveway,used normal pitches erected a 3 meter in depth awning and still maintained the 6 meters between caravans stipulated by both clubs and reputable commercial sites,although they are few and far between these days.Although the roads in england are in a disgusting state of repair,the worst in europe apart from Romania maybe,Im glad of the shockabsorbers that are fitted as standard and the increased stabiliy they give especially when being passed by HGVs on german and dutch m/ways.

Narrow roads are narrow roads in any country and I think it rather foolish to think the UK has the monopoly on them.The uk caravan industry is already going the way of the motorcycle and car industry as more and more brits look to europe for a better built and better quality and more for your money.

I have never been and do not know of anybody who has been stopped by the police or the MOT inspectors for threr caravan being to wide,but maybe someone has ?????

 

[LizCornwall]

Yes you are quite right the site here that I work on we have large lorry's to collect the bins and also calar gas lorry, but they are in one place they are not driving around site to pitch up. Liz

 

[cris_408518]

Yes you are quite right the site here that I work on we have large lorry's to collect the bins and also calar gas lorry, but they are in one place they are not driving around site to pitch up. Liz

Liz I doubt your visiting Lorries are 12 metres long, Even the large dust carts are only about 8 or so metres.

 

[LizCornwall]

Liz I doubt your visiting Lorries are 12 metres long, Even the large dust carts are only about 8 or so metres.

Hi cris I was replying to previous posting, meaning the wider the vans really the wider the pitches have to be to accomodate them, here with a TEC in storage its wide its long so we have to put him on one of our larger pitches, actually he was delivered on a low loader sometime here last year. Liz

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I raised the question of caravan widths on another thread as I have recently fitted an Omnistor canopy that sticks out about 1in more than the door stop/catch

I now see from the Bailey spec that my van is not 2.3m wide but 2.28 so providing I go easy on the polish I should be just about within the letter of the law !!