towing a caravan
Discussion
Got our first caravan and having never towed anything just was a bit disconcerted to feel the car judder/get pushed as and when the caravan went over bumps etc.
Im sure im being over sensitive but it made the car ride quite poorly ( whad ya expect from having a caravan following !!! inner voice says)
is this normal?
Im sure im being over sensitive but it made the car ride quite poorly ( whad ya expect from having a caravan following !!! inner voice says)
is this normal?
Quite normal to feel the caravan whilst driving. Pitching can be one people feel a lot of, with the up and down motion on the hitch. And yes you will feel it in high winds. My twin axle is horrid over speedbumps, thats where it really moves the cars (Shogun and Discovery tow vehicles).
Key things to make your caravan as stable as can be;
Nose Weight - Make sure the hitch weight of the caravan is equal, if not lower than that of towcars recommendation. A lot of caravans will recommend noseweight in their handbooks - mine is 90kgs, my vehicle can take 150. I tow with 100, im happy with that.
Loading - Make sure all your weight is down low, nothing up high in the caravan. Load the van correctly, it will make it more stable. Large weights over the axle(s), and don't plough a lot of weight into the back end of the van, the worst thing you can do. Pendulum effect will ensue.
Apart from this, and maybe uprated shocks and springs on your tow vehicle, any other movements will be usual.
Key things to make your caravan as stable as can be;
Nose Weight - Make sure the hitch weight of the caravan is equal, if not lower than that of towcars recommendation. A lot of caravans will recommend noseweight in their handbooks - mine is 90kgs, my vehicle can take 150. I tow with 100, im happy with that.
Loading - Make sure all your weight is down low, nothing up high in the caravan. Load the van correctly, it will make it more stable. Large weights over the axle(s), and don't plough a lot of weight into the back end of the van, the worst thing you can do. Pendulum effect will ensue.
Apart from this, and maybe uprated shocks and springs on your tow vehicle, any other movements will be usual.
LouD86 said:
Quite normal to feel the caravan whilst driving. Pitching can be one people feel a lot of, with the up and down motion on the hitch. And yes you will feel it in high winds. My twin axle is horrid over speedbumps, thats where it really moves the cars (Shogun and Discovery tow vehicles).
Key things to make your caravan as stable as can be;
Nose Weight - Make sure the hitch weight of the caravan is equal, if not lower than that of towcars recommendation. A lot of caravans will recommend noseweight in their handbooks - mine is 90kgs, my vehicle can take 150. I tow with 100, im happy with that.
Loading - Make sure all your weight is down low, nothing up high in the caravan. Load the van correctly, it will make it more stable. Large weights over the axle(s), and don't plough a lot of weight into the back end of the van, the worst thing you can do. Pendulum effect will ensue.
Apart from this, and maybe uprated shocks and springs on your tow vehicle, any other movements will be usual.
Thank you for the quick reply. Just felt a bit like being on a boat ! not snaking or anything. Got adjustable dampers in the car 535d with VDC so will experiment with that. Drove both empty so with the car full of kids and heavy stuff in the car will be careful with the weights distribution in the van.Key things to make your caravan as stable as can be;
Nose Weight - Make sure the hitch weight of the caravan is equal, if not lower than that of towcars recommendation. A lot of caravans will recommend noseweight in their handbooks - mine is 90kgs, my vehicle can take 150. I tow with 100, im happy with that.
Loading - Make sure all your weight is down low, nothing up high in the caravan. Load the van correctly, it will make it more stable. Large weights over the axle(s), and don't plough a lot of weight into the back end of the van, the worst thing you can do. Pendulum effect will ensue.
Apart from this, and maybe uprated shocks and springs on your tow vehicle, any other movements will be usual.
Is the legal max on a motorway towing 60mph? and same question for A roads?
Yep, 60 on motorways and dual carriageways.
50mph on all other roads.
Also, not allowed to use the fast lane on a motorway.
I've got a large twin axle and I have to say I find my Audi A6 very comfortable when towing, you know the 'van is there but that's all.
50mph on all other roads.
Also, not allowed to use the fast lane on a motorway.
I've got a large twin axle and I have to say I find my Audi A6 very comfortable when towing, you know the 'van is there but that's all.
Edited by Rosscow on Monday 27th April 16:32
superlightr said:
Is the legal max on a motorway towing 60mph? and same question for A roads?
60mph on motorways and national limit dual carriageways and 50 on national limit single carriageway roads. There's no such thing as a fast lane, you are not allowed in the outside lane of any motorway that is more than 2 lanes, so you can drive in lane 2 (outside lane) of a 2 lane motorway.If it's pitching up and down then you have the weight distributed incorrectly.
Yes they do tend to push and pull on undulating roads or bumps, but depending on the weight of the car and van, it can be more or less noticeable. With my ML it's less noticeable than it was with my Legacy which would have been some 700Kg lighter.
It can also depend on the type of suspension on the caravan. With a swing arm, the rebound will tend to pull on the car. This was more noticeable with my single axle unbraked trailer than with our 2-tonne twin axle caravan. I think it's because the van has dampers where the trailer hasn't and the twin axle config means one of the pair of axles keeps the van from dipping and diving as much as the trailer does with its single axle.
It can also depend on the type of suspension on the caravan. With a swing arm, the rebound will tend to pull on the car. This was more noticeable with my single axle unbraked trailer than with our 2-tonne twin axle caravan. I think it's because the van has dampers where the trailer hasn't and the twin axle config means one of the pair of axles keeps the van from dipping and diving as much as the trailer does with its single axle.
Thanks for all the replies.
Passed test in about 1990 so the new rules dont apply I believe.
Using the BMW 535d to tow - effortless to say the least from a power pov but a bit pushy from the back although were on bumpy A & B roads.
New swift challenger sport 586 which has a build in ALCO stabiliser but also added on the ALCO ATC trailer control. Just learning what all the things do inside.
fun. kids love it. First trip away in about a months time.
Passed test in about 1990 so the new rules dont apply I believe.
Using the BMW 535d to tow - effortless to say the least from a power pov but a bit pushy from the back although were on bumpy A & B roads.
New swift challenger sport 586 which has a build in ALCO stabiliser but also added on the ALCO ATC trailer control. Just learning what all the things do inside.
fun. kids love it. First trip away in about a months time.
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