Towing a Caravan - Mechanical strain etc

[Tassie f100]

Lot of factors for more crashed.More caravans on the roads,but the biggest probably is people towing bigger heavier vans with unsuitable tow cars.How many times do you see 7.5-8 metre caravans weighing around 3 tonnes being towed by Ranger size vehicles.All good til a strong gust of wind or a bit of broken road surface and away everything goes.Big difference between towing a trailer loaded with building materials and a 3 t hollow box/ windsock with an 8sq metre wall in the front.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Lot of factors for more crashed.More caravans on the roads,but the biggest probably is people towing bigger heavier vans with unsuitable tow cars.How many times do you see 7.5-8 metre caravans weighing around 3 tonnes being towed by Ranger size vehicles.All good til a strong gust of wind or a bit of broken road surface and away everything goes.Big difference between towing a trailer loaded with building materials and a 3 t hollow box/ windsock with an 8sq metre wall in the front.

I never believed towing on the max with any car, wagons utes & suv's but I don't see a problem with vans (wobbly boxes) as you put it if driven correctly under any conditions, usually the problem is the loose nut behind the wheel.

Cheers.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

,but the biggest probably is people towing bigger heavier vans with unsuitable tow cars.How many times do you see 7.5-8 metre caravans weighing around 3 tonnes being towed by Ranger size vehicles.All good til a strong gust of wind or a bit of broken road surface and away everything goes.Big difference between towing a trailer loaded with building materials and a 3 t hollow box/ windsock with an 8sq metre wall in the front.

I don't agree. A ranger is actually a very good tow vehicle. In fact it's technically better than a land cruiser if you're towing 3t or less. The reason is it has the longest wheelbase and the shortest distance from rear axle to hitch. These are two very important attributes.

Modern dual cabs and wagons actually tow quite well if they are set up properly and within the manufacturers ratings and driven at appropriate speeds. Many just never read their owners manual to find out that info.

Crash statistics also point out that crashes involving vehicles towing are a very small percentage of overall crashes on the roads. Most accidents are caused by the device between the steering wheel and the seat.