A couple just three weeks into their dream trip around Australia have escaped uninjured after their caravan rolled on the Bruce Highway.
The crash happened near Bobs Creek Rd at the Bajool intersection shortly after caravan began to fishtail.
The driver and passenger of the crashed vehicle told the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin that they were able to keep control of the their vehicle enough to keep it upright … but the caravan rolled and both of the vehicles crashed into bush land.
The couple are believed to be from Sydney.
The Bruce Highway was closed for a short while to allow for the removal of the crashed car and caravan.
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Please everyone, before you set off make sure you have had EXPERIENCE! We are on our trip around Aus and are very experienced. Truck and Road Train drivers. We have met so many of you out there that have just bought your 4WD and Caravan. You have no idea!
Some truckies on ch 40 say about caravanners” if you can’t travel at the posted speed limit you shouldn’t be on the road” That limit is the max you can drive at and if you are more comfortable at a speed 10 k/h less then travel at that speed. When you have a convoy pull over
Carol they aren’t going to get experience sucking lolly pops at home.
What car was towing this van. I also would like to know if they had there water tanks empty or full.
Mark, the Adria Adora, wihich is what this van looks like, has a very small water tank right at the front. Actually helps stabilise the ball weight. I used to own one and (the double axle one at least) is extremely stable.
So sad for these people however I believe there are so many people buy a caravan who simply do not know how to safely tow. It’s not just a matter of hitching up and go, it’s understanding cross winds, head winds, hill descents, and maintaining safe speed levels on open roads. I believe so many people should do a course before they try the Big Lap…….
Single axle caravans are so sensitive to mis-loading. Be very careful people.
I wonder if there had been any modification of the tow ball hitch?. This model comes with a special coupler that contains two little brake pads that are applied using a large red lever. This acts as an anti sway. If you don’t have the correct tow ball fitting (that stops the towball unscrewing), or you forget to push down the lever, or you lubricate the towball, the anti sway system is compromised. I’ve heard of people replacing the special hitch with a standard one because they just don’t like the look of them. Not saying that any of this happened in this instance, but having owned the double-axled version of this van, I can say that if used properly, they don’t sway, in fact it remains the most stable van I have ever towed – and I towed mine in pretty-much every kind of weather and road condition imaginable.
I am the driver who has lost our van, have been towing it for the past three years, unfortunayely a seties of trucks came through just before the bridge, which brought the oncoming vehicles closer to each other, and the suction unfortunately sent me out of control, Im not saying I am as experienced as my fellow road users, but I know my Ml triton quite well and my adria adora van, it was unfortunate accident but thankfully I didnt block highway, and most of all no injuries had happened! A stiff drink was called for when our destination was reached though!
Sorry to hear that this has happened to you guys so early into your holiday. Glad your both ok, Ralph. That’s the most important thing. I would think a few drinks were called for and that.
I was two cars back from you when you were stopped at the previous road works and noticed that your van rocked quite a bit as trucks came toward you. The trucks were only doing 40 klm at this stage. Even cars coming toward you caused your van to rock a bit. It alarmed me enough to make me check my van as trucks went past. My van was quite stable. I put it down to Adrias being light vans and let it go at that. I was quite dismayed when I came across your roll over shortly after.
Front kitchen caravan. All the weight is at the front. Guaranteed accident waiting to happen.
They should have had stabilisers on the caravan’s A frame that attaches the van to hook onto the car’s tow bar. We had two on each side and never had one sway on two big laps.
We have had caravans for many years, what surprises me is that there aren’t many more accidents. So many times I have seen caravans where the tow-ball height is incorrect. High at the front and the wind gets underneath causing the van to flip. Low at the front and the van will snake from side to side. My caravan manufacturer has a recommended tow-ball height printed in the handbook.