There’s been a spate of accidents involving caravans in western Queensland recent weeks, sparking warnings that grey nomads and other holidaymakers to take extra care.
Charleville’s Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) says that, of the five recent road crashes in the region, three of them have involved caravans.
“Some of these incidents probably could have been avoided,” area commander John Fogarty , told the ABC. “Speed, fatigue, caravans that have been incorrectly loaded, and probably some inexperienced new people getting into the industry, going out to buy that new van and the four-wheel-drive to head off to the west [have been involved].”
Mr Fogarty said while the influx of tourists and visitors to outback Queensland was beneficial for the region’s economy, safety had to be the top priority.
“I’d suggest that you get a little bit of training in and around your caravan — how to tow your van, and certainly how to pack your van to make sure it’s correctly packed and it’s well balanced,” he told the ABC.
He also recommended keeping a close eye on road conditions, from checking Facebook groups, Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and RACQ websites, as well as talking to locals in outback towns.
Delivery truck driver, Lindsay Liston, echoes those sentiments, having recently witnessed a caravan accident himself.
He said he was driving at about 90km/h towards Charleville along the Matilda Highway when a car towing a caravan tried to overtake him.
“It started swaying, I think she might have panicked and hit the brakes a bit,” Mr Liston told the ABC. “[The caravan] ended up spinning right around, the caravan hit a culvert, and went over into the culvert, but the car stayed upright, luckily.”
Mr Liston pulled over to check on the travellers.
“I wouldn’t have liked to be in it, looked pretty scary,” Mr Liston said. “I helped them unload, they got a bit of gear out of it, because the caravan, there was nothing left of it, it made a big mess.”
Mr Liston told the ABC that he thought training on how to correctly tow and weight a caravan should be a priority before heading out west on a road trip.
“Just take it steady,” he said. “You’re not in a hurry, you’re on holidays. You should be just poking along.”
I notice that most of the vans today don’t have sway bars,you can pick them as they go past
Not required if you have ESC!
I do not use sway bars or load level bars as they are correctly called as they are not neede on my van. Using leveling bars can make a van more unstable by lifting the rear wheels, Ihave been towing vans since 72 & the only time I used bars was a Hayman Reece dual cam sway bars with a 22ft van behind a V8 P76
Anti-sway bars and load levelling bars are not the same – or at least that’s my understanding. Either should be used if required.
People call lifters … sway bars. They are not.
We previously used lifter bars but after fitting a McHitch and airbags we gave the lifters a miss. Caravan is much steadier. Very noticeable less sway.
There are Anti Sway Systems, Electronic Stability Control systems and Weight Distribution Hitches (sometimes called load levellers). All three of these do different things, although it is possible to purchase a WDH with the anti-sway function. The use of one of these does systems not necessarily negate the use of one of the others. Could I suggest that readers familiarise themselves with the operational capabilities of all systems, before posting advice to others.
Geist caravans do not require sway bays.There is actually a warning on the aframe to remind you not to put them on
Most bars you see aren’t sway bars they are weight distribution bars
Barbara Hayward do you mean wds or anti sway bars.
Most people wouldn’t know the difference, and many people have no idea of the problems that a WDH can cause. Load the van correctly, keep excess weight off car’s rear axle, and keep your speed down. Easy stuff!
EXACTLY!!
My Hyundai Manual states no weight distribution bars to be used.
What size & weight Van do you tow with your Hyundai??
There not sway bars they are weight distribution bars that move the weight to balance and level the van and car.
You don’t need sway bars if your van is packed properly and you haven’t gone over your GCM
“Sway bars” as you call them, do not influence GCM in any way.
Hi Barbara. Weight Distributing Hitches are the norm, anti sway bars are much more complex and do just that, antisway!!. Weight Distribution Hitches help to level the Tow vehicle & Towed Vehicle. Can only be used if used with approved Tow Bars!! & approved for use by the Vehicle Manufacturer.
I’ve done a lot of travelling within Australia (not enough but until the Covid induced hordes bugger off I’m happy staying on the farm) and I’ve been amazed that more vans don’t come to grief.
Poor decision making teamed with “average” towing skills, little knowledge of how to properly load the van/vehicle and an “I pay my rego” attitude makes for a potentially deadly mix.
We also tow a van we are travelling at the moment not all the time the driver can be blamed the roads we are on at the moment are atrocious just left Bordertown SA.and the trip across Bass Strait was more gentler then this road up and down like big waves .
Agree.we’re you heading towards Melbourne? I nearly lost it between Nhil/Kaniva and Bordertown. Hit several “lumps” and only doing 90kmh. Car following said they could see my car as the van swayed violently, setting off the traction control. No obvious indications but bloody scary,and I have towed for any years and many thousands of kms. 22.5 ft van and think the wdh’s assisted greatly. I wrote a complaint to RRV. Apparently, a friend has indicated that the area has been asphaltedto level out recently, thankfully for other travellers. So yes, don’t blame banners for everything
Answer: drive to the conditions, this includes that road surface, among other things.
I’ve said for years that it shouldn’t be a right to tow ANYTHING. Most people can’t even reverse a 6×4 trailer. A test and license endorsement should be mandatory. The few times we’ve stayed in van parks my wife has often suggested I should make some cash parking vans for people who clearly struggle; and I drive a Sprinter van! I don’t even want a caravan.
Steve, you’ve hit the Jackpot. My point is as Ive experienced, my Uncle retired at 73 yrs of age, purchased a af250 ford & bought a 24 foot Bushtracker Caravan & I agree with previous posts, he could he not back a 6×4 trailer he had never towed a 6×4 trailer before. He ended up smashing both vehicles when he got the Van fish tailing & thank goodness was not seriously hurt.
So I rest my case.
I must say after 20 years of towing a caravan (and I did a course first) that it is far easier to back a caravan than a 6 x 4 trailer. Just saying
Steve, reversing a 6×4 trailer is much more difficult that reversing a caravan! Trust me I have a 19 van , trailered boat and a 6×4 trailer and its the trailer with a shorter distance between the tow point and axle on the towed vehicle that is hardest to back. A test and license endorsement will not help and will just become another government cash cow. Many drivers cannot parallel park their car or reverse it into a parking spot and they have a License!!?
you got that right BUT dont you think it would help if your license was endorsed before you were allowed to tow any thing for light entertainment go to a boat ramp or the tip
If we drive 10kph below the speed limit, as we should, when towing a caravan or even a m/home, particularly when towing a trail vehicle, other drivers around us complain about that too , & get angry.& do stupid things.
We feel as though we’re “between the devil & the deep blue sea”.
So the answer is for EVERY driver on the road to drive carefully & according to the road conditions & at a speed below the speed limit & that avoids tail wagging IF Towing, & being courteous enough to ease back on the accelerator to assist overtaking vehicles to complete their manoeuvre in as short a time as possible.
I agree that there should compulsory training about how to pack your rig & in checking to ensure that it is fully hitched & chained to your drive vehicle. The same goes for motor homes.particularly when towing a trailing vehicle
Drive to the conditions I drive at 100km on good roads for the last 50 years towing over 10 different vans never had a problem. Good tow vehicle & well set up with the best electric brakes ( they used to be vacuum)
I started out driving small trucks. I decided to buy a van and travel and work..I am a stickler for weighing everything as it goes into my van, just so I know how much weight that I am towing. I decided to buy a Geist XK630..no sway bars or electric brakes required. I make sure that my van is serviced every year by a service centre and van is weighed before I leave for holidays as I travel between Vic and Qld. The big thing for me is my travelling speed..For me I drive to the conditions that I face on the road not necessarily the speed limit. I did have a near miss a couple weeks ago. A car and van travelling north decided to indicate to turn right so I pulled to left passing lane then he changed his mind and I was forced to hit my brakes and hard..WE were mm from a collision..just up the road with zero warning he pulls off the road back on brakes again for me. Some drivers need to ask themselves one question “should I be towing a van “? It was a very close call ..and on a major highway..I have seen some crazy things on the road and some scary things. I am not a perfect driver but I do everything in my power to travel safely. The moment I lose my confidence I will park my van for good. I have already buried two children through road trauma so I am very aware of the dangers ..
We have a van and tow regularly. Our van is services by the manufacture every 12 months as per their recommendation. Many people we meet in parks and on the road say they don’t bother with a regular service by the manufacture as they can save money doing it themselves and their in lies many of the problems! Towing puts a lot of strain on your van and your tow car get them services by professionals as required by the manufactures and definitely before any really major trips. It’s money well spent.
Totally agree with Steve that towing, reversing, packing caravan requires at least a few practicals and a certificate or similar to indicate training.
We just came back from 3 1/2 months away. QLD to SA via VIC and I must admit most vans we saw looked set up correctly. Too many however dipping at the drawbar, front of vehicle up and then, what I consider going to fast, speeding. It was bucketing down coming into QLD on the weekend, couldn’t see all that well and we had vans passing us. I think it’s nuts and have argued here before. Having said B doubles and other trucks were all over the place, maybe we all need to slow it down.
1) Sway bars aren’t necessary and can be the reason a car gets flipped when the van goes.
2) If the van is made properly, before you pack it, it should be properly balanced and need no ESC. After packing, same if packing is done correctly.
3) It’s always the Grey Nomad isn’t it? Nobody under 50 has had this happen to them, right? Wrong! More people on roads with vans, more chances of accidents.
4) MAKE NEWBIES DO A COURSE!! Errr excuse me? Why does doing a course make the person idiot proof and don’t you have to tow the van to the course to do a course on how to tow? Anyone think of that?
I had to do just that. Towed in peak hr through the City together to Mile end. Course was great for reversing a straight line. Passed, but to reverse into a space in a caravan park is totally a new ball game to me.
Sad to see any Van crash…although a write off the Van had not disintegrated into a million pieces..solidly built Caravan..!
No, actually, the “tow” instructor comes to you, well Wayne from Caravan Towing Tuition does. The “insight” of someone who knows what they are talking about is lumminating, BUT, it comes down to practise, practise and practise and confidence that you can tow what you have hitched to your vehicle. Fortunately I lived with a long distance driver and was extremely aware of correct loading and weights. Now to “practise” before hitting the road. I DO BELIEVE, that every inexperienced driver (towing a caravan) SHOULD PARTICIPATE in a caravan towing course. Driving to the conditions – road conditions, weather, speed ALL ARE FACTORS for a safe trip.
Requires proper driving training
THAT’S MY VAN!! And, folks…
1. Because you’re looking at a Landcruiser and a Kedron TopEnder, Jim and I survived;
2. We both were trained in Brisbane to drive the combination in severe conditions;
3. Both car & van are always balance-loaded, have spent 6mths in Tassie and 12mths around Oz, plus local breaks around our Newcastle home, since 2009;
4. 90kph is our maximum speed;
5. We ALWAYS pull safely to the side to allow followers to pass;
6. Our Kedron-fitted weight bars and Old Man Emu GVM upgrade contribute to our stability;
7. This accident happened 24kms below Charleville after a sound sleep in Mitchell the night before… no tiredness;
8. Queensland country roads are narrow, highly cambered, with flood ditch and embankment on both sides;
9. No matter the training, when you correct a drift to the left urgently, you DON’T go for accelerator… your brain thinks BRAKE!! Sad, but we are wired that way… and it’s too late.
10. Before the roll, we saw our DEATHS approaching… and accepted the end.
11. Our SEATBELTS, a butcher, a nurse, and the warmth of the Charleville Community saved us… and we are forever grateful to them all…
12. SO ARE OUR GRANDCHILDREN!!
Stephen McClung and James Ennis
Thanks for the interesting but harrowing story Stephen..glad you both came away uninjured
I too have a Kedron 18ft XC3. Ive been in similar situations but not as bad. Managed to get it back on line.
I drive always expecting the unexpected.
In saying that when a sway occurs the reaction and the type of road can determine the outcome.
Very occasionally when out on a wide open straight road with no traffic I go to the middle of the road and purposely create a sway. I do it within the limits of capability. The sway I cause gives me a good idea of what I can expect if the Van does get like that and how to handle the situation.
I certainly don’t recommend this to anyone because if you are a bit overloaded, top heavy, or incorrectly loaded it can go wrong big time.
Again, thanks for your feedback.
Cheers.
I’m so glad you guys are ok. I totally get what you are saying about the roads. Sometimes no matter what you do and everything right roads play the biggest part
Hi Top End Pat…
thank you for your experience with sway-and-practice-not-to… I fear we may not ‘tow’ again… at mid-70s our thoughts now run to a well looked-after Trakka Jabiru, if available anywhere. We’re still awaiting YOUi Insurance’s assessment on the write-offs, and we’re now post-shock, realising how close we came to ending our lives.
Safe travelling! Steve and Jim, Newcastle
Steve and Jim, thanks for your update. As I read through all the comments above, knowing whose rig this was, I was getting annoyed at the generalisations.
Every incident is different, every rig, every tow vehicle every driver, every situation…..You can’t compare. All I can say is THANK GOD YOU BOTH WALKED OUT, and a huge thankyou to the Charleville community.
Your good friends in travelling, John and Lorraine (Dunmowin)
Glad you came through it all and always good to get the real story behind such things, accidents do happen, I got through similar when side swiped by a truck on a narrow road in central NSW, 30 years an MC driver and I put peddle to the metal instead of brake, accellerating away to come to a stop in the table drain in a flurry of dust with all wheels on the ground and was able to drive away….. Glad you came out of it all….
Glad to read the out come that you’re alive and well Stephen.
You mentioned you travel at 90 kph , and that’s fine !
You mentioned you pull over to the side safely to allow people to over take ?
I read so many comments that towing lessons and driver training should be compulsory. Thing is that really won’t have a great effect on the casualty rate imo.The lack of common sense factor is often what prevails. Or the “we’ll just drive until we get there” syndrome.
To get a car driver license you are required to have lessons then sit a test…yet sadly car accidents are a daily occurrence with deaths and injury.
To be licensed to drive a heavy truck one has to do some training and then sit a test and be tested on the road…yet there are regular single vehicle accidents involving trucks with deaths and injuries.
The only people that would likely put their name down to have some lessons or be taught the skills would probably never be involved in an accident anyway as they already have an awareness of the skills required…and potentially where they fall short.
The real problem the way I see it is, not only does common sense appear to be a diminishing commodity, but way too many drivers are not even aware of their real level of competence!
They out drive their competency level every day….they think they can handle it, but the reality is they are at a point where just plain good ole Lady Luck comes in to play..but to admit that would be totally out of the question!
Often it seems too, to be the poor wife that is behind the wheel to give the Hero a break and she gets into trouble as she only drives when the master is tired or wants to rest.
If that is that is the case and the Hero needs a rest, pull up and have a rest, but don’t expect the poor wife to fill in…every relationship is different and I accept that.
(That said, there are many extremely competent women drivers, that will out drive and out smart a heap of blokes every day…)
IMO Tthere should be log books for anyone pulling vans or trailers over 750kg Tare…not driving lessons, maybe 12 hours in 24 of driving as a maximum, same as a truck driver, and enforced by having to pull in to truck checking stations or random checking. Fatigue plays a huge part in these losses too…
Yes, it’s true. I traveled with my brother Inlaw his van is bigger and he tries to sit above 90. I don’t like that speed and am very diligent on my weight. The freeways offer a very uncomfortable drive with huge trucks and people speeding along. Back roads are very nice and I can drive safely.
A caravan licence is a must. It should be a one day course on education on braking, wet weather, high winds, safe speeds and of coarse setting up your van. Also a pitch by manufacturers of their weight distribution bars and anti sway systems. Including the latest abs for vans. This would be very enlightening
Paul as a truck driver and a caravan owner can i day trucks no longer SPEED along.they cant.all large transport companies now have gps tracking in all trucks.they are electronically speed limted to 100 kph.this is the maximum limit in this country for trucks.gravity will always overrule speed limiters.all overspeeds are logged back to base.to many of these and you get a please explain.we have traveled 20k in the last 3 years with our van and no trouble from trucks at all.we sit on about 90 to 95 kph weather dependent .when i drive my truck which weighs 62 tonne loaded i do 100 kph weather traffic permitting and i pass caravans and cars all day long without incident.until you spend a day as a truck driver you wont understand.some driver training for you will make you more comfortable on the road.oh can a mention a uhf radio is invaluable for any nomad.
I personally believe you need to get a license to tow a caravan, also training on how to pack a caravan. I feel this will go a long way to stopping a lot of the accidents.
I am an experienced driver of trucks and other machinery and love towing our 17ft Coromal poptop. I also have the mindset when towing that i pay my registration so i have every right to be on the road and if i want to drive 10 or 15km/h slower in order to keep ourselves and those other motorists around us as safe as humanly possible then i will. I would rather arrive somewhere a little late than dead on time. Don’t ever let other motorists bully you into speeding up or moving onto the shoulder especially if you are not completely comfortable doing so.
Stay safe everyone and stay upright. Blessings, the Chaplain
Bless you chaplain.
Stan Gillam
A lot of van accidents are caused by two or more caravans travelling together about 50 meters apart with no thoughts of other road users, so if you want to pass one , you have to pass the whole lot of them. A truck with twp or more trailers don’t have any hope so they just push them off the roads or travel behind them doing 70-80.Ks per hour
Hello Road Traffic Accident Investigation Australia. I will put forward my point of view on these accidents & totally agree a lot of them could have been avoided. The simple way forward is to make mandatory Caravan Towing a defined course you have to pass before you are allowed to legally tow one. I say this because a lot of Caravans & 4×4’s these days are as long as a single Semi Trailer, ie 15 to 20 meters. I say this as I’ve been towing Caravans since 1995.Dont mean to be negative to my Caravanning colleagues, but just want to see more safety in our Caravanning Industry.
You may notice in the above photo, the solar panels didn’t come off.
That’s bcoz it’s a proud Kedron…. Oops, WAS a proud Kedron!!
Slow down!,,
Whilst I agree with John Fogarty, one very important issue has not been addressed and that is the actual road conditions. My wife and I have been caravanning for many years and QLD has the dubious honour of having the worst roads in Australia brought on by government cut backs and compounded by the floods.
we recently toured Victoria and years ago they had great roads, alas not now they even have signs CEMENTED into the side of the road warning of rough road ahead.
This certainly gives more weight to a special caravan licensing system and specific training to qualify .
Far to many people are out there now with absolutely no idea of what their doing.
I just read most of your replies on this topic laws don’t change stupidity or lack of experience. Some sort of training need to be done before towing and how to set up a car and van all the thing you mentioned are good but it has to be all put together at the same time a simple written test would help and loading and reversing test
Do yourself – and everyone else – a favour. A professional towing course is an excellent way to learn. After 10 years (full time) on the road when we upgraded to a larger rig we attended a full day towing course. We learned so much about all aspects of towing. Money well spent. Should be mandatory for all who tow.
Speed is the demon. Just because your tow vehicle is capable of towing at 100 K’s plus doesn’t mean you can handle it at those speeds. Passing a semi. Not a good idea anytime.
I total agree with the comments above, but were do you find training on how to correctly tow and pack a van from? I also know people who don’t care if their caravan/trailer is OVER the right weight for the car that their using to tow too, I’ve had someone the a few months ago tell me that you can tow anything as long as you don’t get caught!
I know I can only tow braked 2000kgs and unbraked 1500kgs.
NO WAY !! If anything happens your insurance wont cover your car or anything else !!