Towing a caravan always requires extreme care
For all the technology and all the safety information available, towing a caravan can still be a highly hazardous venture. It’s a point that was graphically illustrated over the weekend by two separate rollovers which surprisingly – and miraculously – left no one dead.
The first involving two grey nomads took place at Run-O-Waters Creek in New South Wales, and brought the Hume Highway to a standstill. Police believe it happened when a 75-year-old male driver lost control of the caravan in tow.
“At this stage we believe the caravan began to sway which caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to roll,” Inspector Anthony McLean told the Goulburn Post.
The male driver was not hurt in the accident and his 75-year-old female passenger escaped with just minor injuries.
In a strange twist, the car involved in the accident later caught fire and was completely destroyed while at the premises of the towing firm that had removed it from the accident scene.
In the second incident, a 47-year-old man flipped his Toyota 4WD on the Sydney to Newcastle freeway and sent the caravan he was towing hurtling down the M1.
Police say the van came to rest approximately 500 metres away from the accident scene. Witnesses say the driver, and sole occupant, may have struck a rock wall, but the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
The driver was trapped in his vehicle before being extricated by emergency services and taken via road ambulance to Mount White, where he was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital.
Investigations into the matter are continuing.
have been towing on the road for the last 10 years i9f the van sways just tap the breaks do not try to accelerate out of it makes the sway worse a gentle application of the trailer brakes will stop the sway
LOAD it properly first of all and stay within you driving abilities, as a retired Transport & Coach driver for 40+ years i have seen it to many times, we just traded our caravan for a motor home. now we can relax a bit more.
I am so glad that I have a motor home cause that’s not a issue for them, a lot safer in my book.
Loading correctly is important but also important is tyre pressure.
Correct pressure all round is a must..retired trucker..
Sadly many retire having never driven such vehicles. Education is important. I feel many men are too proud to seek help. Enrol your wives as well, best to have an experienced co-driver too!!!!
To drive a vehicle weighing 4.5 tonne you need a light rigid license. It is time we required trailer / Van driver for to undertake similar courses and test. I know which is the easiest to drive.
As from previous replies, a bit of knowledge goes a long way to safer travel.
Long distance coach drive c/w camp trailer.
Re Glenn Davis’s comment: I thought the trick was to accelerate gently so as to straighten out the car and caravan. Surely applying the brakes will only worsen matters unless Glenn is talking about applying the electric brakes on the van (if fitted).
Buying a caravan with minimal overhang is a start. Loading it properly is the next step. I have a Toyota Prado with a Trigg hitch and two a Jayco off road Starcraft that simply does not sway.
I have been up the Gibb River Road and on many other dirt roads and it is very stable even when I have to drop a wheel off the side of the road. And it’s electric brakes work fine.
I simply cannot believe the long overhang, overweight monsters some people tow on Australia’s highways.
We need to develop some basic stability regulations for caravans and some crashworthy standards for Australian motorhomes.
It’s years overdue.
when caravan start swaying apply caravan brakes only light don’t block the wheels, , don’t use car brakes but accelarate slightly, braking with the car meaning stopping caravan with car will send you in big trouble, most likely tipping. the same way to stop trucks, trailer brakes first when sway occurs with dog trailers (trailers towed with tow bars, not on turn tables. .
Iam going buy a new caravan that is 2100 tare I have a kia sorento that will tow 2000 tare .as we only go to caravan parks only have 10 ,20 lts water on board . is it legal to tow