Caravans....what a joke!

[Dazza XLT]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

What sort of dickwit comment is this, how else are you supposed to overtake them Einstein?

Thanks to speed limiters, the days of sitting back and winding a truck up to 120 and getting past quickly and safely are long gone.

OK, you must think I am having a go at truckies. Which I am not.
Trucks overtaking, with their speed limiters at 100, take a lot longer to overtake. That is all I am saying!
And no. I am not a Dickwit, but thanks anyway.

Suitable tow vehicle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuwjmmL9IB4

[Kenaz]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Suitable tow vehicle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuwjmmL9IB4

Bwahaha! I've seen it before, but it cracks me up every time.

[Walkinshaw]

Some very valid comments raised.

1) People on our highways need to have more self control and patience.
2) People who tow need to assess their load size, weight configuration and their choice of tow vehicle.

Towing is one aspect of the road laws I have never seen enforced fully. The number of camrys i've seen towing a 21'6" caravan or boat up into the riverland is a joke. ADR's specify maximum alowable towing capacity for vehicles however when's the last "defect" station you have seen set up on the highways pulling over people to weigh their trailer, assess the load distrubutuon?

A good comment is raised above. We make people who wish to drive trucks or large towing rigs obtain a special licence, and some states even make people get a special licence for Manual vehicles. I feel that towing should also require a practical and theory test before drivers are alowed to tow.

The right tool for the right job. Grandpa wants his nice flashy 21'6" caravan to tow? Make him have the right towing rig for the job (read F150/Cruiser/fullsize 4wd Ute)

[chevypower]

It's simple... buy a vehicle that weighs more than the caravan with a heavy duty Hayman Reece towbar
Make sure the caravan has a decent weight and is not a lightweight piece of cardboard that gets blown around in the wind - make sure it has 2 or 3 axles and a wide wheel base,
A heavy tow vehicle is a good thing
(eg: Jeep, Prado, Pathfinder, F250, Discovery)

have the vehicle fitted with electric brakes

Make sure you have a Hayman Reece anti-sway bar system

Now you have a combination that is going to handle 100km/h safely
So now it's down to the driver, so adequate training on hitching and maintaing equipment, and driving.

examples of less-safe combinations
vehicle: Kingswood, Magna etc


Trailer: single axle pop top caravan 14ft override brakes - with perhaps a simple anti-sway device

These sorts of caravans blow around more in the wind than heavier ones with more axles (sheet of cardboard analogy) and using a lighter tow vehicle doesn't help.

[WILDTRAKPX2]

Originally Posted by BlackLS

Suitable tow vehicle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuwjmmL9IB4

[XRchic]

Not long ago I was driving up the freeway from the city - on the city side of Mt Lofty for those in Adelaide. Basically its 100kmh limit, but its quite steep in parts. I saw a caravan in the distance, in the far left lane (3 lanes). Get closer, and said caravan is being pulled by a 4 cyl Camry. It is on a quite steep part of the hill, just on the other side of the tunnels. Camry and van (large van) are doing around 30kmh I would estimate.

I drive past, I hear a massive bang come from the car and the whole thing shudders to a stop behind me. I wonder if the trans went, or something like that. I drove all the way home thinking what an idiot that person was. He didnt hold anyone up, I dont think he caused anyone else any problems whatsoever. He just ruined his own car with his own stupidity.

I also once, a few years ago, saw a Festiva pulling a fairly decent sized trailer, fully loaded!

[Interceptor]

its as simple as this:
if you dont feel that you are competent to drive a vehicle or a vehicle/trailer combination at the posted speed limit, DONT DRIVE, you're obviously a hazard to every other road user out there

no, i dont care about how difficult it is to tow a caravan at times, if you're not competent to drive it, then you shouldnt be driving it

if you feel the need to drive around the countryside at a ludicrously slow speed because you "want to enjoy the scenery, and theres no rush" then why not keep to your word, pull over frequently (preferably before someone gets to the point where they are going to overtake you)

my little bit of revenge?

couple of months back when i was on a roadworks crew, i was driving a tractor with a rotary broom on it, and as we were doing patches, there were often a few k's between the patches, so i simply drove the tractor from patch to patch....

tractors top speed? ~27km/h at max governed revs

going into one hilly part where its double white lines, i noticed a grey nomad towing a caravan approaching a fair distance behind me..... i promptly clipped my earmuffs down over my ears and knocked the tractor back a couple of gears, so i was doing about 12-13km/h......

i didnt look back, nor did i give the caravanner behind me any clue that i knew he was there, i simply kept going down the road for the 3-4 k's i had to go..... he had to stay behind me ALL the way

sure made a bright point on an otherwise boring job!

[GreenMachine]

Yeah, they're plenty annoying, but as people have said - the .2 of a minute they delay you really isn't that big a deal. Most caravans being towed around the Sunshine state seem to be behind NF Fairlanes or VS Calais, which are a fine tow vehicle, but don;t have the stability of an F-truck or Landie.

I've towed loaded car trailers probably 1200k's in the last 6 months or so, behind either an EB Ghia or an NF 6cyl, and anyone who's done this would realise it's tiring and often dangerous to tow big loads at 100+ all the time. Watching your loaded trailer doing tank slappers up the highway at 110kph is not on the Heart Foundation list of blood pressure reducers.

In summary - yes, they should keep left so we can get past them. But please, give them some time and some space - the old coot in the hat might be you one day!

[Interceptor]

might be .2 of a minute occasionally, but what about when its some doddering old fart who needs a smack in the head for towing a caravan with a fuggin NISSAN PATROL down the highway at 60km? especially in an area where its double whites and people cant get past

[gthofan]

Originally Posted by XRchic

Not long ago I was driving up the freeway from the city - on the city side of Mt Lofty for those in Adelaide. Basically its 100kmh limit, but its quite steep in parts. I saw a caravan in the distance, in the far left lane (3 lanes). Get closer, and said caravan is being pulled by a 4 cyl Camry. It is on a quite steep part of the hill, just on the other side of the tunnels. Camry and van (large van) are doing around 30kmh I would estimate.

I drive past, I hear a massive bang come from the car and the whole thing shudders to a stop behind me. I wonder if the trans went, or something like that. I drove all the way home thinking what an idiot that person was. He didnt hold anyone up, I dont think he caused anyone else any problems whatsoever. He just ruined his own car with his own stupidity.

I also once, a few years ago, saw a Festiva pulling a fairly decent sized trailer, fully loaded!

BWAHahahahhahaa i think i need a change of pants now, also seeing that movie hahhaha, its made my year !!!!!

gold thread people

[NAK302]

i love the comment "safe over taking". how can everyone safely overtake grandma and gramps sitting on 75km/h with a kilometer of traffic lining up behind? this to me is as arrogant as the clown that wants to overtake you, even when you're doing the speed limit plus GST.
this is the exact reason why highway 1 should be dual lane Cairns to Darwin with city bypasses.

[MO]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

What sort of dickwit comment is this, how else are you supposed to overtake them Einstein?

Thanks to speed limiters, the days of sitting back and winding a truck up to 120 and getting past quickly and safely are long gone.

I'm surprised...haven't you disconnected/bypassed your limiter like the rest?

[Barry_v]

just a question for the truck drivers, wouldnt it be easier and safer to overtake someone who is moving at 80kmph rather than say, 95kmph?

Originally Posted by Interceptor

its as simple as this:
if you dont feel that you are competent to drive a vehicle or a vehicle/trailer combination at the posted speed limit, DONT DRIVE, you're obviously a hazard to every other road user out there

no, i dont care about how difficult it is to tow a caravan at times, if you're not competent to drive it, then you shouldnt be driving it

if you feel the need to drive around the countryside at a ludicrously slow speed because you "want to enjoy the scenery, and theres no rush" then why not keep to your word, pull over frequently (preferably before someone gets to the point where they are going to overtake you)

nice arrogance, the old people towing caravans have worked all their life paying taxes to pay for the roads you're driving on. does it occur to you that they have more right to be on them than you? of course not, you clearly own the road.

its not that friggin hard to overtake someone, if you dont feel that you are competent to overtake another vehicle, DONT DRIVE, you're obviously a hazard to every other road user out there

[NEG]

Caravans arnt as annoying as the people who go to over take but just sit in the right lane next to the other car. Or people who speed up as you try to over take. or my fav people who overtake and then pull in front of you and slow down slower than you :jab: ...sorry that was a little off topic.

[Dazza XLT]

Originally Posted by MO

I'm surprised...haven't you disconnected/bypassed your limiter like the rest?

I am not starting anything here.
A truckie was pulled up south of Bowen in a local blitz of all trucks on the bruce hwy.
They logged onto the trucks computer, and found he was maxing out at 125kph :
A month ago, a truck from the very same company rolled taking a turn on the Bruce Hwy!

[LUXO_8]

Originally Posted by NEG

Caravans arnt as annoying as the people who go to over take but just sit in the right lane next to the other car. Or people who speed up as you try to over take. or my fav people who overtake and then pull in front of you and slow down slower than you :jab: ...sorry that was a little off topic.

its not really off topic mate.... what you said is more annoying and happens more times than coming across a slow caravan....

[jd dad]

Bit hard to blanket rule all Caravans must be towed at 100kph. Some arent in a hurry to get where they are going or using common sense and going at their own limits not pushing it. Personally when we are away with either the trailer or van on if in hilly country and someone comes up behind will either slow down and indicate them to pass or pull over for the same. Best effort Ive seen was a bloke leaving the speedway when we were racing yrs ago towing an XW Falcon Saloon Car BACKWARDS on the trailer behind get this a Camira station wagon. We had a bit of a laugh and bet how far he would get and sure enough about 2 to 3 k up the road here he is jacknifed off the road in the drain.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Barry_v

just a question for the truck drivers, wouldnt it be easier and safer to overtake someone who is moving at 80kmph rather than say, 95kmph?

its not that friggin hard to overtake someone, if you dont feel that you are competent to overtake another vehicle, DONT DRIVE, you're obviously a hazard to every other road user out there

Barry v,
Usually I wouldn’t dignify comments like this with a response, however, a quick answer to your questions.
Theoretically it is easier to overtake a caravan travelling at 95 kph than 80, because you already have momentum. We don’t live in a perfect world. Chances are you’ll be held up behind one of these things for some time before you get the opportunity to overtake. Have you ever tried to wind up a 68 tonne B-double in a 700 metre overtaking lane only to find that by the time you’ve gathered the required momentum, the overtaking lane ends and you’re back to square one?

Then when you’re back on the single lane, grandpa decides to back off to 70 and puts his left hand wheels into the gravel thinking that he’s helping you, when in fact, all he’s doing is showering you with stones.

Trucks may be powerful, however, they don’t accelerate like race cars.

Originally Posted by MO

I'm surprised...haven't you disconnected / bypassed your limiter like the rest?

G’day John,
Here are a few reasons why I choose not to tamper with speed limiting devices.

Roadworthiness.
A road speed limiter is actually a roadworthy item, therefore if you get knocked off for anything over around 105 kph, the officer, if he or she chooses to, can defect your vehicle.

Severe penalties.
The penalties in Victoria for tampering with these devices are draconian to say the very least.

Company policy.
It is written into our AWA that it is a dismissible offence to tamper with any device of this nature.

Public perception.
When a refrigerated truck overtakes you on the highway, you may not give it a lot of thought, however, when a B-double petrol tanker overtakes you, chances are, you’ll remember it.

Company painted vehicle.
There is absolutely no anonymity in this industry. If you do the wrong thing you will be found out, it’s as simple as that. There are always people watching, whether they are police, on or off duty, the general public and more importantly, other truck drivers. The tanker I drive is clearly marked with the owner’s name and separate identification numbers for the prime mover and both tanks. You don’t even need the rego number.

Rates of pay.
The people who tamper with these devices are generally paid on a kilometre rate. I am paid by the hour. Why would I risk a six figure income just so I can drive a little faster?

Warranty.
When Cummins download the engine’s ECU and find that the engine has been operated outside legal parameters, they can deny a warranty claim.

The law.
Whether you like it or not, the law is the law. Just because it’s the law doesn’t mean that it’s right, however, there is no place in the industry for those who choose to work outside of it.

John, why do you insinuate that I work outside of the law?

I drive a Kenworth for one reason, to make money. I drive a GT-P for fun.

Sorry about the long post.

Cheers, Danny

[xbgs351]

One reason that they drive so slow, is because they burn a lot less fuel at reduced speeds..

[MO]

Full Noise if you read my post correctly it was a question...NOT an insinuation...I too have spent a bit of time around the trucking game.

time is short I'm correcting my stepsons resume more later.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by Barry_v

nice arrogance, the old people towing caravans have worked all their life paying taxes to pay for the roads you're driving on. does it occur to you that they have more right to be on them than you? of course not, you clearly own the road.

1: i have just as much right to be on the road as they do, i pay my taxes, i pay my rego, and i'd bet i'll pay more taxes on fuel through my life than they ever have
2: just as speeding is a crime, i believe its also an offence to obstruct the flow of traffic, whish is what happens when a caravan driver decides he wants to cruise down the highway at 60km/h
3: its the older generation who bemoan the lack of politeness, courtesy and manners, yet its the same geriatrics who exhibit the exact opposite of what they say society is sadly lacking when they cruise down the highway pretending they're oblivious to other road users

theres nothing that ****es me off more than the decrepit old c*nts who think they deserve the younger generations respect automatically, in my eyes, respect is earned, not given blindly because it is what is expected

sorry, but its the old farts who have given me this attitude.... especially my stepfather, who, when questioned why i wasnt informed of him marrying my mum untill AFTER the wedding "i've been around long enough and done enough that i dont have to explain myself to anybody"

[MITCHAY]

Well I'd rather be stuck behind a caravan until the opportunity comes to overtake it, than have the highway blocked off for hours because they over estimated their capabilities! Mmm stuck in car for hours or a bit delayed and partying all night?

In regards to trucks and the supposed 100km/h limiter. I have been overtaken by trucks numerous times and they were doing over 100km/h. In one instance I would of estimated one truck driver to be doin at least 130km/h if not more. I'm guessing it is not all that hard to remove the limiter, much like import cars.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

than have the highway blocked off for hours because they over estimated their capabilities!

in which case, they would be incompetent to drive on the road, making themselves a threat to every other road users lives

heres a couple of examples.....

you get in an accident because you were negligent, you were driving like a ******** or you failed to drive according to the road conditions, you will be charged with "driving without due care and attention" or similar, and you will lose your license for a period of time as you are viewed as not being competent to drive on the road

you get drunk, and either get in an accident or get busted at an RBT, you'll lose your license as you're viewed as not being competent to drive on the road due to your lack of good judgement concerning your condition at the time you decided to hop behind the wheel

wheres the difference between either of those, and someone who feels it is beyond thier capabilities to drive thier vehicle and trailer in a manner that wont impede the flow of traffic?

[Silver Ghia]

Jeremy Clarkson in Top Gear addresses caravans quite well in his shows.

He drops them from cranes!!

Top Gear starts again tomorrow night on SBS. Hooray!!!

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Jeremy Clarkson in Top Gear addresses caravans quite well in his shows.

He’s not the only one who’s destroyed the odd caravan.

[LUXO_8]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

He’s not the only one who’s destroyed the odd caravan.

hehe.....

[OLDFORDNUT]

caravans have come a long way from the 80's much better made and designed,and they are usually towed behind good late model 4x4's,not like the old days (aerodynamics of a brick )behind old ford or holden s/wagon,yet they still do 70-80kmh, say what you like,there is usually no excuse for this, gotta also love the ones who speed right up in the overtaking lanes to 110+ so no one can pass easily.
bloody old fools.

[ondori]

The problem; the Grey-Nomads; the size of Van; the driving education level; the permits and lack of them.

The solution;
-learn to drive, get the permit and drive faster(the speed limit)
-If its that big, buy a bus or a house
-Stop braking around corners, this rule shouldn't change even when towing
-Take your hat off
-Pull over and have a really good look
-I am Flashing and beeping you because Its a blind corner and you doing 50 below the limit
-Pay attention & Answer the CB you indicated the station, now get in the left lane

Isn't it sad that we all get older and are not as wise and knowageable as we where when we where young and thought we could do everything better than our experianced elders.

At least we are still alive and can talk about it.

Or maybe some people still think SPEED DOSN'T KILL!


We all have to realise that the differance between doing 90 and 100 is most times getting to your destination 2 minuits earlyer or not getting there at all

Have PATIENCE and we will all live till we die of natural causes.