Caravans

[Jerrek]

I wouldn't know about the getting left behind. I've never used public transportation.

Do you guys actually have cars than can pull a "caravan?"

Or is it like this? http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=cartrailor.wmv

[Dave Stones]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

I wouldn't know about the getting left behind. I've never used public transportation.

Do you guys actually have cars than can pull a "caravan?"

Or is it like this? http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=cartrailor.wmv

we don't need to have 6 litre V8s over here to pull them... british caravans tend to be made of little more than balsa wood and Lego...so basically anything above say a mini can pull one

with the exception of a vauxhall nova, that is

one thing though about caravan culture over here... around me, it is blindingly obvious for the burglars when people are on holiday, their caravan is gone from the drive. when a 4-berth caravan leaves a massive hole in front of that person's house one day, it is like a calling card to the burglars saying "look at me, i am on holiday, come steal my telly"...

Originally Posted by Jerrek

Whats with this "caravan" thing? You want THIS!

Yeah, but where the hell are you going to be able to *park* the damn thing?!

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

I wouldn't know about the getting left behind. I've never used public transportation.

Do you guys actually have cars than can pull a "caravan?"

Or is it like this? http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=cartrailor.wmv

yeah f@cking hilarious :o :o :o

Tractors are far worse than caravans. They should be banned during the day.

[zoombini]

What happened about the 50mph limit on them?
What is it now?

I was behind several recently, they were all over the place.

Admittidly, many people do get a decent sized car & setup to tow one (those 4x4 drivers ) however a lot do not & are all over the place, because they managed to get thier poxy little car upto 60mph+ on the motorway & then drove through a patch of wind that then sends them haywire.

[iadom]

Originally Posted by Stuartbe

My father in law takes his 6 birth van out nearly every month all over the uk and he has never had or caused an accident in over 20 years !

If he is towing a six berth caravan with a Citroen Picasso that has has max ULW of 1850 kg, then unless he has an ultralight caravan, most modern six berths would put him very near to, or above the safe recommended towing limit, that is that the caravan is no more that 85% of the weight of the towing vehicle.

Originally Posted by zoombini

What happened about the 50mph limit on them?
What is it now?

30mph in built up areas, 50 on single carriage way roads and 60 on dual carriageways and motorways.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103

However IIRC if the wheels are (I think) more than 4' apart, the limit is 70, because there was a report I saw many years ago about a guy who had invented an extra set of wheels to go on a caravan to improve stability.

He kept getting pulled over by the Police for doing 70 (when the limit was 50 for caravans) and would produce a copy of the law and a tape measure...!

[Pierre]

For the extra fuel it takes to tow a Sado-van, then the pitch rental, cost for pumping out the chemical toilet, etc.

You could get a very nice room at a travel-inn.

It's a very curious, and I believe very British, curio - the caravan owner????????????

[zoombini]

Yes but Travel inn's are only in certain locations, wiht a caravan you can go almost anywhere.

What cost is there in pumping out the toilet?
You do your stuff into a porta potty full of Elsan Blue & then pour it down the drain.

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by Pierre

For the extra fuel it takes to tow a Sado-van, then the pitch rental, cost for pumping out the chemical toilet, etc.

You could get a very nice room at a travel-inn.

It's a very curious, and I believe very British, curio - the caravan owner????????????

yeah but i couldnt have a barbie in a travel - inn room could i

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by zoombini

You do your stuff into a porta potty full of Elsan Blue & then pour it down the drain.

Nice.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

yeah but i couldnt have a barbie in a travel - inn room could i

Wwwweeeeeeellllllllll, you could - you just need to cover the smoke detector , and make sure that you don't set fire to the sheets (well, with the barbie anyway )

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by iadom

If he is towing a six berth caravan with a Citroen Picasso that has has max ULW of 1850 kg, then unless he has an ultralight caravan, most modern six berths would put him very near to, or above the safe recommended towing limit, that is that the caravan is no more that 85% of the weight of the towing vehicle.

A common problem with the increasing use of composites and alloys in vehicles these days is the reduction in weight and reduction in towing weight.

My parents (notice it's everyones parents?) are lugging a 4 berth behind a C5.

I thought the driving allowances of new drivers meant that many car / van combos were outside their licenced ability. It's us oldies who have been grandfathered in that can drive anything up to a Ford Cargo size truck (7.5t) without any more tests. I think there was even a press campaign about this.

EDIT - http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/dl_towing_trailers.htm just found that on the dvla site. So many who passed since '97 will be driving without proper licencing (if they are driving a 4x4 and towing a 6 berth).

[zoombini]

Dragging this back up, does this mean that the wife would need to pass another test before she could take over for me when pulling a trailer? (supposing I actually fit a tbar!).
She passed about then.

Has anyone here taken any of these tests?

How much do they cost & whats involved?
Can someone with an otherwise full license pull a trailer under any L-plates to learn how to?

This may just prevent me getting my trailer hooked up.