I agree with 'Oldgeezer', the law says we can't do more that 60 on a dual carriageway/motorway but the car/van combination is fine @ 70/80. Mostly if you are stuck behind a van, the driver is either sticking to the law, or he is following something slow!

Why can the law not be changed to allow a van to be towed at the same speed as other vehicles, it is not as though they are unsafe 70! and that would mean we could keep away from those flippin lorries trying to outdo each other causing big queues by overtaking 1 MPH more than each other because the governor is set just a bit more on 1 than on the other....

Van power

Sorry chicken grorge  MY2014 SD4 XS
Ipanema Sand

MY10 TD4-e GS Manual
Lago Grey Now retired after 8 trouble free years

Last edited by dunroof on 27th Sep 2012 9:12 am. Edited 1 time in total

I vowed to keep out of this because I start swearing and call people names, but it lasted only a day

I'm a vanner and you and I and a few others I'm quite sure are capable of going faster than 60mph, maybe with correct loading and matching you may even be stable at that speed.
But to give licence to the hundreds of idiots out there that have no idea is not the way forward, how many I see on the roads with unstable, wagging vans on tow is beyond belief. Some with their rear cars wheels under so much load they've disappeared under the arch and the front of the car ready for takeoff, down hill speeding, cross winds, sudden braking, the list goes on for these numpties.
Towing is inherently an unstable situation at speed, it is restricted for a good reason. On saying that you won't see me below 60mph on a flat, windless day on the motorway, but if the conditions change then so do I.

Peace to all you w?#?&$£s

Quote:

Sorry chicken grorge

BTW, I like that name better

"Towing trailers at 70mph can be dangerous"

Only caused by the nut behind the steering wheel ! normally badly loaded, inadequate car or just bad driving. so hence the rules needed for everyone.

Personally I always give very careful consideration to loading and weight distribution and must say that 80-90 often appears on the speedo when towing abroad but never ever even had a waggle.

oldgeezer wrote:

after 20 + years of caravanning in Europe each and every year we leave the Fr2 behind this year. Having had failures in France 3 years running I had strict instructions from her indoors were not taking the FR2 anywhere and having another spoilt holiday.
So here I am packing suitcases to fly off to warmer climate but my word this packing is bloomin hard work ! It seems never-ending and her indoors is getting stressed with have we got everything !
As our caravan is home from home and always packed all we normally throw in is some light clothes & off we go so lets hope the luxury Villa we have booked is up to expectations, at 3k it better be.
Now I guess we will find out what we have forgotten in a few days and lets hope the hire car is reliable.i guess cant guess worse than the unreliability of my piece of junk.

Try Cruising "The ocean type " NOT the Saturday night one, (well whatever takes you fancy ..!!)
Depart from uk as many cases as the wife wants..(keeps her very happy )
No baggage allowance ..+ case of my favorite wine no probs..
Priority boarding depending on the depth of your pockets
and G/teed to come back Bigger than when you left
12 meals a day ,or only 6 if doing "Excursions"
Drinks brought to your hand
and a"Care and Repair spar for the wife ...!!

Beats being in a VAN anytime ...

Ohh you end up spending the kids Inheritance though, and in- laws care home fees too boot!!. Wales
Were the mud is thicker, and the ruts are deeper.
(And we have the water to wash it off, and more on the way..! )
Sd4 and chrome Ar*e piece, Auto box for best fun
09 Xs Gone
12 xs Gone
HSE with Leather seats and 4 years warrenty.. staying for now !

Towing trailers at any speed can be dangerous, also noted that units under 3.5 ton are allowed a higher legal speed in France where as over 3.5 ton is a lower speed over in France compared to the UK, there is no data available to say if a higher speed causes more accidents in France either but either way a few mph over when towing is not going to cause the wrath of Satan with Fire and Brimstone same as when you speed when not towing.

The current speed limits for caravans was set in the 80's

Most cars are now more powerful and fitted with stability control, ABS etc. Most caravans now have stabilisers and stability control is catching on so I think its about time for a review

As for cruising - my parents have given up vanning and enjoy cruising now but not sure I am old enough yet  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

scrimple wrote:

it is not as though they are unsafe 70!

Sorry but of course they are, they may seem fine when everything is going well but, if things become unstable, then that's a lot of weight hanging behind you at 70.

Any trailer not just caravans


bearing can fail, tyres can fail, van window may fail, brakes, some other idiot might hit you who knows?? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

But this also applies to the vehicle you are towing with, with or without a trailer

You ever seen a 'trailer' that has overpowered a car? happens regularly on a windy stretch of the A1 near me, scarey

and yes a car can develop problems unexpectedly, but its more likely when towing.

for once I dont have to exaggerate here, speed and towing = not the best idea.

I once got a tank slapper on whilst towing a trailer with a FL1, scarey and not easy to safely restore to normal. the cause, a slow puncture on one of the trailers four wheels (and too much speed ) At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I'll try to make peace here...If everyone that tows a caravan had the correct skill to, then there wouldn't be problems like what the anti-caravan crew state. There's a lot more articulated lorry's hammering up and down the road but I'm willing to bet there isn't as many accidents involving trucks with trailers as there are with caravans.

And it's just because the bloke who spends 12 months a year ragging his diesel astra to and from work thinks that he can drive the same the 2 days a year he hitches his caravan up.

I tow fairly regularly from tiny garden waste trailers to track car trailers, have never had a problem, drive at 60/70/80 when conditions permit, overtake things etc etc.

Funny how I NEVER have a queue of traffic behind me, and also have never had an incident whilst towing (apart from knocking the neighbours wall over whilst trying a 3 point turn in a space that wasn't big enough for the FL and a 6.8 metre Ifor)  Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Even assuming that a trailer of this size and weight is going to remain stable at speeds over 60 mph, have you seen what happens with even a tiddly 800Kg trailer when it hits something at just 30 mph?



It doesn't bear thinking about the family on the back seat, let alone the poor dog in the boot

Somehow, even a 60 mph limit seems wildly optimistic...

my 8 mtr 1800kg caravan is too heavy to bounce around and sits behind a treat. all i do know is that at 93mph the gas locker pops inwards and have to pop it back out when i stop. always at 93mph. I dont make a habit of it.

Well, I don't have a caravan... but I am taking my freelie (a.k.a Galactica...) from Stockholm in Sweden to Barcelona in Spain. The car hasn't failed me yet (part from the glow-plugs in the winter) so I have confidence in a nice European tour.... It's never too late to learn something new...

The whole argument about speed limits is just a balance between safety and making progress. If you hit a truck, both doing 30 mph head on you wouldn't be talking about it for a long time afterwards. So that makes driving without a trailer dangerous, but people don't go on about how high risk driving is normally.

At the end of the day, the speed limit is a limit. You don't have to drive that fast, but be courteous and don't hold people up. On the flip side, if you drive quicker, you do so with the knowledge you will be facing a telling off/fine from any prying bobby  Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County