Hitting the road safely

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Originally Posted by Tombie

Sometimes. A well set up combination will be well and good over our posted max speed limits (conditions permitting).

My combo is lighter than many - we have a Jurgens Xplorer - and behind the D4 its rock solid at any pace. I wouldn't go hard with anything much bigger. I'm confident in clear conditions to do the speed limits and overtake a bit quicker with confidence the rig will remain stable.


The biggest concern I hear from Bickie Dippers is "I can only tow safely at 85km/h. Over that it gets a bit wobbly" - ​In that case it isnt (A) Safe (B) Legal

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Our 16' pop top tows no differently at 80kph as 110kph. I feel a lot more comfortable keeping with the majority of traffic flow than being a rolling roadblock. I agree, if the van won't tow normally at 90kph then there's something amiss.
I may get howled down here but it's the same with those weight distribution hitches. If you need them, then once again, there's something not quite right with the van loading.
An interesting read:
Caravan Crashes - Here's Our Opinion | Clayton's Towing Services

Did you know that caravans are made out of chipboard, plastic, and assorted rubbish materials? A mate gave one a gentle tap at walking speed on Cunninghams Gap with a White Road Commander. He talked for years after about the way the van just disintegrated into a trail of plastic and chipboard, nappies, cornflakes, etc.

In the Gulf the Van folk are usually OK. Yes, they are a bit of a road block but the place is pretty flat, you can see for miles, the roads are better so overtaking is no problem.
The blokes that get me are the boat towers! 90% of these fellas must take a week off to go fishing & don't want to wast a second getting to do it.
They go like the blazes, usually with no trailer mud flaps so they shower you with rocks & are considerate of no-one.
Once they get to Burketown it's the Pub then off to the River.
Once the fishing is over off like the bats of hell back to whence they came.
How more of them don't end in disaster I don't know.
Jonesfm
PS I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to speed but I am aware of others, the conditions, the car & terrain.

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Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Did you know that caravans are made out of chipboard, plastic, and assorted rubbish materials? A mate gave one a gentle tap at walking speed on Cunninghams Gap with a White Road Commander. He talked for years after about the way the van just disintegrated into a trail of plastic and chipboard, nappies, cornflakes, etc.

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Did you know that truck drivers are made out of boots, Jackie Howes and aggressive driving manners?

Not all 'vans are made equal.
Also, we could all talk for years on truck driver behaviour.[bigsmile1]

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Originally Posted by Tombie

The biggest concern I hear from Bickie Dippers is "I can only tow safely at 85km/h. Over that it gets a bit wobbly" - ​In that case it isnt (A) Safe (B) Legal

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Half the time,its just an excuse to save a few dollars in fuel.

I tow a van just on 3T at the speed limit,no problems at all,with the D4,where i can.Weather and road conditions permitting.

I don't believe in holding other road users up,all it does is frustrate other drivers and cause accidents.

But some are happy to do it all day[bigsad]

Road conditions obviously make a difference. It can seem safe, until it's suddenly not.

Our Defender and off road camper tow really well, normally no problems.
However I do remember a certain corner on a backroad between Karumba and Doom last year. I was cruising sedately at about 70 on the gravel, approached a right hand corner, and suddenly realised there was a problem.
The corner sloped away, had been graded and was covered in loose gravel. Rather than braking and skidding, I changed down, slowed, fish-tailed a bit, managed to keep it together, turned as much as was safe without rolling, and just managed to get around the corner without running off and down a bank.
All that at a speed which was no more than a typical suburban pace, but suddenly it wasn't safe.
I think about that when I see people towing vans go rushing past. Its so easy to get in trouble.

Different strokes for different folks.

I’ve been on trips with a group and nobody was going softly with trailers in tow. 6 wheel articulated drifts are a sight to behold!

Out here leaving site, I have a long winding section of fast dirt/gravel. The LV spends a lot of time Scandinavian [emoji41]. Makes a 50 minute run into a 30 minute run.

Practicing slides and power turns is a handy thing to work on. Comes in handy on corners like you found Mick.

Yes, I certainly learnt some new skills.

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Originally Posted by Tombie

Different strokes for different folks.

I’ve been on trips with a group and nobody was going softly with trailers in tow. 6 wheel articulated drifts are a sight to behold!

Out here leaving site, I have a long winding section of fast dirt/gravel. The LV spends a lot of time Scandinavian [emoji41]. Makes a 50 minute run into a 30 minute run.

Practicing slides and power turns is a handy thing to work on. Comes in handy on corners like you found Mick.

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"Drifting" around corners can be a lot of fun, That is until you meet up with another vehicle doing the same thing in the opposite direction[bigwhistle]

"That is until you meet up with another vehicle doing the same thing in the opposite direction". "Been there done that" as they say when I had a company car and a country run down the western districts of Vic every 3 weeks. I used to love a bit of sideways through the bends on the forests roads there. Great country.
I'm also quite comfortable with overtaking at higher than the posted limit here in WA realising of course that I'd be walking for a while if the revenue raisers copped me doing it. But luckily I have only had to do it occasionally like when driving down the Indian Ocean Drive below Cervantes when a 200 series towing a van kept doing about 65 through bends where the advisory signs said 90kph plus the bloke behind him in a camper van did just what I said above and sat right on the centre lines making it that much harder to do it safely.
But my anticipated time came with a completely clear road ahead and I floored the D4 and as always she took off and past we went at up to 130 quite safely before slowing and returning to the left hand lane. And guess who then decided to overtake the cruiser/van and me at rocket speed? The bloody camper van.
AlanH.