caravan width - towing

**Graeme** · 16th January 2016, 11:18 AM

Our current van is 7'6" wide. Its bad enough for keeping on narrow roads so my preference is for a 7ft wide van but most are 8ft wide. I drive my semi at harvest time and keeping its wheels where they need to be is an aspect of a replacement van that I would prefer not to have. However perhaps 8ft is not that bad for a medium size van.

I consider there are several advantages of towing narrow vans but may have to compromise on some aspects of a replacement van.

Any comments?

**roverrescue** · 16th January 2016, 12:18 PM

Just for simplicity and to keep on keeping with 2016

7' - 2135mm
7'6" - 2285mm
8' - 2440mm

Legal max tow width in Australia 2500mm

With regards to commenting, every now and again I tow a largish boat on triple axle which is perhaps a few mm over max width. I am glad I only have to tow it a few km to the boat ramp. The trailer alone tows okay but once 3tonne of boat is on obscuring all vision and weight means tyres scrub on corners it's a pig!!!!

S

**Graeme** · 16th January 2016, 12:41 PM

That must be a fair-sized boat!

I have a particular make of van in mind for the way its built including its width but being narrow it conflicts with my wife's desire for roominess. Hence I'm looking for other people's experiences to gauge whether its worthwhile pursuing.

**roverrescue** · 16th January 2016, 12:50 PM

Would slide out options suit the wife and solve your width dilemma?
Boat is solid yeah, good thing is if it needs to go big distances you don't tow it!
But certainly has cured me of ever wanting a caravan despite small distances I tow it

**Graeme** · 16th January 2016, 01:13 PM

Wider medium size vans are big enough without considering slide-outs. Towing nothing is best but we don't want to be confined to pre-booked motels and their locations.

**Homestar** · 16th January 2016, 04:17 PM

My old Franklin van is 7'6" wide and I like the room inside this gives, but towing it, especially with a much narrower vehicle, down twisting narrow roads can be interesting at times, but I get it there. At least it's very light and on a single axle.

7' would be easier to tow, I wouldn't consider 8' at all personally.

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 16th January 2016, 06:36 PM

The D2 mirror tip to mirror tip is 2055
van is 7' 6" ,, ok 2285

I would think the younger D's would be wider again.

late edit,
If I add both towing mirrors its nearly 2500,

I would have no qualms about running an 8' van.

**Graeme** · 16th January 2016, 06:44 PM

I'm not concerned with having to use towing mirrors which I need for my 7'6" van, instead that its too easy to drop a wheel off the bitumen especially on winding roads so have to be constantly checking. I imagine that a 7' wouldn't need so much attention but would like to know how bad 8' really is.

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 16th January 2016, 07:02 PM

Random thoughts,,

if the road is that windy, and your tow car has anywhere near normal ext mirrors on it,, for you to NOT to drop a wheel off(follow me here) the front of the tow car (and mirror) will be well over the centre line.
I'm sure you can work out the radius needed for this to happen.

and if it is that windy,,
and there is a chance of having to drop a wheel, why are you still traveling fast enough to worry about it?

just trying to be helpful here,,

**drivesafe** · 16th January 2016, 07:03 PM

Wouldn't a narrower van be less stable on road?

There is a clampdown in Victoria on over width vans.

They are hammering the manufacturers when they fit extruding power inlets and add-on side awnings, which both result in the van being over width.

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