Thread: Large Caravan TARE weights

Sounds like just another good reason not to stay in a Caravan Park. . I'd had wandered out and gently pulled on the power inlet to the van until it just disconnected but was still hanging in the socket...

Originally Posted by Homestar

Sounds like just another good reason not to stay in a Caravan Park. . I'd had wandered out and gently pulled on the power inlet to the van until it just disconnected but was still hanging in the socket...

I was a DSS field officer. We spent a lot of time in caravan parks. My advice to anyone is do not stay in a caravan park that has a preponderance of permanent residents. The dregs of humanity sink to the bottom in caravan parks. Stick to tourist parks and a quick look around before registering to ascertain whether the place is being kept clean and tidy. No dismantled cars and trucks, no broken washing machines out in the open, no snotty nosed ragged kids or spotty faced teenagers.

What does your post have to do with anything caravan?
except,, once again displaying your absolute hatred of people less well off than you,,


Please dont argue,, 15 years of reading your diatribes is not something I wish to reinstall in my mind,,

Its not just the tow ball weight you have to consider when buying a caravan you also have to consider if your car/truck is heavey enough to be able to tow the van safely.
I have always made sure that my towing vehicle is heavier than what i am towing and that it has enough "grunt" to pull the van/trailer without busting a gut.
When i see all the big vans being towed around with piddly little cars/4WD's i tend to shake my head somewhat because I think that this sort of setup is inherently unsafe.

Originally Posted by trout1105

I have always made sure that my towing vehicle is heavier than what i am towing

Originally Posted by trout1105

I think that this sort of setup is inherently unsafe.

I would like to point out this is your opinion. You are allowed to have this opinion. That is not at issue.
Could I please see the engineering supporting this opinion?

What, there is none? there are many vehicles on the road that tow way more tonnage than the weight of the towing vehicle. Semmis, B-doubles, road trains, etc. To say the tow vehicle should be heavier than the towed trailer is wrong.

As I said, you are entitled to have that opinion and you are also entitled to practice that opinion within the current laws but you are not entitled to impose that opinion on others.

This is just said for clarification and applies to all other opinions being expressed on social media.

You are spot on - is just an opinion however is based in older laws (maybe still applies in some cases) where manufacturers often did not list towing weights and the rule was that the trailer not weigh more than the GVM of the tug. However now manufactures list tow weights and these must be followed but I think the old law still applies to older vehicles where the manufacturer has not listed a max tow weight.

Garry

Originally Posted by pop058

I don't recall mentioning anyone, including the OP incorrectly referencing anything. I simply asked for some proof of the claims made about ball weights, etc.

I have done a significant amount of research and am yet to find any (official) documentation that confirms the "myths" (IMHO) about rated shackles, ball weights, etc. As I (like others I'm sure) would like to find it written somewhere (anywhere), I participate in such threads in the hope new light will be shed and the truth will eventually come to the surface and enlighten us.

My main reason in trying to stay within the listed design rules for trailers was that sure that if I went a whisker outside, or overweight in some area, then it would fail to get licenced.
As it was, we ended up only 2mm under the maximum legal width (lights don't count), but could not fit personal access doors, as the window area bulged out and that would have made it over-width. So now having to reverse engineer the doors in with a recessed frame to mount them.
There was even some obscure rule about how the shackle chains were supposed to be mounted (not underneath in case they wore through in an emergency??), but the licencing guy just let it slide. No hand brake connected, but he said it did not have to have a hand brake. The main expectation in the design rules was that at least 10% of total TARE weight was to be on the tow ball. That was easy enough to achieve by moving the spare wheels up front (for licencing), and relocate them later.
The ADR specs are supposed to be the bible for trailers, but plenty in there to get confused about.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

I would like to point out this is your opinion. You are allowed to have this opinion. That is not at issue.
Could I please see the engineering supporting this opinion?

What, there is none? there are many vehicles on the road that tow way more tonnage than the weight of the towing vehicle. Semmis, B-doubles, road trains, etc. To say the tow vehicle should be heavier than the towed trailer is wrong.

As I said, you are entitled to have that opinion and you are also entitled to practice that opinion within the current laws but you are not entitled to impose that opinion on others.

This is just said for clarification and applies to all other opinions being expressed on social media.

You can not compare a Semi or B-Doulble which is configured totaly different to a Vehicle with a caravan swinging off a tow bar . There is plenty of technical pappers to confirm that the difference in weights should be in the tugs favour , you just have to look . I can suggest a read of Colllin Rivers technical books on thie subject .