Ray Mears and caravansk

[crankedup]

I cannot imagine any car towing a caravan would be less speedy than my 1920's rig. While back I rumbled past a pub hosting a gathering of Lotus cars, obviously a Lotus club. Twenty minutes later they had set off and caught me up in my old rig, after a 6 or 7 minute hold up for them I came across the first layby and dived in to get out of their way and let them get on with what they do. Virtually each Lotus that sped past gave a toot and friendly wave saying 'thanks mate'. They understood that I was also enjoying myself but couldn't move over for a few minutes, but did so at the first chance. Cheers all round.

Only once have I ever endured abuse for holding up a driver of a modern behind my rig. Young guy with his partner/girlfriend F'ing and blinding at me as I pulled out of his way into a layby. Right nasty character
waving his fists, the full works. I let myself down and retorted 'and I don't pay any road fund licence either'. Well he deserved it!

[Rude-boy]

Petemate said:

Careful moaning about caravans, there are a lot of us on here!!

There are quite a few.

I don't really like them, and if anything would always plumb for a motorhome, but both do have their time and place. For some it is most of their holidays, for me it is LM, LM Classic, BGP, Silverstone Classic and similar events.

There is nothing like sitting in the warmth of your Hymer, having just turned the heating down a little, with a nice warn cup of coffee surveying the freezing tent dwellers getting yet another Biblical soaking from the French summer, thinking back to the days when it was you huddled around a 10Euro BBQ for warmth, knowing that you might not be dry, or warm, again until Monday afternoon.

The look on the faces of car drivers as you waft past them in a chipped Hymer is also highly amusing, anything bendy, or passing lorries, less so though

[Shaw Tarse]

Andy Zarse said:

Reversing? Old hat! We got one of these fitted, a radio controlled caravan is one of the best man toys I've ever had!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFVQqzlJgzE

I would love to have an over ride control for that

[handpaper]

NicD said:

I am considering a big caravan and upgrading to a new X3 35D, just so as not to inconvenience anyone!

The missus hates the idea, as I am crap at reversing.

If you can't reverse it, you can't drive it.
Find a quiet car park or similar, borrow some cones and get some practice in. A concept that may help is that you're not driving the car - you're driving the caravan. The car is what you're driving it with. Pay attention to the angle formed by the car and the 'van, this is the angle it will steer at. Learn what 'straight' looks like in your mirrors (a bit of tape on the rear screen that lines up with another on the front of the 'van will help here).
Longer caravans and trailers are easier to back up than shorter ones - buy a monster!

Whatever you buy, learn to load it properly and maintain it!
The time I lose sitting behind caravans that aren't moving as fast as I would like is nothing compared to that spent sitting in stationary or slow-moving traffic while some muppet's wobblebox is pulled out of a ditch. Underinflated tyres lead to blowouts, badly loaded 'vans suffer death weave, failed indicator and brake lights lead to collisions.
I'm not generally in favour of extending Government powers, particularly to the DVSA, but I would like to see caravans and trailers subject to MoT.

[Rude-boy]

Slightly O/T.

I have a mate who owns a gorgeous Airstream - one of the nicest vans I have ever been in and two kingsize beds!

He uses his old Landie to tow it - the one he dropped a TVR motor into

[Crafty_]

handpaper said:

NicD said:

I am considering a big caravan and upgrading to a new X3 35D, just so as not to inconvenience anyone!

The missus hates the idea, as I am crap at reversing.

If you can't reverse it, you can't drive it.
Find a quiet car park or similar, borrow some cones and get some practice in. A concept that may help is that you're not driving the car - you're driving the caravan. The car is what you're driving it with. Pay attention to the angle formed by the car and the 'van, this is the angle it will steer at. Learn what 'straight' looks like in your mirrors (a bit of tape on the rear screen that lines up with another on the front of the 'van will help here).
Longer caravans and trailers are easier to back up than shorter ones - buy a monster!

Whatever you buy, learn to load it properly and maintain it!
The time I lose sitting behind caravans that aren't moving as fast as I would like is nothing compared to that spent sitting in stationary or slow-moving traffic while some muppet's wobblebox is pulled out of a ditch. Underinflated tyres lead to blowouts, badly loaded 'vans suffer death weave, failed indicator and brake lights lead to collisions.
I'm not generally in favour of extending Government powers, particularly to the DVSA, but I would like to see caravans and trailers subject to MoT.

Don't know if they still do but the caravan club used to offer tuition on towing, including reversing. You take your rig and they teach you in your own car in a car park or whatever. Maybe worth looking in to.