Where Have all the Caravans Gone?

[Silk]

I used to see whole convoys of them on the M5 over bank holiday weekends - very often sideways across all 3 lanes! This year I've hardly seen any. What's going on? Are they becoming extinct? Should we be care?

[triquet]

They are on Brittany Ferries heading South in the forlorn hope of sun.

[TripleS]

I used to see whole convoys of them on the M5 over bank holiday weekends - very often sideways across all 3 lanes! This year I've hardly seen any. What's going on? Are they becoming extinct? Should we be care?

Respectively:

No idea.
No idea
No.

HTH.

[Silk]

I used to see whole convoys of them on the M5 over bank holiday weekends - very often sideways across all 3 lanes! This year I've hardly seen any. What's going on? Are they becoming extinct? Should we be care?

Respectively:

No idea.
No idea
No.

HTH.

Thanks Dave. I knew we could count on you for the correct answer.

[triquet]

Actually I think it's

No idea
I fear not
No

[revian]

I used to see whole convoys of them on the M5 over bank holiday weekends - very often sideways across all 3 lanes! This year I've hardly seen any. What's going on? Are they becoming extinct? Should we be care?

There's often convoys of cars miles and miles long who are real pains
Ive never seen caravans sideways across all three lanes.
I don't care if you care or not
As an occasional caravanner who doesn't drive slowly...there are plenty of idiots who cut me up or feel duty bound to try and overtake whatever situation.
Mines in storage until September...
Let me know where you'll be so I can baulk you

[TripleS]

Ive never seen caravans sideways across all three lanes.

They were big caravans, obviously. Either that, or somebody wasn't telling us a straight story.

[Silk]

Ive never seen caravans sideways across all three lanes.

They were big caravans, obviously. Either that, or somebody wasn't telling us a straight story.

The 20 year old 4x4 that was towing it, and is now on its roof, takes up half the space.

But seriously, there doesn't seem to be anywhere near as many caravans on the road as there were 20 years ago. Perhaps it's a combination of static caravans, cheap holidays abroad and budget hotels. Who knows?

[triquet]

Weight distribution and being over-confident about driving with a big comedy 4x4. Don't take the entire house with you including the kitchen sink. If the caravan decides it wants to overtake you you're stuffed.

[Silk]

Let me know where you'll be so I can baulk you

That's not the attitude I would expect from a Christian man. Well, come to think of it, it probably is.

[akirk]

I believe the recession led to a boost in camping - tents rather than caravans...
however I do know the answer, I was down in the Somerset Levels yesterday - every other field was full of caravans - so they are all there

Alasdair

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

In my driving career I have been less than 100 yards behind two caravans which went, withing a few seconds, from driving straight along in the inside lane to broadside across at least two of them. It's not good for the heart, whenever it happens. People who tow caravans faster than their speed limit need their heads examining even more - you have a huge trailer which is effectively a combination of a sail, a boat anchor and a pendulum attached to the back of your car, with no brakes, and you choose to speed along oblivious to the drastic effects which can occur to both you and the following traffic, should the sail catch the wind, or the anchor get snagged on something, or the pendulum be excited by a minor rugosity in the road surface. At least have the decency to a) stick to a speed at which you can deal with the wobbles, hopefully without filling the whole road with matchwood, and b) pull over when the queue behind you exceeds a quarter of a mile of frustrated traffic.

[TheInsanity1234]

People who tow caravans faster than their speed limit need their heads examining even more

I hope you meant the natural limit, not the legal limit?

Mainly because a well balanced caravan, which has been matched to its towcar carefully will happily do 80 without shifting, even when caught by a sudden side-wind.

The real issue are people who get a caravan, and don't bother learning how to balance it properly, then try to tow it with a wholly unsuitable car at ridiculous speeds.

[TripleS]

Is it true that caravans do not have brakes? I thought they were fitted on the larger ones but I might be wrong. Maybe it is trailers above a certain size that have them.

[Carbon Based]

This may be very much out of date but as a kid, the family caravan and various small to medium sized trailers had overrun brakes.

I also spent a bit of time towing heavy compressors, we used them for sandblasting, but others would have used them for pneumatic hammer drills etc. Pretty sure these would have had overrun brakes.

Some of these had 4 wheels and draw bar steering. I seem to remember them being very sensitive to having the wheel alignment set correctly - without that they would sway quite disturbingly - something I only witnessed when following a colleague.

Proper braking systems would require a vehicle with the appropriate system - I think it was an option for Defenders but would typically be a feature of larger vehicles and trailers.