Caravan insurance specialists Safeguard have issued a warning to touring caravan owners to take great care when on the road. This comes as a result of a number of accidents apparently caused by what is known as ‘snaking’.
Snaking is when in essence the caravan is trying to steer the car, resulting in the whole rig weaving from side to side, and is particularly dangerous. There are several different causes of snaking:
- Side winds: The caravan is blown to one side by a gust, and subsequently tries to return to its natural tendency to follow the car. Another gust will push it sideways again, and so on.
- Too much speed. This is not surprisingly a common cause of snaking. Let’s face it, a caravan on its side halfway down a long hill is not an uncommon sight. To protect against this you should aim to descend the hill at around 10mph slower than you would normally. Indeed on French roads they impose a reduced speed limit on lorries and caravans for precisely this reason.
- Being overtaken by large vehicles such as lorries or coaches. As an HGV or coach pulls alongside a caravan while overtaking, the airflow around the lorry/coach initially pushes the caravan away from it (called the bow-wave), but then the air pressure drops and the caravan is sucked towards the lorry/coach.
To reduce the chances of snaking occurring there are several things you will need to ensure:
- That your vehicle has a professionally fitted tow bar that is specifically designed for your type of caravan
- That the tow bar weight capacity of your towing vehicle is adequate for the weight your caravan needs for stability (the optimum weight is about 7% of the caravans laden weight)
- The the caravan is correctly loaded, with the heavier things over the axle and towards the front, and the lighter things in overhead compartments and to the rear
- That the towing vehicle and the caravan are a well matched rig
Safeguard report that the have seen “an increase in reported incidents of snaking,” they identify some of the causes of this as “excessive speed when travelling downhill, incorrect tyre pressures, side winds and being overtaken by large vehicles.” They are keen “to urge all caravanners to be safe on the roads this summer to avoid serious accidents and costly insurance claims.”
This is of course a sentiment we echo at caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk. Getting the best from your caravan, and your caravan insurance is not only about getting the best insurance, but doing your best to have to avoid claiming on it.
