Why are caravans built the way they are?

Can you reverse a B-double?

There's drivers out there towing vans that can't properly reverse a single rigid unit. Add a dolly and you create a spectacle.

Would require an MR or HR to tow the trailer with a pig or dog trailer.

This is not new a similar setup was about in sixties for caravans

The answer to your first question is easy. To provide enjoyment to those already sitting down with a cold one and to test the relationship boundaries of otherwise happily married couples.

There is a good reason why heavy vehicle operators prefer a "dog" over a "pig" when constantly reversing. A caravan is technically a pig trailer.

The perils of weight make the bogie in OZ unrealistic, not many F series or similar used here which is the minimum you would want to have to be legal considering the whole concept is designed to free up load space in the tray. Other wise it is pointless.

hi
Even if the setup was all technically correct under say 2.5t why would u need a heavy vehicle license or similar to have this style of hitch ???
Not just for more nanny state legislation ....
If u are a competent driver this should not be a problem ..

The police and the Rta would have orgasmic fits while they could not write tickets fast enough LOL LOL

The RTA would have 2 registrations on this to confuse the matter like they have elseware .

If the Rta cannot understand something watch out and good luck with registration . There is huge proof of this all around .

Met an old sheering contractor form around bedourie who had a converter dolly under his van. He was towing with an old petrol gas F truck and the reason for the dolly was he was way over his back axle weight with the van hooked on the F truck directly.

He was happy with it and said it towed well. The old van also had air brakes which would have been a big plus.

Looking at the setup, the dolly is chained to the truck, so never pivots at the truck. Backing would not differ from normal.

Someone mentioned the dollies used in the 60's, I have feeling they were banned.

The reasons why some many things are not so in caravans in particular is pretty much a total lack of any significant innovation in the caravan business.

Caravans and trailers in general are crude, lumps of puss, built by very small poorly resourced companies ..... even the biggest builders would not have the size or resources on the smallest motor vehicle manufacturers.

The use of a towing dolly with a passenger vehicle on a passenger car licence ..... never will be legal. It is a seperate vehicle requires a seperate regestration and a multi-combnation licence.

As for Dog trailers ...... there is no reason whatsoever that caravans can not be built as dog trailers ...... many council and road crew caravans are dog trailers.

There is a mowing contractor in my area that has a small dog trailer he tows behind an SUV.

There are many good reasons why a dog trailer is a good format for a caravan or other trailer ...... stability being one of them.

The disadvantages are ....... cost and weight ...... there is significant extra cost and weight involved in building a sturdy and road worthy steerable front end AND there would be significant engineering design work involved.

Meanwhile ..... most of our simple crude vans and trailers have crude and often fundamentally flawed suspensions bolted straight to flat flat chassis ....... a great many do not even have shock absorbers.

Until trailer manufacturers can get past the idea of a flat steel beam chassis, propper suspension geometry and just fitting shock absorbers ....... don't expect any further innovation.

cheers

Our Seppo cousins, finding complicated solutions to problems that don't exist.