10 surefire ways to eliminate caravan rollovers forever

If we all keep doing what we are doing, caravan rollovers are inevitable. But if we all get our act together, they don’t have to be.

Caravan manufacturers and dealers can do better to build and hand over safer 'vans. Caravan owners have to take responsibility for bad driving and poor set-ups.

And even though we all hate a nanny state, we also need more laws telling us what to do when we hitch up a caravan. This is how we can prevent or even eliminate caravan rollovers.

Most caravanners have not completed any kind of formal training for hauling their multi-tonne rigs down the road. The truth is, most of us are too scared or lazy.

Turning up to a towing course can be intimidating – particularly if you are inexperienced, lack certain skills or just don’t like the idea of being told what you have been doing for years is wrong.

Mandating towing courses is a way to overcome these barriers. It may even be a relief for some long-time caravanners who are aware of their shortcomings but don’t want to admit it to their caravanning buddies.

Training can definitely equip you with a better understanding of safety issues, including trailer sway and how to deal with it.

Related: Another call for compulsory caravan training

The swaying action of a caravan can significantly push a car around. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to imagine that a loaded 'van heavier than the loaded tow vehicle can be a recipe for disaster. In Australia, there are no laws to support this notion. In fact, many factors are working against it.

Australian 'vans are often much heavier than European 'vans. It’s partly driven by our rugged roads requiring more robust engineering, but it largely comes down to our insatiable appetite for big 'vans with more and more fancy stuff in them. Caravan manufacturers and customers have a responsibility to be more weight-conscious.

Related: Are top tow tugs too light?

Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers’ magical 3500kg tow ratings encourage us to get the van-to-car weight ratio wrong too. The problem is that many regular utes/SUVs have a GCM around 6000kg. This means that if you fully load the 'van, your tow vehicle can only weigh 2500kg loaded. This compromises the car's payload and leaves the tail ('van) wagging the dog (car).

Bottom line: most regular-sized utes/SUVs should not be towing any more than 2500kg-3000kg. If you want to tow a 3500kg caravan, you need to look at big American utes (which won’t always necessarily cut it) or even real trucks.

Related: Call for tougher towing laws

It’s not just the total weight that counts - it’s where the caravan manufacturer puts it. A well-designed caravan places heavy components – like water tanks and batteries – low to the ground and near the axles. This keeps the centre of gravity low and minimises pitching.

Vans with tall, top-heavy designs or heavy storage at the rear are naturally more unstable. Pop-tops and lower-profile 'vans often behave better on the road than towering off-road giants. Better-designed vans are safer vans.

Related: Why caravans should have a wheel at each corner

Sway control (otherwise known as ESC) has been mandatory on passenger cars and light commercial vehicles for years, but not on caravans.

ESC is great tech that can nip sway events in the bud and save lives. Yet caravan manufacturers and dealers can be reluctant to fit ESC as it increases the selling price. If the industry isn’t doing it and buyers are not universally demanding it, let’s mandate it.

Related: Anti-lock braking first for caravans

Caravan dealers can do more to protect customers with better tow rig set-ups.

It's dealers that often organise optional accessories to be fitted, but adding weight at the extreme rear of the 'van, on the A frame, or high on the 'van, can all compromise stability and increase the chance of sway.

Dealers are a critical source of guidance on matching tow vehicles, 'vans and how the rig should be set up. Ticking the box that a combination can be technically legal is not a guarantee that it is safe in the real world.

Our earlier mention of the many rigs on the road with 'vans outweighing the car is a case in point. Setting the hitch so the 'van sits level is another example of something a dealer could neglect to do, but can make a big difference to safety.

Related: Why we should all be towing fifth-wheelers instead of caravans

We can’t blame it all on the industry. Caravanners need to take more responsibility and apply common sense. Here are some examples...

There is a recurring theme that weight distribution is critical for towing safety. For example, caravanners should avoid stacking excessive weight on the rear bar, front tool boxes and on the roof. Heavy cargo should be stored as close as possible, down low and over the axles, etc.

Caravan owners also need to take responsibility for their rig's tyre pressures. The caravan towball weight pushes down on the tow vehicle, deforming its rear tyre side walls. If you don’t add more air pressure, the sidewalls can get too flexy, making the car less able to resist the lateral movement of a swaying 'van.

Even simple common sense measures like managing fatigue can keep you alert and better able to drive to the conditions and react if things go wrong.

Related: How to pack your caravan

Related: Driving tips to help you avoid a caravan crash

Higher speed increases the probability and severity of trailer sway, so slowing down a bit helps a lot. Many grey nomads knock a bit of speed off because it's a great way to save fuel, but there are also plenty of turbo tourists in a hurry to get from A to B.

NSW and WA have some restrictions on caravan speed limits, while other states do not. Perhaps it’s time to slow us all down and create one standardised road rule system across all states.

Related: The case for caravan speeding fines

Overtaking can be dangerous – whether you’re the one overtaking or you’re being overtaken. Sudden lane changes, bursts of acceleration, and air turbulence from large vehicles all can destabilise a caravan.

This is a tough one to legislate because there is a strong argument that overtaking very slow vehicles increases road safety. It prevents a congo line of slow-moving vehicles from forming that would be dangerous for regular road users to overtake.

However, some of the blanket 'dangerous driving' laws could capture people performing reckless overtaking manoeuvres.

Related: Why you shouldn't overtake when towing

Related: Truckie educates clueless caravanners

Yeah, it’s more nanny state stuff, but it feels like people need protecting from themselves. Most (but not all) people get their car regularly serviced. NSW even mandates annual roadworthy checks for cars over five years old. But many people are outright slackers when it comes to their caravans.

Some fail to have them regularly serviced, increasing the possibility of dangerous faults not being identified. Failures such as broken suspension components can cause significant instability, triggering trailer sway.

Solution – introduce an annual roadworthy check.

Related: Snapped suspension blamed for latest roll-over

More controversy. It’s perfectly legal for someone who has never driven anything more than a hatchback to jump up to towing a six-tonne rig. It sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it?

The licensing idea is similar to mandatory training. However, adding a formal accreditation on your driver’s licence raises the bar - introducing a standardised approach to training and creating instantly recognisable ID for law enforcement.

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