Brave or foolish?
This afternoon I was driving west on the A66 and it was a tad breezy. To the extent the signs were saying closed to high sided vehicles. I stopped in a lay-by and could feel my stationary car being shaken by the wind
I saw coming in the opposite direction a car towing a caravan braver man than me. I think I would of stopped put the legs down and made a cup of tea
Comments
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For me it would depend on how "breezy" it actually was.I must admit i dont like high winds but if i got caught out i would lower my speed accordingly and only stop if i thought it was dangerously windy.For me its not about being brave or foolish its what
i,m comfortable with.v9
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Like v9 it would have to be a significant possibly unmanageable before I actually stopped the outfit. A lot depends on wind direction. Boff the A66 gets closed to high sided vehicles often at all times of the year. As pointed out the intended vehicles are
lorries and not caravans and single decker psv vehicles. There are many hi- level routes this applies to not just the trans pennine routes.Tj
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I brave the mistral in Provence every year. Pas de probleme.
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When the ' High wind signs ' start over taking you it's time to pull over
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Ehhh takes me back
.............................Probably some 7 years ago we were towing to the next site. I think that it was the Severn Bridge. The winds had not been too bad but just as we approached the bridge they really increased. Shortly afterwards the bridge was closed to high sided traffic. A
true gent in large tanker pipped his horn and pulled alongside me shielding my outfit from the sudden high winds. He sat alongside all the way across the bridge. He had powered up to pull out from behind me but then just sat alongside until we had crossed
the bridge. I was truly grateful0 -
Never had to stop the outfit because of winds in all the years I've been caravanning. And there are some exciting gales up here, especially on the Hebrides --- If the van is properly loaded and you drive at a sensible speed according to the conditions. you
have nought to worry about.Cheers..........................K
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Define breezy?
...Was he a member of "Wakey Wakey "Billy Cottons Band Show"
Giving your age away there.
It was a story about 1960s heart-throb Billy Fury which revived memories of the days when you could share a drink and a chat with him in the pub where the stars gathered. Derek James remembers Flixton Buck near Bungay and the one and
only Alan Breeze.0 -
We have avoided high wi ds twice. The first time we just booked an extra night on the site we were on so we could wait for calmer weather. On the second we were trying to get back from York. We had avoided the A66 because of this and went up to N3wcastle
and cut across to the M6 from there but we were being blown far too much so we headed a junction Southon the M6 and had a night at Englethwaite Hall where you would hardly believe how bad it was on the motorway.For us our personal safety is more important than anything else so we try not to take unneccessary risks.
If the weather forecast is bad but not so bad you do not set off then be aware of sites on the way where you can go if need be.
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My first experience of strong wind when towing was on this very road. The wind got up stronger than expected at Scotch Corner and we carried on. Once out onto the open, exposed stretches I became very concerned and wasn't keen on what was happening. a sudden squall hit us on the nearside and I swear the caravan went up onto one wheel. Talk about white knuckles. My speed was right down and I managed to get off the road a little further on and into Brough where we managed to get into some kind of lorry park before deciding what to do. After quite a length lunch stop the wind eased and we headed off an completed the journey.
That experience has never left me and regardless of what others have said I always look at the forecast and any mention of very strong winds then I just don't go.
So I am neither brave or foolish
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We've tired in France in some interesting weather but not dangerously so.
My son had to take my dad's caravan up to Penrith once in gale force winds over Shape. He, the car and caravan survived but not an experience he would willingly have repeated.
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many years ago I was on the A1 at Chester-le-Street when a gust of wind caught the caravan and turned it over. There is nothing worse than seeing your 'van overtake you on its side! This was before Alko hitches, so the hitch just turned and remained connected
to the car. The car's rear wheels were a foot off the ground! And picking everything off the road is no joke either. So, for me I avoid any strong winds (that is anything over about 20 mph), because it is the gusts that cause the problem and you never know
when they are going to appear.My advice is don't go out in the wind, stay another night on site or at home. It is far better than the consequences!
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Citroen BX Estate 1.9 diesel towing a Swift Doublette from Disneyland Paris up to Yorkshire via the A1.
5 people in the car, two of them adults.
Coming up through France heading for Calais , the whole outfit felt a bit twitchy at times but that was all. I stopped at various times to check the loading etc.
Back in England when towing car was a little twitchy also at times , nothing to get alarmed by . As we did not have a turbo we plodded on and stopped at a large service station to use the amenities about 50 miles from home.
As I got out of the car, the wind almost blew me off my feet and as I looked at the caravan it was rocking whilst stood still.
Then I knew why the outfit was a little twitchy !
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If it is windy enough to consider a motorcycle to be a high vehicle then a caravan is well gone!
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Several years ago as fairly new 'towers" we set off from home up the A1 to Whitewater. ''Twas a little breezy to start but we thought we could manage. It got increasingly difficult to tow as we went north, by the time we got out of the car at the site wind
was so strong we could hardly stand up. Made us realise what we could tow in, and, we now check weather carefully if there's a chance of inclement weather0 -
In southern France & Spain, even in the summer it gets pretty windy and when youre heading south on route you just put up with it and adjust the speed accordingly , two hand on the wheel etc, had a few squeeky moments but if you take it steady you get through
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Hi i have traveled this route many a time,not with caravan in tow. One thing that puzzled me when the signs are lit what designates a highsider because there must be plenty of LGV drivers with poor eyesight?.After thought how would you answer the insurance
man when he asks why you drove past the warning lite and your caravan turned over?.Steve
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Hi i have traveled this route many a time,not with caravan in tow. One thing that puzzled me when the signs are lit what designates a highsider because there must be plenty of LGV drivers with poor eyesight?.After thought how would you answer the insurance
man when he asks why you drove past the warning lite and your caravan turned over?.Steve
No signs were up for me to read. Just shows what a well matched outfit can do. I was running at near 100% then which was about 20 to 25 years ago. My now towing % is about 46 %
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Ehhh takes me back
.............................Probably some 7 years ago we were towing to the next site. I think that it was the Severn Bridge. The winds had not been too bad but just as we approached the bridge they really increased. Shortly afterwards the bridge was closed to high sided traffic. A
true gent in large tanker pipped his horn and pulled alongside me shielding my outfit from the sudden high winds. He sat alongside all the way across the bridge. He had powered up to pull out from behind me but then just sat alongside until we had crossed
the bridge. I was truly gratefulWrite your comments here...Nice to hear a possitive comment regarding us Hgv's, we are not all bad.
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Hi i have traveled this route many a time,not with caravan in tow. One thing that puzzled me when the signs are lit what designates a highsider because there must be plenty of LGV drivers with poor eyesight?.After thought how would you answer the insurance
man when he asks why you drove past the warning lite and your caravan turned over?.Steve
No signs were up for me to read. Just shows what a well matched outfit can do. I was running at near 100% then which was about 20 to 25 years ago. My now towing % is about 46 %
Write your comments here...Hi discoil not too sure the point you are trying to make?.Don't know how they switch the warning lights on,switch or wind speed sensor but you can bet there will be a timer on it for some insurance man to get his teeth into.
Steve
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