Why Caravans Roll Over TOC – Full Content Details

by | Apr 28, 2020

Table of Contents

  • INTRODUCTION
    • Understeer/oversteer
    • Oversteer whilst caravan towing
    • Misleading information
    • Critical speed
    • Major areas of concern
    • Warning
  • PART ONE
    • CHAPTER ONE
      • Why and how caravans sway
      • Dog-trailers
      • Pig-trailers
      • Hitch overhang
      • Eliminating hitch overhang
      • Fifth-wheeler - zero yaw
    • CHAPTER TWO
      • How tyres work
      • How tyres are actually steered
      • Slip angles
      • Tyre wall stiffness and slip angle
      • Tyre pressure and slip angle
      • Laden tow-vehicle weight and caravan laden weight
      • Tow vehicle weight matters
    • CHAPTER THREE
      • Understeer & oversteer
      • Understeer
      • Oversteer
      • Understeer/oversteer, tyre pressures and slip angles
      • Understeer/oversteer and mass distribution
      • Dirt roads
      • Summary
    • CHAPTER FOUR
      • Further causes of instability
      • Caravan length vs. weight
      • Water-tank location
      • Tow-hitch overhang and tow vehicle wheelbase
      • Tow-hitch inserts
      • Tow ball couplings
      • Tow ball mass
      • Towing capacity
      • Gross Combination Mass
      • Tow ball mass and weight distribution hitches
      • Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH)
      • WDH - pluses and minuses
      • WDH adjustment
      • Suspension modifications (tow vehicle)
      • Airbag issues
      • Independent suspension
      • Caravan independent suspension
  • Ch 4 (continued)
    • Yaw (sway) reduction
    • Friction yaw reduction
    • Sprung dual-cam yaw reduction
    • Electronic stability control - Al-KO ESC
    • Dexter DSC
    • Cruise control risk
    • Side wind gusts from passing trucks (and when passing trucks)
    • Driver skill and reactions
    • Loading your rig
      • Part one summary
        • Tow vehicle and caravan behaviour
    • PART TWO
      • Towing stability - how does your rig rate?
      • Caravan Stability Questionnaire
    • PART THREE
      • A more technical explanation
      • CHAPTER FIVE
        • Suspension
        • Gyroscopic precession
        • Roll centre height – caravan beam axle suspension
        • Roll centre height – independent suspension
        • How much does roll centre height matter?
      • CHAPTER SIX
        • Critical speed
        • The single (fifth-wheeler) pendulum
        • Conventional caravan pendulums
        • Critical speed is rig and loading specific
        • Major stability factor
      • CHAPTER SEVEN
        • Designing a stable pig-trailer caravan
        • Suspension
        • Tow ball mass
        • Stability
    • REFERENCES
      • SAE International J8027
        • Trailer and tow vehicle stability
      • Books
      • Papers
        • Tow Vehicle and Trailer Dynamics
        • Tyre Dynamics
        • Websites
    • ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
    • DEDICATION
    • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    • PUBLISHING INFORMATION