Looking to upgrade our 17' 6'' to a 26' van, can anyone tell us the difference in towing, getting into and out of caravan parks etc.
SouthernComfort said
08:28 AM Feb 20, 2018
That'll be one big rig, no doubt with a pretty beefy tug up front. I'd imagine that obvious stuff like cornering, positioning on approach to tight roundabouts, swing room for reversing etc. would all be quite different to what you're used to. After you get the van it might be worth doing a caravan towing course, purely for the maneuvering? The only person I know who pulls a van near that size is an ex. semi driver, and his trucking skills come in very useful. Anyhow, plenty on here will have sage advice.
Dougwe said
08:31 AM Feb 20, 2018
Welcome to the gang Dianne, enjoy here and out in the playground.
You would come under the 'Big Rig' set up then so if you don't have it now get a copy of 'Wiki Camps' on your phone or poota. For a small cost you will then be able to see if a CVP is suitable or not. 'Wiki' has little Icons for each site and you will see a big bus indicating it is suitable for big rigs. If it was me, I would also ring the CVP in advance to make sure the rig will fit. When letting them know the length of the van you must say from tow ball hitch to furthest rear point of van. As far as towing goes, not a lot of difference just remember when turning etc you will need to take corners etc a little wider to allow for the extra length. Make a note in front of the driver of the max height of the van as well, a very handy measurement to know. My rig is 13mts combined in length and I need a height clearence of 3mts minimum but only go under 3.1mts minimum, to be sure, to be sure.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
snibbo said
08:40 AM Feb 20, 2018
Big, Heavy vans are great to tow. Their proportions make for pleasant towing, you will need a substantial tug. In the park the length will help by slowing down the vans response while parking on your site. You will have to inspect your site before you pay as many parks are too tight for the bigger vans. We enjoy the extra space of larger vans.
Snib
the rocket said
08:44 AM Feb 20, 2018
Hello and a very warm welcome. We have a 25 foot van plus drawbar. we cannot fit in all caravan parks. We enjoy staying at showgrounds, sports grounds, n free camping. We live in ours. enjoy.
Kebbin said
08:48 AM Feb 20, 2018
Just make sure that your tow vehicle can legally& safely tow the van and take the ball weight.
Dickodownunder said
08:55 AM Feb 20, 2018
Hi horse lady and welcome.
As Dougwe has covered most of the relevant points with his detailed reply, I can only offer one or two observations. Generally the longer the van the more overhang it may have at the rear.
This overhang forms an arc when turning and the longer the overhang the larger the arc for clearance at the rear of the van.
Many people when going larger can miscalculate this arc dimension which can result in coming into contact with things like fuel bowsers, gate posts and even trees.
Make sure you allow for this extra size when turning.
The other area you may find different is the departure angle of the vans rear when you are travelling through dips gutters and drains.
The driveway entrances and exits are a classic area where the rear of vans can scrape and strict observation when traversing these areas will acoid possible damage to your van.
This departure angle will not be as critical if the new van is an "off road" model which is generally higher than the tourer model.
Like anything driving, observation and common sense will go a long way to ensure you have a happy and trouble free journey.
kesa32 said
10:26 AM Feb 20, 2018
Hi, we tow a 26' Bailey with our diesel Territory and have no problems getting in and around caravan parks , as for comparing to smaller vans l can't as its our first van , but lve been driving since l was 6 years old ( on farms) and driven buses, trucks etc over my life so don't find it a problem
The only thing you might notice more is side winds due to more surface area ? And if you buy a heavy van, then yep you'll notice the difference towing due to the weight ( if using the same tow vehicle) it'll dominate the tug more and you'll use more fuel
Lots of good info on here and other forums so you should be able to end up with what you want , cheers
iana said
10:58 AM Feb 20, 2018
I have a 24.5 ft Jayco, for towing backing and parking its big. Weight is always a worry. But for living in, its fine, its got recliner lounge chairs and the rest. Have you considered a 5th wheeler, they are inherently stable, supposably easier to tow and back. The only down side to them is storage capacity. If I had my caravan purchase time again, I would deffinately consider a shorter van.
Yuglamron said
11:25 AM Feb 20, 2018
The bigger the van the more problems with the tail wagging the dog.
You need a serious Tug for the bigger heavier vans and you may well come under the area where if the rig and van are 7.5 meters or more you can have the "Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle" signs on the rear. You will need to check out the reasons for having this on the rear as it is a safety issue for bigger rigs.
As Dougwe and Dickodownunder have said there are other factors that come with larger vans.
One of the things rarely mentioned is the "Attraction" Effect when passing large vehicles. Semis, B Doubles Etc. Most but not all trucks on single carriageways move a little left when approaching other large flat sided vehicles coming the other way. This is to mitigate the drawing together effect that occurs when you get close. Normally it is no problem, but on narrower roads and highway speeds the effect can be felt quite severely and needs to be considered. There is a technical term for the effect. The Venturi Effect. Basically means the speed of the air through a narrow gap speeds up and pressure reduces drawing two flat surfaces together.
The effect also happens if you are going the same way as another vehicle passing you. Real pain if you have a large pothole coming up as a truck is passing you.
diggerop said
11:26 AM Feb 20, 2018
We have a 24ft 5th wheeler. Great to tow and easy to park. As for storage capacity, sometimes I think we have too much.
Looking to upgrade our 17' 6'' to a 26' van, can anyone tell us the difference in towing, getting into and out of caravan parks etc.
You would come under the 'Big Rig' set up then so if you don't have it now get a copy of 'Wiki Camps' on your phone or poota. For a small cost you will then be able to see if a CVP is suitable or not. 'Wiki' has little Icons for each site and you will see a big bus indicating it is suitable for big rigs. If it was me, I would also ring the CVP in advance to make sure the rig will fit. When letting them know the length of the van you must say from tow ball hitch to furthest rear point of van. As far as towing goes, not a lot of difference just remember when turning etc you will need to take corners etc a little wider to allow for the extra length. Make a note in front of the driver of the max height of the van as well, a very handy measurement to know. My rig is 13mts combined in length and I need a height clearence of 3mts minimum but only go under 3.1mts minimum, to be sure, to be sure.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Snib
Hello and a very warm welcome. We have a 25 foot van plus drawbar. we cannot fit in all caravan parks. We enjoy staying at showgrounds, sports grounds, n free camping. We live in ours. enjoy.
As Dougwe has covered most of the relevant points with his detailed reply, I can only offer one or two observations. Generally the longer the van the more overhang it may have at the rear.
This overhang forms an arc when turning and the longer the overhang the larger the arc for clearance at the rear of the van.
Many people when going larger can miscalculate this arc dimension which can result in coming into contact with things like fuel bowsers, gate posts and even trees.
Make sure you allow for this extra size when turning.
The other area you may find different is the departure angle of the vans rear when you are travelling through dips gutters and drains.
The driveway entrances and exits are a classic area where the rear of vans can scrape and strict observation when traversing these areas will acoid possible damage to your van.
This departure angle will not be as critical if the new van is an "off road" model which is generally higher than the tourer model.
Like anything driving, observation and common sense will go a long way to ensure you have a happy and trouble free journey.
The only thing you might notice more is side winds due to more surface area ? And if you buy a heavy van, then yep you'll notice the difference towing due to the weight ( if using the same tow vehicle) it'll dominate the tug more and you'll use more fuel
Lots of good info on here and other forums so you should be able to end up with what you want , cheers
The bigger the van the more problems with the tail wagging the dog.
You need a serious Tug for the bigger heavier vans and you may well come under the area where if the rig and van are 7.5 meters or more you can have the "Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle" signs on the rear. You will need to check out the reasons for having this on the rear as it is a safety issue for bigger rigs.
As Dougwe and Dickodownunder have said there are other factors that come with larger vans.
One of the things rarely mentioned is the "Attraction" Effect when passing large vehicles. Semis, B Doubles Etc. Most but not all trucks on single carriageways move a little left when approaching other large flat sided vehicles coming the other way. This is to mitigate the drawing together effect that occurs when you get close. Normally it is no problem, but on narrower roads and highway speeds the effect can be felt quite severely and needs to be considered. There is a technical term for the effect. The Venturi Effect. Basically means the speed of the air through a narrow gap speeds up and pressure reduces drawing two flat surfaces together.
The effect also happens if you are going the same way as another vehicle passing you. Real pain if you have a large pothole coming up as a truck is passing you.