Did anyone watch the Top Gear team destroy their caravans tonight? Not a good advertisement for the 2 English caravans but more so, not a good way to tow them in the first place! So ridiculously silly I found it hard to laugh - although my husband was having a good chuckle!
Top Gear has always had a 'thing' about destroying caravans - methinks that more than a few discrete sawcuts are added beforehand - makes the filming more spectacular !
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Wondering about ShortNorth ? - Short North is the railwayman's nickname for the NSWGR main line between Sydney and Newcastle
Did anyone watch the Top Gear team destroy their caravans tonight? Not a good advertisement for the 2 English caravans but more so, not a good way to tow them in the first place! So ridiculously silly I found it hard to laugh - although my husband was having a good chuckle!
Was surprising how well those vans stayed on whilst the Stig took them around the track and even after losing a wheel and getting into a jack knife. unusual tow bar and ball set up with no WDH??? still very entertaining
It was a bit strange, I guess the majority of the Top Gear audience would not been seen dead towing a van, they probably spend a lot of time cursing caravans on the British B roads.
I can not remember seeing a weight distribution hitch on any vans in the UK, their vans tend to be very light, and also very close to balanced, with very little weight on the ball.
Also worth noting what they were towing with, almost all the cars they looked at had two ton limits, where the same cars here have 1600kg max.
Towing a caravan trailer in the UK is an exercise in frustration. If I recall correctly there is a lower speed limit for towing in the UK for caravans. 50 MPH against the 70MPH usual limit on major roads and motorways. Then the problems start when you go on the smaller 'B' roads winding hilly places and nowhere to pass safely or come to that pull over to let the inevitable convoy pass. The only good thing is the No Trucks in the outside lane on the motorways.
I think, and I'm going to be shot down in flames here. The Brits are the same as 'some' caravan drivers here. Only use their vans for a week or two a year and have no idea how to tow park or road etiquette.
Although our roads are in need of major upgrading and repair we are lucky that we don't have the cart track roads they have in the UK off the motorway system.
The Top Gear segment on caravans has become a part of Top Gears shows over the years much like their attitude with the Morris Marina. They must have destroyed dozens over the years. It does make for good television though. Ever see the episode when they did a jump over parked cars while towing a caravan?
Funniest thing I've seen in ages, had my wife and I rolling around in fits of laughter.
The sad thing is, in our travels around Oz over the years we've seen most of the mishaps depicted actually happen, yes, even a caravan towed to the point of destruction on the Andamooka Woomera road many years ago.
Lot's of lessons to be learned by watching the segment.
I had no doubt that the item would be a wreck-fest,going on earlier efforts with caravans.
Insane abuse & as said above,I bet there was a bit of hacking & cutting.
Ohh,to take off with all the plates etc. out.
The show must have a massive budget.
Gotta laugh.
I did agree with Clarkson on one point.- It should have been Liv Tyler, not her dad in the "reasonably priced car".
Ever heard what Clarkson says about & thinks of motorcycles.- It's not pretty.
It's slap stick comedy for petrol heads.
we are english have great van tow as would a truck as ihave HC licence use the van very often going around Oz next march will be so glad not to meet up with bigot as i would most likely give him a slap
Neil
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