Has your caravan ever broken away? What happened?

Motherhen · Veteran Member

Has your caravan ever broken away? What happened?

Radar · Guru

Motherhen good morning.

That is a darn good question.

From my own experience as a semi trailer driver most detachment incidents with prime mover and trailer happen very quickly at a very low speed when the connection is not done right and tge driver goes to move off, the trailer slide down onto the chassis of the prime mover. In 8 years in one yard we had 2 incidents where units got about 40 metres from starting point before separating. That company had about 70 prime movers with hundreds of change overs per week.

Now over the years I heard of incidents with caravans coming separated, coming out of a drive way of services station with load bars on breaking the ball off, coming out of front yard over very steep driveways breaking ball off. So once again most I have heard have been slow speed incidents. To steep a gutter when entering or exiting from road, at that moment placing to much load on tow hitch.

I hope this helps in the understanding of why we have break away systems on caravans. I don't but what the chains what are they for.

Phil C · Guru

Hi Motherhen and welcome to our forum

I have a golden rule. I change the towball every 10,000KMs of towing. Spending a few dollars to do this MAY prevent a separation incident. May sound OCD however the stresses and strain on this item are very high and Im not about to risk it.

At camp we run a small conditioning charger directly onto the breakaway battery, that way its in peak condition.

I agree with Radar, most of these events would occur at hitch up either by misadventure or a mistake made in hitching up. I dare not contemplate a separation at speed, then again the breakaway should stop the van quickly.

Cheers

aussie_paul · Guru

Somewhere in Melb a week or two ago a large caravan/portable left the tow vehicle and crashed through a front fence and into a house bedroom. I believe the trailer had been stolen.

Aussie Paul. smile

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-20/melbourne-family-escaped-injury-after-caravan-crashes-fence/7261088

https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=caravan+crashes+into+house

-- Edited by aussie_paul on Sunday 3rd of April 2016 01:48:48 PM

Hey Jim · Guru

Yep, been there done that.

2008 three months away around the block. we were 2/3 through our trip visiting all the fishing placers I had read over and over as a lad. the bug never left me.
I can never forget the date. The 5th of September, the eve of our wedding anniversary.

We were towing our Kimberly Camper into Steep Point WA One of the very best land based fishing holes I just wanted to visit. We were traveling at 5-10kmph at most.The corrugations were pretty bad. I had one eye on the track and one on the trailer. We were 4km from base, when I said to Lambie the trailer is going down down gone.

This track is single lane only. our Trig Hitch had separated at the shank weld point. Not good. Lambie says well done son how are you going to fix this one. No worries my dear, Jim is here.

I had in the back, the Toyota standard hitch I use for our fold up boat trailer. so without further a do I get to work separating the trailer/ car. the Trailer had to be jacked up to do the job. I travel pepaired with four 400mm x 230 x 50mm treated pine off cuts for jacking both units up/ and services.

Then we here other vehicles approaching from behind. To vehicles and boat in tow.Five very very big drunk lads to deal with. First question was Have a drink with them. I think I need to fix this first. Oh St....it one says. How did you do that. Its just gave way at the welding. Let us help you. You choc the tralie when we lift it on three. I said wait a minute Theres a lot of weight to lift. I will use the Bottle jack. No we can lift it and bugger me they did. They turned out to be very nice lads coming off the farm. In two hours of starting out the had drunk between four one did not drink at all, a cartoon of beer and a cartoon of burbone & coke.

They wanted us to join them. They had 48 cans of baked beans total to eat, plus a mountain of grog.

We move off enough so they could get past us and near the bottom of the sand dunes We were able to turn around and head out on dusk. We weren't hanging around.

We made for Geraldton where We found a Steel fabrication place (Metal Land) opened till 11am on the Saturday Next day was Fathers Day. This bloke fixed it buy cutting off the old shank and replacing it in total. I was ready to shell out big time . Have a happy Fathers Day he said locked the gates and $20 Total Cost. smile smile smile smile

I'm taking the Jayco in this trip. cry

Jim

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 3rd of April 2016 02:03:06 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 3rd of April 2016 02:04:32 PM

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Sunday 3rd of April 2016 02:05:17 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I once witnessed a tandem trailer break a tow ball off while negotiating a steep creek crossing in the Kimberley, but the chains did not fail and the combination stopped immediately.
That said, it did quite a lot of damage to both the hitch and the tow bar and removing the rest of the broken ball was quite an exercise.
DON'T use 50mm ball hitches off road. They are NOT suitable.

Cheers,
Peter

Hylife · Guru

In some respects breakaway systems are bureaucratic red tape and a waste of resources unless your van seperates at slow speed on a hill where it could possibly roll backwards or is so perfectly balanced that forward motion maintains the drawbar off the ground.

Think about it.

If your towball or van coupling breaks, the chains will keep it attached to the tow vehicle (assuming they meet the reqired specs) but your rear bumper might get a bit mangled as you come to a stop. The breakaway system won't get tripped.

If the complete towbar fails and detatches from the tow vehicle the breakaway system wont be tripped as the trip cable usually connects to the towbar.

If your van does completely seperate at slow speed the drawbar digs in an the van comes to a stop within a few meters and because of the slow speed no one get mamed or killed.

If for whatever reson your van seperates at speed whilst moving forwards the first thing that will happen is the drawbar will hit the ground, hard, because the brakes engaged and made it nosedive. The coupling will gouge into the road/ground and most likely cause the van to veer violently in one direction or the other probably resulting in almost immediate rollover of the van.

Breakaway systems or not the result is the same unless it is rolling backwards.

Motherhen · Veteran Member

Thanks for replies so far.

Hi Radar, yes, the chains should do their job, and they did for us when the tow bar receiver broke away travelling a highway speed on the Stuart Highway. No runaway caravan.

Hi Phil and thanks for the welcome. I have been a member here for quite a a few years, but don't visit all that often. Good company when I do aww . I agree with changing the towball (farm experience). We don't have a towball hitch for our caravan and in our case the receiver on the tow bar failed.

Hi Paul, that donga style trailer was probably way too heavy for the car which I could not see, most likely not road licensed, and may have been moved at night to avoid the eye of the law. They came unstuck there both ways hmm .

Hi Jim, I take it you had safety chains, so would not have had a runaway if you had been out on the highway.

Hi Peter, perhaps that was not the hitch to take across a steep dip either. We still get people on fourms saying towballs don't break if used correctly doh . I've seen a few break in my time.

I have not yet uncovered an incident of a breakaway where the breakaway has come into play. They have either been tow bar falling off with everything attached, a frame come off so trailer running free with cable intact on the disconnected a-frame, or under weight or vintage caravans without breakaway. Most have been a relatively low speeds.

Update: I thought I had posted the above reply but it does not seem to be here.

Thanks Hylife; where have you gained the knowledge of what happens when the breakaway engages? I am seeking to find first hand incidents but none have come up so far. Yes, there will be very different scenarios according to; speed of travel, slope of terrain, surface of road and other variables.

grahamg · Senior Member

it would seem a very scary situation, if the towbar breaks, the caravan swinging on the chain and the brakes then on full.

Motherhen · Veteran Member

Hi Graham. The breakaway is the second line of defence. First is the chains, and should the chains also detach, the breakaway pins pulls and the brakes are applied to the trailer to stop it continue hurtling down the highway.

There have been plenty of instances where the trailer has either come of the towball (not locked down) or the towball has snapped. In this case the chains hold the trailer until the rig can be safely stopped, preferably off the middle of the road. The breakaway should not engage and prevent you doing this.

There have been other instances of the whole towbar coming away, chains and all. For this reason it is advisable to have the breakaway attached to a different part of the vehicle. There have been reports of the a-frame pulling away from the trailer, and because the pin was not activated the brakes did not come on.

Hylife · Guru

Hi motherhen. I assume you want more than anecdotal evidence for your website to appear valid rather than just hearsay.

I suggest you go regularly visit the accident vehicle auction yards such as Manheim Fowles and Pickles. They have plenty of smashed vans there every month for you to check over what has happened. Unfortunately it is exceptionally rare to find a seperation.

Check out these links and search under salvage.

http://www.manheim.com.au

http://www.pickles.com.au

Hylife · Guru

grahamg wrote:
it would seem a very scary situation, if the towbar breaks, the caravan swinging on the chain and the brakes then on full.

If the towbar breaks the whole kit and caboodle goes west. As the breakaway system is hooked between the drawbar and the towbar the breakaway wont get tripped.

Seems whoever dreamed up the idea of a breakaway system didn't think it through. I can't for the life of me think of one situation that a breakaway would ever be tripped if you use your chains, other than rolling backwards after unhitching because you forgot to pull on the van handbrake first.

If the towball or slide-in hitch on the tow vehicle breaks, or disconnects through poor coupling, the chains hold the drawbar and the breakaway wont trip so no brakes other than what you apply to the pedal.

If the drawbar seperates from the van chassis everything rips off and no breakaway gets tripped.

If you roll your van it because of the strength of the towball coupling it usually rolls your car too and brakes wont help.

I just dont get it. Can someone suggest a plausible situation where a breakaway system might get tripped when you have the chains connected?

03_Troopy · Guru

Hylife wrote:
grahamg wrote:
it would seem a very scary situation, if the towbar breaks, the caravan swinging on the chain and the brakes then on full.
If the towbar breaks the whole kit and caboodle goes west. As the breakaway system is hooked between the drawbar and the towbar the breakaway wont get tripped.
Seems whoever dreamed up the idea of a breakaway system didn't think it through. I can't for the life of me think of one situation that a breakaway would ever be tripped if you use your chains, other than rolling backwards after unhitching because you forgot to pull on the van handbrake first.
If the towball or slide-in hitch on the tow vehicle breaks, or disconnects through poor coupling, the chains hold the drawbar and the breakaway wont trip so no brakes other than what you apply to the pedal.
If the drawbar seperates from the van chassis everything rips off and no breakaway gets tripped.
If you roll your van it because of the strength of the towball coupling it usually rolls your car too and brakes wont help.

I just dont get it. Can someone suggest a plausible situation where a breakaway system might get tripped when you have the chains connected?

That's why it is advised that you connect the cable to a part of your vehicle, other than the tow bar.

Motherhen · Veteran Member

Thanks for replies.

No Hylife I won't be writing up anything for my website. It is just for interest from questions raised and discussion about breakaways. First hand stories are the best, but even with a few second had ones, the picture is still the same. Going to auction yards is not possible, and would not tell the story of "how and why".

Even media reports do not tell us such as this one someone posted about http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/caravan-splits-from-vehicle/2977401/

As Troopy says the attachment point should be separate to the towbar. I recommend connecting the cable to the vehicle not the towbar, but my husband as driver will not do this. He is confident in the attachment of our towbar, and there is more chance of accidental pulling of pin when driving than of the towbar falling off our car. Someone has given me the good suggestion of tying the cable to the chains with cable ties (after all they snap at the drop of a hat when you want them to hold) then taking the cable to the different attachment point.

WITSENZ · Newbie

My wife and I recently had our caravan (18'6" Galaxy OffRoad) come off its hitch whilst being towed by a tow truck (with our Nissan Patrol on the tray-deck truck - that's another story in itself).

I don't want to identify the town where it happened, but in our case, in connecting the caravan, the Highland hitch had somehow been rotated so that it was not fitted properly to the towball. At about 90-100kph the towie realised that the hitch had parted and (very luckily) the caravan dropped down onto the chains, which held.

The lesson to be learned here: if someone else hitches your caravan up to a vehicle other than your own, be sure you check that it is done properly.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Had a double horse float come off while I was driving . Lucky there where yearling dairy cattle in there . We had two sized tow balls back then . Dangerous as figuring horsefloat after boat trailer ball which was smaller . We latter changed to the same size . Lucky it was out the country . Took a while to get float out of the Blackbury though !! Yearlings where fine ..

Motherhen · Veteran Member

In summary: Has your caravan ever broken away? What happened?

With this question asked across four forums and one caravanning Facebook page, the reports (mostly first hand with some second hand) have been grouped to the best match scenario of that incident. Incidents involving heavy haulage units have not been included as hitching is different to a caravan or standard trailer.

Unhitched or broken hitch but remained on the chains: 9
These were not breakaways as the trailer remained connected via the chains.

Complete disconnection from tow vehicle:

Towbar broke away, broke, or a frame came away: 6
In these incidents the breakaway attachment point also came away or there was no breakaway.

No chains or breakaway (eg older trailer or incident prior to breakaways being common): 2

Hitch and chains broke, no breakaway: 2

Trailer broke away completely and breakaway activated: 0

We have yet to hear of a caravan breaking free and being pulled up by its breakaway. There were a few reports of breakaways being activated accidentally while driving.

Conclusions

None of the incidents where the breakaway did not activate were caused by any failure of the breakaway battery, only by the breakaway not activating because it was connected to the parts that broke away. This does reinforce the idea that the breakaway cable should be attached to the tow vehicle on the body not the towbar.