Towing 8ft wide caravans

Not saying it is a piece of cake, and we do plan carefully on road usage. As far as Club sites go, we’ve been to Hillhead and Looe (and commercial sites near Salcombe and Ladram Bay. TBH, when on the last approaches to a site,I think timing makes a huge difference. Trying to arrive dead on first check-in time means your less likely to meet a caravan coming in the opposite direction (as they hopefully would have all left) but I continue to see people arriving early by up to 90 mins or so. A different topic methinks.

I’ve been meaning to get round to measuring the width of towcar with Extended mirrors. I’ve only just changed to an X5, and the saga of getting mirrors to fit is the subject of other threads on here. Now the EMUK mirrors I have (ordered to fit X5 specifically) are the most solid mirrors I’ve encountered, with zero vibration and never work loose.

But, now measured, they make the car some 9’ 4” wide, which means (subject to angles) if the car will go through, so will the 8’ wide van.

Makes me wonder how many drivers have measured their extended mirror width? What results have you got?

Especially interested to hear from those with 8ft wide c'van's as it could be something we might look at in the future....  They appear to make a fixed double bed more realistic to use..... practical access from both sides of a transverse bed... and you can get around the bottom of the bed to go to the loo at night without disturbing your OH... 😀

I noticed that in the Alicante and Pegasus Grande models, Bailey are not producing a fixed double 'against the caravan wall (like in the Valencia).  I've also noted that the user payload in the Pegasus Grande is more generous than in the Alicante, especially with the weight upgrade plate/certificate.....

David

I find the Suck-it-and-See mirrors better.  Absolutely no 'shake' and so easy to adjust.  As they fit to the centre of the wing mirror, you adjust by using the electric wing mirror adjustment..... none of this 'up a bit, down a bit, back a bit, now you've gone too far' conversation I used to have with my wife....  Also, as they fit to the middle of the mirror, you can move the towing mirror to either extreme of the wing mirror, giving a little leeway in how far the towing mirrors come out from the car.

Suck-it-and-see mirrors do cut out some of the view from the existing wing mirror, but I don't find it at all bad  to be honest.....

David

There used to be a plant hire depot in the village and I got recruited quite a lot on my days off to deliver and collect towable site cabins, even more brick shaped than caravans and twice as heavy.  Don't remember any difficulties related to width or length going to sites in rural parts of Scotland and north England even though some of the units were larger than allowed for caravans in those days as they were classed a engineering plant.

What I don't understand, and some you people who have 8' caravans might be able to answer, is why if there is so much space inside the transverse bed has to be a fold-up design . . . ?

What I don't understand, and some you people who have 8' caravans might be able to answer, is why if there is so much space inside the transverse bed has to be a fold-up design . . . ?

 

I can only speak for our Adria, and the answer is, it’s not a fold up design. The transverse bed is different to our previous Swift (7’6” but same layout) in that there is no fold up section, and once can walk easily around the bottom of the bed. In fact, the mattress is effectively two linked singles, as the whole lot folds lengthways down the centre. This also makes it easier accessing under bed storage space. Also, the bed has individual prop-up ‘Pillow’ sections to enable easy reading/TV watching in bed.

am on a commercial site just now just outside Tavistock. site has a beautiful, perhaps 1/4 mile long drive down to site from mainroad, which is kept immaculate with shrubs, cut grass verges, overhanging trees, and some big white bolders to stop you encroaching onto the grass verges, so all the annoying little things one needs to be wary of. There are some passing places, some bigger than others and there is a very sharp blind right hand bend into the site. I did some rough measurements and 8 footer would be doable, but you would have to remove those mirrors or loose them if you should be unfortunate enough to meet another RV. 

Hi all, this is my 1st post ever and I don't even own a caravan yet. But one of the reasons for that is about space and the extra internal width is quite noticeable to me in the lounge particularly and it has me interested. However, when I actually stop to think about 6" from an external point of view I can't imagine that you go from shall we say 'Normal' towing precautions and stress levels to more noticeably elevated issues due to the extra width very often at all. Of course I understand it depends on just how much clearance there is in the first place but is it that common to be just under the ceiling of comfortable towing by owning a 7'6" caravan?

I'm guessing its a bit of an 80%-20% rule at most? and I'm sure that my first attempts would feel the same regardless of whether its a 7' or 8' dangly lump thats following me?

Any further thoughts ? any changes of heart from those posted already?

Thanks!!

T

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Of course I understand it depends on just how much clearance there is in the first place but is it that common to be just under the ceiling of comfortable towing by owning a 7'6" caravan?

It only has to be once. I managed to rip the awning rail from a 7'6" caravan on the approach to a French Farm campsite, that I couldn't check on streetview. If it had been 8 ft wide, I think we would still have been there.