Quote: Originally posted by freeatlast on 18/7/2011
No it is not legal and safe to tow at 80mph in France. Units with a combined weight train of over 3500kg are limited to 90kph, 56mph. Only those under that weight are able to travel legally at 80.
Surely that contradicts me, then contradicts yourself to then agree with what I said?
I never mentioned weights.... merely the fact that under French law, you can tow at 80mph and be legal and if it's legal it must be deemed safe.....
I'm with you on the 56mph, as I have no desire to tow faster than I feel safe or comfortable with. Plus economy is a major factor.
I'll be the one on the inside lane, pootling along in a line of HGV's.... Not trying to pass them on a dual carriageway doing 58mph and taking 3 miles to get past
I use the A74 a lot heading south, driving solo til now, there's nothing more frustrating than a lorry pulling out to pass another and blocking both lanes for an eternity..... Apologies for digressing!
Surely that contradicts me, then contradicts yourself to then agree with what I said?
I never mentioned weights.... merely the fact that under French law, you can tow at 80mph and be legal and if it's legal it must be deemed safe.....
Its only safe to tow light trailers at 80mph in France, not heavy caravans. Having just reduced the speed limit for most caravans from 80mph surely indicates that that speed limit is not safe for the majority of caravans.
Of course their law is a simplification, probably so they can enforce it using the plated vehicle weights. You may get under the limit by using a lighter car, which certainly would not make for better towing.
How come in France it's legal and evidently safe to tow at 80........
That's all I said.... and it is. If it wasn't 'safe' it wouldn't be legal. Yes it depends on what you tow. But that wasn't my original point. My point was you CAN legally tow at 80 in France, and you can't here.
Besides, define 'very light trailer'...... my outfit gross train is 2945 (well within the 80mph parameters of 3500kg) with a caravan MPTLM of 1200kg...... wouldn't class that as 'very light', but I could tow legally at 80 in France, where permitted! Wouldn't dream of it mind you......
Quote: Originally posted by bandy68 on 13/6/2011
The IDIOT in the Freelander that passed me yesterday must have been doing at least 80mph
I live in Oldham and was driving down the M60 to a meeting in Stockport a couple of years back. I was doing (at least) 70mph and a Mercedes Sprinter van towing a caravan shot past, at least 10 mph faster.
There are idiots everywhere.
Andrew
hmmmm was the driver a well tanned fellow wearing lots of gold jewelry perchance ?
Not me, I was out in the Pick up truck yesterday-minus caravan :)
ok, having come back from France yesterday I saw lots of signs befroee bridges/ high winds that showed a car and a caravan and restricted the speed to 110kph(68mph)...so does this not suggest that the limit is higher when not in "dangerous" bits of the road.
One thing i will say is that I probably stuck at around 110kph in France, but the roads are in so much better condition, the minute you get back to Engalnd the roads are ccrap, doing 58mph-60mph in England and the surface is rough, bumpy and holey...
It was probably the same idiot that passed me on the M6 near Kendal doing a silly speed I can't believe how fast he disappeared out of sight! The Freelander can't be that good as a tow car we passed one that had turned over together with the caravan it was towing on the M6 near Stoke the weekend before caused huge delays and closed all but one lane of the motorway!
I always think that the towing is a part of the holiday, I start to relax as soon as I hitch up and do my general checks, what's the rush? "It's a marathon, not a sprint!" I've always made sure that I buy a car that will tow well with a bit of power to spare, therefore I usually go as fast comfortably possible and always within the speed limits.
Caravanners always get a bad name for holding up traffic! But, my nemesis is the "Treeites" these are people who visit garden centres, then drive very slowly so as not to spill their newly aquired pots of plants! They can usually be spotted easily by their slow speed and foiliage sticking out of the sun roof!!!!!
------------- Towing? "It's a Marathon, NOT a Sprint!"
We were on the M6 south bound 4 weeks ago doing 55mph in the first lane coming up to the river ribble to 4 wheel drives with caravans on went past us in the second lane doing at least 70, the second one seemed to find it quite funny to get his 4 wheel drive as close to the caravan in front of him as he could, he was laughing about it and had kids in the back, pig ingnorant they are .
xx Gill
Quote: Originally posted by Nescafe84 on 01/8/2011
It was probably the same idiot that passed me on the M6 near Kendal doing a silly speed I can't believe how fast he disappeared out of sight! The Freelander can't be that good as a tow car we passed one that had turned over together with the caravan it was towing on the M6 near Stoke the weekend before caused huge delays and closed all but one lane of the motorway!
I think Freelander owners drive as fast as they can in the hope that they get to where they are going before it breaks down.
Quote: Originally posted by Nescafe84 on 01/8/2011
It was probably the same idiot that passed me on the M6 near Kendal doing a silly speed I can't believe how fast he disappeared out of sight! The Freelander can't be that good as a tow car we passed one that had turned over together with the caravan it was towing on the M6 near Stoke the weekend before caused huge delays and closed all but one lane of the motorway!
Bit of a generalisation that, i'm surprised the Freelander owners aren't heading over to your house with pitchforks and torches!
In fairness, perhaps the unfortunate Freelander owner was doing everything right. Driving at 55, correctly loaded etc when he had a blowout or the wheel fell off his Bailey.