Posted on 29/05/2020 09:43
Hi all, it seems that Caravan manufacturers are making 8ft wide caravans as the norm now. But I was wondering if anybody has towed with one, how do you find it? Motorways and A roads I would think be OK until you get to the last bit of your journey where road are a bit tight?
1 person likes this
Posted on 19/10/2020 15:10
If you cannot tow a 8' wide caravan safely then maybe you should be looking for another hobby? 
We have had an 8' wide caravan since 2016 and have never encoutered any issues in the UK, France or Spain or have had any concerns where the roadway is narrow.
In addition, if a roadway is narrower than 8' normally there are signs indicating width however we use a TomTom Camping and Caravan satnav that allows me to inout the dimensions fo the combination outfit.
If you want an 8' wide caravan there is no logical reason why you should be concerned!
Posted on 19/10/2020 15:10 by SurferIf you cannot tow a 8' wide caravan safely then maybe you should be looking for another hobby?
We have had an 8' wide caravan since 2016 and have never encoutered any issues in the UK, France or Spain or have had any concerns where the roadway is narrow.
In addition, if a roadway is narrower than 8' normally there are signs indicating width however we use a TomTom Camping and Caravan satnav that allows me to inout the dimensions fo the combination outfit.
If you want an 8' wide caravan there is no logical reason why you should be concerned!
Posted on 20/10/2020 20:16 by TigiAll comes down to whether you feel having the biggest caravan on the site is really worth the possible hassle.
Posted on 21/10/2020 05:55
I don't think it has anything to do with that. When all said and done, most people aren't going to notice whether one twin axle is marginally larger than another.
One reason we chose the Knaus was, unashamedly, for the large twin beds which are almost 3' wide. Ros has an artificial knee and had great difficulty getting in and out of the fixed double in the Barcelona to the extent that it was spoiling our time away in the van. That problem has now been solved.
Yes, it is necessary to take care when towing - but then I assume we all do that, whatever the size of the van. If, when I am researching new routes (particularly to CLs) I don't like the look of the approach road, I look for somewhere else - but I would have adopted the same approach with the Barcelona, so nothing's really changed.
Posted on 19/10/2020 15:10 by SurferIf you cannot tow a 8' wide caravan safely then maybe you should be looking for another hobby?
We have had an 8' wide caravan since 2016 and have never encoutered any issues in the UK, France or Spain or have had any concerns where the roadway is narrow.
In addition, if a roadway is narrower than 8' normally there are signs indicating width however we use a TomTom Camping and Caravan satnav that allows me to inout the dimensions fo the combination outfit.
If you want an 8' wide caravan there is no logical reason why you should be concerned!
Posted on 21/10/2020 15:17
Another not looking for a different hobby after approaching 50 years into it, not without extensive towing experience.
The only bit about "cannot tow an 8' wide caravan" that applies, is for a high percentage of the locations where we go, I would not be that stupid doing so.
The only way some rural lanes get their hedging "trimmed" is the attrition from commercial traffic knocking it off. I could also contribute to this by taking an even wider van, but we prefer to minimise the damage to our paintwork and the windows in particular, bad enough now.
I don't see any challenges if your caravanning is using the more formal sites, and routing via mainly "A" & "B" roads. Not requiring squeezing down narrow and usually overgrown lanes together with some difficult field entries. However, if the remote off the beaten track 5 van sites, often located down that type of lane is your thing, then an 8' wide caravan must inevitably suffer that bit more.
Each to their own.
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Posted on 07/10/2020 15:09 by 2020 freedomHi 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
Posted on 22/10/2020 08:30
I would say "Go for it" as it is only 6" wider than other caravan and not 6' wider. There is zero difference between towing a 7'6" caravan and an 8' wide caravan!
If you cannot manage a 7'6" wide caravan then maybe you should not be towing. We have travelled with our 8' wide caravan through the Uk using mainly CLs and also travelled in France and Spain and have never encountered any issues.
The bed is over 6' long and plenty of room to pass by the bottom of the bed when it is fuly extended. However folding it over at the top a person in a wheelchair can easily get past the bottom of the bed it is that wide.
Posted on 22/10/2020 09:03 byAs I said earlier the interior space in a 2.5 meter van (decimalisation year was 1971) does seem out of proportion to that 20 cm width increase but it does depend on how much time one intends actually sitting in it. For us a caravan is principally intended as a bedroom on wheels and can't see how much extra enjoyment we would get for the additional stress.I have been towing continuously since the late 70s and in most European countries and I still don't think its worth the hassle and particularly for a newcomer to towing. .
Posted on 22/10/2020 10:10 by EmilysDad... (decimalisation year was 1971)
yet we still buy a pint in a pub, work out the fuel consumption of our cars in mpg, have max speed limits in mph, most of us measure our weight in stones, measure our height in feet etc etc 😉
Posted on 22/10/2020 09:03 byAs I said earlier the interior space in a 2.5 meter van (decimalisation year was 1971) does seem out of proportion to that 20 cm width increase but it does depend on how much time one intends actually sitting in it. For us a caravan is principally intended as a bedroom on wheels and can't see how much extra enjoyment we would get for the additional stress.I have been towing continuously since the late 70s and in most European countries and I still don't think its worth the hassle and particularly for a newcomer to towing. .
Posted on 22/10/2020 14:08
Actually even better for a newbie as they will not notice any difference. When we came to Britain in 1993 it was like taking a step back in time as virtually no decimalisation and using miles, pounds etc.
Our car is switched so that everything is decimalised i.e miles to km, mpg to kpl, F to centigrade. Easier tio understand as lived with it for nearly 40 years.
Not sure why Britain does not go the whole hog and decimalise everything for simplicity? BTW our caravan is 2.5m wide. LOL!
munro21
Caravanner