England, Wales, Scotland

RobertRyan wrote:

pappcam wrote:
They do it by putting far less weight on the tongue than we do. It means that a small car can tow a bigger trailer but it gets squirrelly at higher speeds.

I'll take how we tow over here in NA every time.

Not nessarily so. It depends on the weight distribution. Big downside is the small payloads.Caravans in Europe tend to do shortish trips, Longest trip would be going from Scandinavia to Spain

It has taken us 2hrs to go 40 miles back home, LOL

Veebyes wrote:

loulou57 wrote:

Veebyes wrote:
The people are actually smaller in Europe so they don't need the massive 5ers & 45' motorhomes towing the spare vehicle.

The price of fuel being 2 or 3 times the cost of US fuel may have something to do with it also.

Where did you get the notion people are smaller in Europe? My Canadian family and my European family are various sizes. Quite a few at well over 6'

ZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

That one went right over you didn't it!!!

I was actually poking fun at the N American mentality that believes that if it is bigger, it must be better.

Doesn't matter what it is, houses, cars, boats, bikes, meal portion sizes, somehow everything needs to be bigger.

LOL....yes it did! I grew up thinking that these "people from the states" were some sort of super powered people who can do everything better and have absolutely everything that was possibly made.
Sadly the mentality you mention is why people from the US are not received as well as others. When we go home everyone from home says make sure you have a Canadian pin or flag somewhere on hour jacket so you are not mistaken

Frankdamp wrote:
When I was out testing Norton motorcycles in the mid 1960s, there was a 70 limit on the motorways, but it was widely ignored. I don't remember any of the graduated limits as you left towns. Most of my testing was done on the smaller roads anyway, as motorways are boring on a motorcycle!

Had a fellow with a caravan towed by a van , pass us like were standing still. My sister was driving a Pug 308 with myself next too her in the front passengers seat. I noticed her speed was 70mph

Must admit, the roads of the UK are/were a blast to drive. Got part of my education over there & had a Mini, one of the original models with the 850cc engine. A far cry from the new & improved much bigger & supposedly better Mini Cooper of today.

Remember the speed limit on the narrow country lanes being 50mph, with next to no enforcement. No power brakes, no power steering, no automatic transmission, no air conditioning, no power windows. That Austin Mini was a hands on car but it was fun fun fun. Drove that thing from Lands End to Inmverness, Scotland, through London, around Wales, to Dover & everywhere in between.

If I were to tow anything with it I doubt it could be anything more than a motorcycle trailer.

Actually, Robert, at the time my Uncle and Aunt were caravanners, there was no speed limit in the UK other than a 30 limit in towns. Once you got outside the built-up areas, there were circular white signs with a diagonal black bar that indicated "No speed limit".

When I was out testing Norton motorcycles in the mid 1960s, there was a 70 limit on the motorways, but it was widely ignored. I don't remember any of the graduated limits as you left towns. Most of my testing was done on the smaller roads anyway, as motorways are boring on a motorcycle!

Jim Shoe wrote:
I drove my parents around the British Isles one summer. They were both over 70, and couldn't rent a car, so I got a free vacation. Driving an English Ford on the wrong side of the road from the wrong side of the car (to me). Their expressways were excellent, but many of the back roads were built only wide enough for two ox carts to pass. So it doesn't surprise me that English caravans are narrow.

Places like Wales they were very narrow. You cannot see around the corners and many of the sides of the roads are covered by slate walls

Frankdamp wrote:
Many UK friends and family were/are TT users. Most of the TTs are 18 to 20' and most are towed (slowly!) with the family car, a 1.6 to 2.0 liter sedan

Slowness come from the max 60mph speed limited roads , slower in other places. Most of the engines used for towing a fairly torquey diesel units

pappcam wrote:
They do it by putting far less weight on the tongue than we do. It means that a small car can tow a bigger trailer but it gets squirrelly at higher speeds.

I'll take how we tow over here in NA every time.

Not nessarily so. It depends on the weight distribution. Big downside is the small payloads.Caravans in Europe tend to do shortish trips, Longest trip would be going from Scandinavia to Spain

Loulou57 wrote:
Where did you get the notion people are smaller in Europe? My Canadian family and my European family are various sizes. Quite a few at well over 6'

The Dutch are the tallest people in the world. A lot of very tall people in Europe

loulou57 wrote:

Veebyes wrote:
The people are actually smaller in Europe so they don't need the massive 5ers & 45' motorhomes towing the spare vehicle.

The price of fuel being 2 or 3 times the cost of US fuel may have something to do with it also.

Where did you get the notion people are smaller in Europe? My Canadian family and my European family are various sizes. Quite a few at well over 6'

ZZZZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

That one went right over you didn't it!!!

I was actually poking fun at the N American mentality that believes that if it is bigger, it must be better.

Doesn't matter what it is, houses, cars, boats, bikes, meal portion sizes, somehow everything needs to be bigger.