RV FEATURE
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
For travelling on paved and dry/hard/fairly
level roads, 2WD is fine. However, just one
incident of being bogged, or an unintended
offroad ‘excursion’, may well have you
wishing that you had invested in the moreexpensive
option.
All-wheel-drive and 4WD vehicles provide
major benefits in traction and safety, and are
really a necessity when towing offroad (mild,
moderate, and certainly extreme) in conditions
that are muddy, icy or snow-covered. These
vehicles provide the additional benefits of better
traction on bends, wet roads, and hilly roads.
Ground clearance: Depending on whether your
travel plans will be confined to on-road, or will
include offroad, be it mild, moderate, or extreme,
the choice will be quite simple. Of course, your
caravan will need to have been designed and
manufactured to reliably and durably withstand
the same arduous conditions, so that you have a
‘balanced’ combination.
Under-side angles: Hand-in-hand with
ground-clearance requirements for the
combination, each vehicle needs to have
comparable and adequate angles of
approach, ramp and departure, so as to best
ensure you do not become stranded or suffer
underside damage.
Wheelbase: A long wheelbase will provide
more stability on straight roads, and will
cause less axle-load variations because of the
coupling force on the towbar. However, it will
reduce the ramp-angle ground-clearance
between the axles.
A short wheelbase will generally provide
easier handling on sharp winding roads and
rough dirt tracks.
It's ideal to match the vehicle's tyre
type with the van's tyre type.
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