Roll over.... (1 Viewer)

MattR

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Aug 18, 2013
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We have a Large Strata on a Property plate Merc 312. It has a drop down bed and a careful driver.

The driver is, however, anxious about the risk of the vehicle rolling over if corners are taken too quickly. What is the likelihood of a mh toppling anyway and is a mh likely to skid before it gets to the toppling stage?
 
Jan 27, 2013
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I don't know what a Strata is (I thought it was something to do with geology)

I also don't know what a Property Plate Mercedes 312 is either.

But it all comes down to the load, overhang and centre of gravity.

Don't overload the vehicle or any axle

Don't go out for a ride in high winds if you have a MH that is very wide on a skinny chassis and narrow wheel spacing.

Reduce the centre of gravity as much as you can i.e. fill the fresh water tank (and waste if its blowing a gale) put heavy items low down and empty high level cupboards.

I think motorhomes tend to loose control before they tip over. If the steering feels light, slow down and find shelter.
 

DBK

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Drop down beds are not uncommon but motorhomes rolling over is very rare I think. At an empirical level this suggests you would have to be trying really hard to roll a MH over and even then you would probably need to hit something like a kerb to in effect trip the vehicle up. A skid will normally be the result of over-enthusiastic cornering.

There is a phenomena known as slow speed rollover, which effects high sided vehicles in particular. This can happen when the vehicle goes into say a tight left-handed bend, causing the vehicle to lean to the right, then as it comes out of the bend and the vehicle comes back into the vertical the vehicle then goes into a tight right-handed bend. At this point the body of the vehicle is already rolling to the left so it has a heads start, so to speak and then the forces of the bend cause it to roll over even further - and then the vehicle then rolls over, sometimes this can happen at very slow speeds. I have seen this happen at a roundabout with a truck swinging left to enter the roundabout then turning right - and simply falling over!

So I guess you need to be cautious in S bends but MHs don't roll over very often, it does happen I guess but drive sensibly and you will be perfectly safe.

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MattR

MattR

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Thanks.

Autocorrect is working faster than my brain this morning.

Strata should read Strada.
Property plate = P plate.

I usually have around 50 of fresh water in the tank.

I hope that my nerve fails long before the van topples - it just feels so much less grippy around corners than other vehicles. I guess that the design of the seats doesn't help keep us in place.
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Drop down beds are not uncommon but motorhomes rolling over is very rare I think. At an empirical level this suggests you would have to be trying really hard to roll a MH over and even then you would probably need to hit something like a kerb to in effect trip the vehicle up. A skid will normally be the result of over-enthusiastic cornering.

There is a phenomena known as slow speed rollover, which effects high sided vehicles in particular. This can happen when the vehicle goes into say a tight left-handed bend, causing the vehicle to lean to the right, then as it comes out of the bend and the vehicle comes back into the vertical the vehicle then goes into a tight right-handed bend. At this point the body of the vehicle is already rolling to the left so it has a heads start, so to speak and then the forces of the bend cause it to roll over even further - and then the vehicle then rolls over, sometimes this can happen at very slow speeds. I have seen this happen at a roundabout with a truck swinging left to enter the roundabout then turning right - and simply falling over!

So I guess you need to be cautious in S bends but MHs don't roll over very often, it does happen I guess but drive sensibly and you will be perfectly safe.
There is a roundabout on the a50 near Meir stoke on trent where there has been about ten rollovers in as many years, exactly as you describe but instead of doing something about it the road folks have put up signs saying danger of rollover, the camber of the road even slopes away making it worse, but nothing has been done since it was built:doh:
 

sdc77

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Jan 28, 2013
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I used to live near there.. Family still do.. And you're right it's a bit of a daft junction.. But... If people just slowed down there'd almost certainly be no accidents like that

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