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University of Bath shows how it has influenced design of Bailey Caravans
* Positive reactions from NEC show visitors to Bailey’s demonstration of latest towing stability scale model developed with University of Bath
* Towing stability model gave NEC show visitors clear understanding of benefits of good weight distribution in a caravan – and its influence on Bailey design
* More details of towing stability studies by the University of Bath in partnership with Bailey of Bristol are available at: www.towingstabilitystudies.co.uk
Bailey of Bristol is proud to have worked closely with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Bath for many years to help develop the design and construction of its leisure vehicles with a view to optimising the towing performance of its caravans.
The University of Bath has become widely regarded as the foremost independent authority in towing stability research, and Bailey used its latest scale model on its stand at The Caravan and Camping show to give live demonstrations of how a caravan’s weight distribution is vital for safer towing – which many visitors described as “really useful” and “priceless”.
The model showed how a trailer’s stability varied according to the location of heavier items, such as gas bottles or batteries. It demonstrated the importance of positioning heavier items near the middle of a caravan, as this proved to be the best weight distribution pattern for superior stability by improving the trailer’s ability to recover from external forces affecting the control of the outfit, such as cross wind or buffeting from other road traffic.
As a result of the research Bailey has made some key changes to the design and layout of its caravans to help make them inherently more stable and, as a result, safer on the road. This process began with the development of the Alu-Tech construction system which, with the absence of the heavy plastic cloaking panels found at the front and rear of conventionally built caravans, has a greater proportion of weight concentrated in the centre of the vehicle.
More recently, this thought process was taken a stage further by moving gas bottle lockers and battery boxes to around the axle, which not only enhances stability but also has the added benefit of helping deliver lower caravan nose weights required for many of today’s (and tomorrow’s) lighter towcars.
“We are really proud of the improvements we’ve made as a result of our partnership with the University of Bath. While there’s been some great advances in towing stability devices in recent years, it would be wrong to rely on them, so we want to ensure our caravans are designed to give a superior, and safer, towing performance.” said Nick Howard, Managing Director, Bailey of Bristol.
“Of course, it is still essential for a caravan to be safely matched with an appropriate weight of towcar. Using a stability device is always a sensible precaution and gives added peace of mind, which is why they’re available on all our caravans, but we hope they should only be needed in extreme circumstances,” he continued.
More details on The Caravan Club & Bailey sponsored research into trailer stability by the University of Bath please visit www.towingstabilitystudies.co.uk.
Full information on the current Bailey caravans or motorhomes ranges can be found on www.baileyofbristol.co.uk, plus for the latest company news and product updates, you can also follow Bailey on Twitter.com/BaileyofBristol.
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