A ‘snake’ is when your caravan sways from side to side rather than following the line of the towcar. Even the most experienced among us has a horror story to tell about it happening to them. To avoid the problem, the best all-round advice is not to drive too fast, especially downhill. And, it is vital to make sure that your vehicle and caravan are well matched. But even then, being overtaken by a high-sided vehicle, or being buffeted by strong side winds on an exposed road, can take even the most careful driver unawares and cause the van to take on a life of its own.
When it happens, snaking is frightening but the situation is retrievable if you keep a cool head and remember a few basic rules. Don’t brake too suddenly because the caravan will ‘catch up’ with the towcar and cause your outfit to jackknife or, at worst, turn over. For the same reason, don’t accelerate either, or make steering corrections against the direction of the snake – this isn’t like driving in icy conditions. Instead, simply take your foot off the accelerator and allow the vehicle to slow down gradually while steering as straight a course as possible. If you are travelling downhill when your caravan begins to snake, apply the brake very gently.
Fitting a stabiliser as a tensioning device will help limit the sway of your caravan, although it’s not a cure and won’t counter excessive speed. Correct loading will help improve stability, too. Because your caravan is free to swing behind the vehicle as you tow, any heavy weight in the extreme rear will encourage a pendulum effect, thereby increasing the chances of snaking. To avoid this, stow the heaviest item over the wheels, the next heaviest at the front, and the lightest at the rear. And last but not least, remember that the lower the load the lower the centre of gravity.