Snaking

[Webby]

Does just the mention of that word send shivers down your spine?!

Try this game I found on the net. First you have to load your van correctly and then drive it and hit the swerve button every now and then.

Interesting, yet disturbing.

Go to - Stability Studies Game

If you don't see the game immediately, click on the link "Stabilities Studies Game" at the top of the page.

[Guest maca]

The following might also be of interest:

THE DYNAMICS OF TOWED VEHICLES

http://people.bath.ac.uk/en8cjk/Caravan.pdf

It is an BEng thesis by Chris Killer from the University of Bath.

Of most interest are chapters 10 and 11. Chapter 2 provides a bit of background for the project.

One point which I picked up as a result of this thesis is that while a heavy weight on the tow ball is important for towing dynamics, a more important factor is to ensure that the majority of the packed mass is placed in the center of the caravan (above the axle), as apposed to having some heavy objects at the rear of the van and counter balancing these with heavy objects at the front of the van (which is what I have typically done in the past). It actually makes sense once you sit down and think about it (objects at extremities of the van increase the rotational inertia around the vertical axis), but didn't initially stick out as a issue that I needed to be aware of (most likely because Iam from an electrical background not a mechanical one).

Cheers Josh