'Incredible' moment in caravan crash shows hidden problem on Aussie roads: 'Ruin your holiday'
Australia is closing in on a million caravans and campervans on our roads. But this dashcam video shows the quality might not always be there.
The frightening moment the rear wheels of a caravan suddenly dislodge while it's being towed on an Australian road has been captured on camera, with other drivers left aghast at the close call.
Dashcam footage shows the ute and caravan travelling at speed along a single lane highway. As another ute passes in the opposite direction, the back wheels and axle suddenly pop off the caravan trailer as the vehicle swerves wildly into the other lane, only missing the oncoming traffic by a fraction of a second.
A vehicle travelling behind captured the scene, with the occupants left stunned by the sudden near-miss.
"S**t ... F**k a brick," a man can be heard saying. "He was lucky as f**k."
The footage was shared on social media overnight by Dashcam Owners Australia, with viewers equally as stunned by the sudden breakdown of the caravan.
"That will ruin your holiday," one person commented. "Pays to have your van serviced before you leave," added another.
"The luck for all involved here is incredible," one user wrote in a caravan group on Facebook.
Aussies critical of caravan build quality
Many praised the driver for their "good save" while others argued the footage shows the standard of caravan builds on Australian roads is poor.
"This is what happens when ... you can have any cowboy build a van using Chinese [parts]," one Aussie said, adding that "with the amount on the road, there needs to be stronger regulations".
It's unclear on which stretch of road the incident took place, but the footage has highlighted what some argue is the need for better regulation when it comes to the caravan industry, as well as driver training.
The numbers of both domestic-made and imported caravans has surged in recent years after a Covid-inspired domestic travel boom. According to figures from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, there were almost 859,000 caravans and campervans registered in 2023, hitting an all-time high and a 21 per cent increase from 2019.
Meanwhile there are more than 200 caravan brands in Australia, which some critics say lack sufficient regulations when delivering vans to market. One company, Tango Caravans, went bankrupt a few months ago, leaving dozens of Aussies hugely out of pocket after paying a deposit for their trailer that never arrived.
Insiders say caravan industry 'poorly regulated'
One Yahoo reader who owns a caravan weighing company and spoke on the condition of anonymity previously complained about the build and quality of fittings on certain vans.
"Despite ADR (Australian Design Rules), the caravan manufacturing and sales industry is extremely poorly regulated," they said.
"Many caravans have unsuitable tyres, incapable of carrying sufficient load. However it isn't the owners who fitted these tyres, it is the caravan manufacturers.
"Caravans are being supplied brand new with inadequate tyres. Weights specified are often incorrectly determined. Specified minimum towball weights are often too low," they said last month.
Related: Retirees face returning to work after losing life savings in Tango Caravans collapse
Related: Caravan dream turns into $94,000 nightmare for Aussie family as company collapses
Earlier this month, a man was tragically killed near Yass in NSW when he was "struck by an object" that had dislodged from a caravan, "penetrating the windscreen and striking the man in the head", NSW Police said. A close friend of the deceased man is now calling for stronger standards around caravans.
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia has backed calls for better regulations and even driver training, but stopped short of supporting a mandatory licence class for new caravan owners.
Meanwhile Dave Jason from caravan weighing company Get-A-Weigh told Yahoo in September more than 80 per cent of vehicles his team checks before a trip are over the weight limit, and don't meet roadworthy requirements.
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