Caravan Times member talks of sudden caravan crash

by Chris Jefferies
We hear every week on Caravan Times of unfortunate caravanners who flip their unit over on a motorway, ruining their holiday in the process, but very few of them are as experienced as this.
With more than 10 years HGV1 driving under her belt and a lifetime of caravanning experience, Chris Stewart has even converted her husband to the joys of touring.
But last week on the way back from a holiday in Kent, the couple were caught by a sudden crosswind on the M11, which caused their 2010 Swift Freestyle 550 and Land Rover Freelander to snake violently before flipping over, wrecking both towcar and tourer instantly.
Both Chris and her husband walked away from the dramatic crash with nothing more than minor injuries, and she told Caravan Times that some crashes are just completely unexpected.
“It doesn’t matter how experienced you are; if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,” she said. “If it goes beyond a certain point, you just can’t control it.”
Family advice
Having learnt from her father, Chris claims to be meticulous at packing her caravan so that it is evenly balanced in transit, and she adds that she was not speeding at the time.
However, a sudden gust of wind between Junction 8 and Junction 9, caught her off guard and flipped both the caravan and towcar, resulting in a write-off for both.
Whilst the caravan itself remained intact and her belongings were not damaged, the inside was like a “warzone”, Chris added.
Despite this nasty smash, Chris has plenty to be thankful for, as she was using the sturdier of her two towcars, the other being a Kia Sportage.
“It was my Land Rover that saved us, because of the way it’s built” she said, unequivocally. “It was my work-horse and I’m very sad to say it’s been written off after ten good years.”
Get back on the horse
Nonetheless, the whole experience has not put Chris off caravanning, and she aims to be back in the saddle before the end of the month.
She is confident that her insurance with the Caravan Club and Sheila’s Wheels will payout quickly, so she can take a new model out for an Indian Summer break.
Whilst Chris was relatively lucky to escape with no injuries and was wise enough to arrange full cover from her insurers, she warns that others may not be so fortunate.
“A lot of caravanners I know aren’t insured, but you need to insure your unit,” she warned. “When it goes, it goes.”