How safe is a camper: tested in Sweden
Campers are popular. But now that these former commercial vehicles with maximum load are appearing on the road more and more often, it's good to know how safe they are. They also thought about that in Sweden. Trafikverket, the Swedish RDW, therefore crashed two campers into a wall in the name of science. Because how do you emerge from such a behemoth in the event of a head-on collision?
The results are anything but good. It turns out to be wise to avoid a head-on collision, because the damage to people and material is considerable. According to the Swedes, a camper is structurally not strong enough to absorb frontal impact. The main problem is a too short crumple zone that cannot absorb the weight behind it.
In addition, loose objects in the camper also turn into deadly objects. A coffee maker that is loose on the counter can be launched by a sudden impact. So it's better to store these kinds of objects. The same applies to the tables and the people sitting in the back. They all have to wear seatbelts. But even then, in a severe impact, the cabinet doors come loose and you get the entire inventory on top of you.
Of the three types of campers, a panel van camper performs best in a crash test. The original bodywork proves to be more resistant to the impact of a collision. In a semi-integrated camper, the superstructure behind the cabin detaches from the chassis, and in an integrated camper, the entire bodywork is next to the chassis. Broadly speaking, a crash at 60 km/h in a camper is equivalent to 90 km/h in a passenger car.
What you can do yourself
To increase your own safety and that of your passengers, you can first of all adjust your driving behavior. Drive defensively, take into account the antics of others, and speeding in a camper is not what this camping vehicle is intended for. Storing all loose items properly also helps, of course. But beyond that, you are at the mercy of both camper builders and the manufacturer of the commercial vehicle. And they don't have your best interests at heart in this area. Camper builders simply don't make a sturdy whole out of a camper.
When you mount a cabinet door with screws that are too small in chipboard, it is too weak. There are also brands that, for example, supply the glass cover plate of a sink loose. Safety is apparently not at the top of the priority list.
This also applies to manufacturers of commercial vehicles. Strangely enough, these mileage eaters are at the back of the line when safety features are distributed. For example, a passenger airbag is not standard. As if a camper always drives alone. Knee, side or curtain airbags are even less common, if available at all. For the blind spot, which is considerable in every camper, good solutions are available, but you won't easily find them ex works in the Ducato and its ilk. Instead of a camera system that monitors the rear and sides, a totally useless rearview mirror remains on the window.
You will find ABS in a camper, but that is because it is mandatory. Something that indicates that not much can be expected from voluntariness and that additional regulations are needed in this area. That is why Europe decided last year to make a crash test for campers mandatory. There is currently a familiarization period so that camper builders can reflect on their sins and eventually do something good with them.
More information: www.trafikverket.se
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