How many horses would be required to pull a modern Caravan
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I'm currently investigating a post-apocalyptic novel and wished to know if Horses could be used to pull a modern Caravan and if so how many. Furthermore what would the potential daily range of such a setup be?
At present I'm basing my assumption of a horse equivalent to Shire Horses (with a few additions that wouldn't affect strength but would ensure Riders couldn't overburden them.
Edit
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates.
The roads in question would either be decayed tarmac roads or dirt roads depending on the location.
apocalypse horses
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show 5 more comments
up vote
5
down vote
favorite
I'm currently investigating a post-apocalyptic novel and wished to know if Horses could be used to pull a modern Caravan and if so how many. Furthermore what would the potential daily range of such a setup be?
At present I'm basing my assumption of a horse equivalent to Shire Horses (with a few additions that wouldn't affect strength but would ensure Riders couldn't overburden them.
Edit
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates.
The roads in question would either be decayed tarmac roads or dirt roads depending on the location.
apocalypse horses
New contributor
1
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
1
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
3
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
3
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
1
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
up vote
5
down vote
favorite
up vote
5
down vote
favorite
I'm currently investigating a post-apocalyptic novel and wished to know if Horses could be used to pull a modern Caravan and if so how many. Furthermore what would the potential daily range of such a setup be?
At present I'm basing my assumption of a horse equivalent to Shire Horses (with a few additions that wouldn't affect strength but would ensure Riders couldn't overburden them.
Edit
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates.
The roads in question would either be decayed tarmac roads or dirt roads depending on the location.
apocalypse horses
New contributor
I'm currently investigating a post-apocalyptic novel and wished to know if Horses could be used to pull a modern Caravan and if so how many. Furthermore what would the potential daily range of such a setup be?
At present I'm basing my assumption of a horse equivalent to Shire Horses (with a few additions that wouldn't affect strength but would ensure Riders couldn't overburden them.
Edit
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates.
The roads in question would either be decayed tarmac roads or dirt roads depending on the location.
apocalypse horses
apocalypse horses
New contributor
New contributor
edited 7 hours ago
New contributor
asked 7 hours ago
TheLifeweaver
284
284
New contributor
New contributor
1
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
1
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
3
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
3
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
1
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
1
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
1
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
3
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
3
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
1
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago
1
1
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
1
1
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
3
3
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
3
3
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
1
1
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago
|
show 5 more comments
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
accepted
- A Conestoga wagon could be in the 6-ton range. It might be towed by six draft horses. I guesstimate that a Shire Horse is at least as good.
- A modern caravan has a lower weight and better tires and suspension.
- A Conestoga could do 20 miles in 10 hours travel.
This would indicate that a couple of Shire Horses could tow the caravan at least as fast as a Conestoga.
On the other hand, I'd guess that faster horses could tow it at least as fast as a stagecoach, 8 mph.
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
10
down vote
You haven't said how big the modern caravans are. Traditionally horses were used to draw gypsy caravans over long distances and over rough roads. I can't see any problem with a suitably adapted modern small caravan. See picture
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
It depends how far past the apocalypse are you?
Tyres have a finite life. On rough or even slightly rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads. Also you get caravans with 2 wheels and others with four. Most I have seen have just 2. The difference between your horses carrying some of the caravans weight as compared to it bearing it's own weight would be huge even on modest inclines.
All in all a caravan is suboptimal compared to a cart specifically made for it. Modified by extending the axles to allow for large wheels is your best option in which case there would be no difference in horsepower needed than a cart.
A carriage would be superior in all other ways. A caravans suspension, weight distribution and everything else are designed for good roads. If you've ever hit an unexpected bump or pothole with a caravan even at low speed you'll understand. Bottoming out with your unmodified low caravan would be a constant hazard.
It's a good idea though if you modify the caravan to suit. My suggestion would be to remove all the suspension and running gear and replace it with that from the back of a light truck with high clearance. The suspension then would be much more suitable since it's designed for a higher weight and the high clearance and bigger tyres would make even more difference. Not as good as a carriage suspension wise, but a solid practical solution. No specialised engineering needed for the modification. The hardest bit would be designing and fabricating the harnesses, which you have to do anyway.
Assuming your engineer has a bit of imagination you can run a generator off the differential or a wheel trickle feeding a battery bank and have all the comforts of home and lighting for night travel, spotlights for hunting or defence purposes etc. Link a trailer to the back of the caravan and you take the weight off the horses (the trailer will pull the back of the caravan down like a counterbalance), have storage room for a battery bank and other things and would probably just need an extra horse if you load it heavily. It would be much more stable like that, essentially you'd have 4 wheels with a fulcrum in the middle. Your engineer would tweak all these things to work best for your situation.
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
1 find a car and trailer pair that suits your purpose, ie large SUV and trailer of weight that you can look up on the web.
2 Translate the KW rating of the towing vehicles engine into horse power.
New contributor
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
accepted
- A Conestoga wagon could be in the 6-ton range. It might be towed by six draft horses. I guesstimate that a Shire Horse is at least as good.
- A modern caravan has a lower weight and better tires and suspension.
- A Conestoga could do 20 miles in 10 hours travel.
This would indicate that a couple of Shire Horses could tow the caravan at least as fast as a Conestoga.
On the other hand, I'd guess that faster horses could tow it at least as fast as a stagecoach, 8 mph.
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
accepted
- A Conestoga wagon could be in the 6-ton range. It might be towed by six draft horses. I guesstimate that a Shire Horse is at least as good.
- A modern caravan has a lower weight and better tires and suspension.
- A Conestoga could do 20 miles in 10 hours travel.
This would indicate that a couple of Shire Horses could tow the caravan at least as fast as a Conestoga.
On the other hand, I'd guess that faster horses could tow it at least as fast as a stagecoach, 8 mph.
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
accepted
up vote
7
down vote
accepted
- A Conestoga wagon could be in the 6-ton range. It might be towed by six draft horses. I guesstimate that a Shire Horse is at least as good.
- A modern caravan has a lower weight and better tires and suspension.
- A Conestoga could do 20 miles in 10 hours travel.
This would indicate that a couple of Shire Horses could tow the caravan at least as fast as a Conestoga.
On the other hand, I'd guess that faster horses could tow it at least as fast as a stagecoach, 8 mph.
- A Conestoga wagon could be in the 6-ton range. It might be towed by six draft horses. I guesstimate that a Shire Horse is at least as good.
- A modern caravan has a lower weight and better tires and suspension.
- A Conestoga could do 20 miles in 10 hours travel.
This would indicate that a couple of Shire Horses could tow the caravan at least as fast as a Conestoga.
On the other hand, I'd guess that faster horses could tow it at least as fast as a stagecoach, 8 mph.
answered 7 hours ago
o.m.
56.2k680188
56.2k680188
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
1
1
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
I am not so sure how the wheels come into the figure. The smaller wheels of a caravan, as compared to a Conestoga, on a non perfectly even surface would make pulling a difficult task.
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
1
1
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
L. Dutch - Draft horses were used for ploughing fields. They were pulling a blade through solid earth. Some of those ploughs didn't even have wheels attached. They would easily pull a modern caravan especially with its excellent bearings that weren't available in a wooden wagon.
– chasly from UK
6 hours ago
1
1
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
@L.Dutch, on the other hand modern tires and suspensions should beat iron-rimmed wood -- until they wear out and need to be replaced, of course.
– o.m.
6 hours ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
suspension designed for smooth roads does not work well on anything else.
– Kilisi
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
10
down vote
You haven't said how big the modern caravans are. Traditionally horses were used to draw gypsy caravans over long distances and over rough roads. I can't see any problem with a suitably adapted modern small caravan. See picture
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
You haven't said how big the modern caravans are. Traditionally horses were used to draw gypsy caravans over long distances and over rough roads. I can't see any problem with a suitably adapted modern small caravan. See picture
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
up vote
10
down vote
You haven't said how big the modern caravans are. Traditionally horses were used to draw gypsy caravans over long distances and over rough roads. I can't see any problem with a suitably adapted modern small caravan. See picture
You haven't said how big the modern caravans are. Traditionally horses were used to draw gypsy caravans over long distances and over rough roads. I can't see any problem with a suitably adapted modern small caravan. See picture
edited 6 hours ago
answered 6 hours ago
chasly from UK
4,91722252
4,91722252
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
|
show 3 more comments
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Honestly I was intended to work backwards to determine what could be safely drawn by the horses from what was discussed here.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Ok... I'm going to admit that is far bigger than what I was expecting.
– TheLifeweaver
6 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
Pictures or it didn't happen, oh, well, then have a plus one for this good answer.
– BentNielsen
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
I call photoshop on that picture. Where's the driver? Not inside the van, because front window is closed. Come to that, where are the horses' reins?
– alephzero
3 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
Actually, you can see the left hand rein on the nearest horse, while it is visible against the background of the horse itself - and then it mysteriously vanishes into thin air ;)
– alephzero
2 hours ago
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
It depends how far past the apocalypse are you?
Tyres have a finite life. On rough or even slightly rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads. Also you get caravans with 2 wheels and others with four. Most I have seen have just 2. The difference between your horses carrying some of the caravans weight as compared to it bearing it's own weight would be huge even on modest inclines.
All in all a caravan is suboptimal compared to a cart specifically made for it. Modified by extending the axles to allow for large wheels is your best option in which case there would be no difference in horsepower needed than a cart.
A carriage would be superior in all other ways. A caravans suspension, weight distribution and everything else are designed for good roads. If you've ever hit an unexpected bump or pothole with a caravan even at low speed you'll understand. Bottoming out with your unmodified low caravan would be a constant hazard.
It's a good idea though if you modify the caravan to suit. My suggestion would be to remove all the suspension and running gear and replace it with that from the back of a light truck with high clearance. The suspension then would be much more suitable since it's designed for a higher weight and the high clearance and bigger tyres would make even more difference. Not as good as a carriage suspension wise, but a solid practical solution. No specialised engineering needed for the modification. The hardest bit would be designing and fabricating the harnesses, which you have to do anyway.
Assuming your engineer has a bit of imagination you can run a generator off the differential or a wheel trickle feeding a battery bank and have all the comforts of home and lighting for night travel, spotlights for hunting or defence purposes etc. Link a trailer to the back of the caravan and you take the weight off the horses (the trailer will pull the back of the caravan down like a counterbalance), have storage room for a battery bank and other things and would probably just need an extra horse if you load it heavily. It would be much more stable like that, essentially you'd have 4 wheels with a fulcrum in the middle. Your engineer would tweak all these things to work best for your situation.
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
It depends how far past the apocalypse are you?
Tyres have a finite life. On rough or even slightly rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads. Also you get caravans with 2 wheels and others with four. Most I have seen have just 2. The difference between your horses carrying some of the caravans weight as compared to it bearing it's own weight would be huge even on modest inclines.
All in all a caravan is suboptimal compared to a cart specifically made for it. Modified by extending the axles to allow for large wheels is your best option in which case there would be no difference in horsepower needed than a cart.
A carriage would be superior in all other ways. A caravans suspension, weight distribution and everything else are designed for good roads. If you've ever hit an unexpected bump or pothole with a caravan even at low speed you'll understand. Bottoming out with your unmodified low caravan would be a constant hazard.
It's a good idea though if you modify the caravan to suit. My suggestion would be to remove all the suspension and running gear and replace it with that from the back of a light truck with high clearance. The suspension then would be much more suitable since it's designed for a higher weight and the high clearance and bigger tyres would make even more difference. Not as good as a carriage suspension wise, but a solid practical solution. No specialised engineering needed for the modification. The hardest bit would be designing and fabricating the harnesses, which you have to do anyway.
Assuming your engineer has a bit of imagination you can run a generator off the differential or a wheel trickle feeding a battery bank and have all the comforts of home and lighting for night travel, spotlights for hunting or defence purposes etc. Link a trailer to the back of the caravan and you take the weight off the horses (the trailer will pull the back of the caravan down like a counterbalance), have storage room for a battery bank and other things and would probably just need an extra horse if you load it heavily. It would be much more stable like that, essentially you'd have 4 wheels with a fulcrum in the middle. Your engineer would tweak all these things to work best for your situation.
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
It depends how far past the apocalypse are you?
Tyres have a finite life. On rough or even slightly rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads. Also you get caravans with 2 wheels and others with four. Most I have seen have just 2. The difference between your horses carrying some of the caravans weight as compared to it bearing it's own weight would be huge even on modest inclines.
All in all a caravan is suboptimal compared to a cart specifically made for it. Modified by extending the axles to allow for large wheels is your best option in which case there would be no difference in horsepower needed than a cart.
A carriage would be superior in all other ways. A caravans suspension, weight distribution and everything else are designed for good roads. If you've ever hit an unexpected bump or pothole with a caravan even at low speed you'll understand. Bottoming out with your unmodified low caravan would be a constant hazard.
It's a good idea though if you modify the caravan to suit. My suggestion would be to remove all the suspension and running gear and replace it with that from the back of a light truck with high clearance. The suspension then would be much more suitable since it's designed for a higher weight and the high clearance and bigger tyres would make even more difference. Not as good as a carriage suspension wise, but a solid practical solution. No specialised engineering needed for the modification. The hardest bit would be designing and fabricating the harnesses, which you have to do anyway.
Assuming your engineer has a bit of imagination you can run a generator off the differential or a wheel trickle feeding a battery bank and have all the comforts of home and lighting for night travel, spotlights for hunting or defence purposes etc. Link a trailer to the back of the caravan and you take the weight off the horses (the trailer will pull the back of the caravan down like a counterbalance), have storage room for a battery bank and other things and would probably just need an extra horse if you load it heavily. It would be much more stable like that, essentially you'd have 4 wheels with a fulcrum in the middle. Your engineer would tweak all these things to work best for your situation.
It depends how far past the apocalypse are you?
Tyres have a finite life. On rough or even slightly rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads. Also you get caravans with 2 wheels and others with four. Most I have seen have just 2. The difference between your horses carrying some of the caravans weight as compared to it bearing it's own weight would be huge even on modest inclines.
All in all a caravan is suboptimal compared to a cart specifically made for it. Modified by extending the axles to allow for large wheels is your best option in which case there would be no difference in horsepower needed than a cart.
A carriage would be superior in all other ways. A caravans suspension, weight distribution and everything else are designed for good roads. If you've ever hit an unexpected bump or pothole with a caravan even at low speed you'll understand. Bottoming out with your unmodified low caravan would be a constant hazard.
It's a good idea though if you modify the caravan to suit. My suggestion would be to remove all the suspension and running gear and replace it with that from the back of a light truck with high clearance. The suspension then would be much more suitable since it's designed for a higher weight and the high clearance and bigger tyres would make even more difference. Not as good as a carriage suspension wise, but a solid practical solution. No specialised engineering needed for the modification. The hardest bit would be designing and fabricating the harnesses, which you have to do anyway.
Assuming your engineer has a bit of imagination you can run a generator off the differential or a wheel trickle feeding a battery bank and have all the comforts of home and lighting for night travel, spotlights for hunting or defence purposes etc. Link a trailer to the back of the caravan and you take the weight off the horses (the trailer will pull the back of the caravan down like a counterbalance), have storage room for a battery bank and other things and would probably just need an extra horse if you load it heavily. It would be much more stable like that, essentially you'd have 4 wheels with a fulcrum in the middle. Your engineer would tweak all these things to work best for your situation.
edited 15 mins ago
answered 1 hour ago
Kilisi
12.4k12258
12.4k12258
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
1 find a car and trailer pair that suits your purpose, ie large SUV and trailer of weight that you can look up on the web.
2 Translate the KW rating of the towing vehicles engine into horse power.
New contributor
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
1 find a car and trailer pair that suits your purpose, ie large SUV and trailer of weight that you can look up on the web.
2 Translate the KW rating of the towing vehicles engine into horse power.
New contributor
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
1 find a car and trailer pair that suits your purpose, ie large SUV and trailer of weight that you can look up on the web.
2 Translate the KW rating of the towing vehicles engine into horse power.
New contributor
1 find a car and trailer pair that suits your purpose, ie large SUV and trailer of weight that you can look up on the web.
2 Translate the KW rating of the towing vehicles engine into horse power.
New contributor
New contributor
answered 1 hour ago
Noel Quinn
1
1
New contributor
New contributor
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
add a comment |
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Hi Noel. Horsepower did initially refer to how many horses it took to do something, but it's not an accurate unit of measurement and you just can't translate it like that.
– Cyn
31 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
Forget this attempt for a comparison. Modern cars are hopelessly overpowered. They are motorized for running 250 km/h on the autobahn, not for being able to move a certain weight. As a matter of fact, a single human can move a metric ton without problem (provided good wheels under the load, a smooth surface, and no slope). Horse powered carriages were much closer to the human moving a ton than to a 150 horsepower engine making a car fly over the highway.
– cmaster
29 mins ago
add a comment |
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1
By and large my issues stem from a lack of understanding regarding horse stamina and endurance - something I'm attempting to correct. I had been hoping to find individuals with additional information to cement my figures and estimates. Furthermore I suspect my google-fu is laughably insufficient regarding this subject.
– TheLifeweaver
7 hours ago
1
On which kind of roads do you want to pull the caravan?
– L.Dutch♦
7 hours ago
3
First, define what you mean by "caravan". I'm assuming you mean what would be called an RV or camping trailer in the US, but these come in sizes ranging from ones that can be towed by a motorcycle kompactkamptrailers.com/minimatecamper to 40-foot long behemoths. (The 40 ft/12.2 m is a legal limit in some if not all US states.)
– jamesqf
5 hours ago
3
I have agree with jamesqf, my first question was going to be "a caravan of what?" in the US a caravan means the same thing as convoy, it is not associated with a particular vehicle. You may want to change it to "caravan/camper trailer" even then people will ask what size you want since there is quite a wide range up to 6000kg are common
– John
5 hours ago
1
How far past the apocalypse are you? Tyres have a finite life. On rough terrain larger wheels are better than small ones by a huge margin. Caravans are really only suitable on roads.
– Kilisi
2 hours ago