A66 caravan smash 598

Not to any significant extent.

Remember cars are intended to be driven with or without up to 5x pbuttengers of 200 lb each.

Totally wrong. The connection between an artic and it's trailer is supported directly underneath. No rotating moments in the vertical plane are imposed upon the tractor unit.

So all this is tosh.

Adding weight will lower the frequency and amplitude (for the same stored energy) if the system goes into oscillation. That is the simple bit.

I don't think it's simple. If you think it's simple show us your working out.

I have a degree in engineering that would qualify me to gain admission to the Insbreastute of Physics, and I got it before the days when they gave them away like tram tickets.

That aside I don't see the analysis of an oscillating system comprisiing a car and caravan coupled together as simple at all.

There is the "restoring force" element which arises from the tendency of the caravan to fall in line behind the car pulling it. Ultimately limited of course if the caravan is big and ugly enough to influence the motion of the car.

Then there is the tendency of the caravan to fall into the lowest energy configuration in the face of the aerodynamic forces exerted upon it being dragged through the air. Being square on to the wind might not be the lowest energy configuration. Sailing ships don't sail like that. Maybe a caravan "snaking" is analogous to a sailing ship "tacking".

There are dynamic effects such as mbuttes and moments of inertia to take into account.

I could go on for a long time.

If you say it's simple show us your working out.

DG