Towing A Caravan | A How To Guide

Towing a caravan - A How-to-Guide

Travelling with a caravan can be one of the best ways to see the country, the mobility and comfort it offers to have your home away from home is an unrivalled experience. At the same time having to manoeuvre your car or 4WD with a caravan in tow can be a very tricky undertaking so it is important to understand that the way you prepare and load your caravan has a direct impact on the safety of your trip as it can affect the movement of your convoy when negotiating turns, braking etc. Below is a simple guide to understand what to look out for when taking a trip with a caravan and a few handy driving tips.

Safety when towing

To ensure the highest level of safety the load within your caravan should be centred around the axle and somewhat forward of it to minimise unwanted movements and swerving. Also, at no time are you permitted to have people travelling within your caravan while it is towed on open roads.

Having at least one safety chain in place between car and trailer is required by law in all states. It is recommended to use two cross chains fitted between the ‘A’ frame and your vehicle’s towbar. They should be short but still provide enough room to allow for tight turns.

It is vital to outfit your towing vehicle with extended mirrors which will allow for a clear view of vehicles behind you.

There are differences in the size and weight of a caravan various cars can tow and while it is important to check with a professional caravan trader as well as your car’s manufacturing guidelines, as a rule of thumb it can be gauged that a 2 litre car can tow a trailer with a laden weight of 750kg . Vehicles with engines ranging between 2-3 litres are capable of towing trailers with a laden weight between 750kg - 1,000kg.

The height of your caravan may not exceed the 4.3 metre threshold and furthermore no part of the load or the vehicle may extend on the sides beyond the bodywork. You may only tow one trailer or caravan behind your vehicle and due to the added weight of the trailer a noticeable increase in fuel consumption has to be expected.

The law requires a gap of 60 metres on open roads between your vehicle with trailer and other heavy vehicles and convoys (unless overtaking) because of the increased breaking distances. Overtaking with a caravan can prove to be of greater difficulty and somewhat intimidating as it may take several kilometres to overtake trucks and road trains.

While it is highly advisable to partake in a safety training course specifically for pulling a trailer, there are no special licences or certifications required to tow a caravan. However, holders of provisional driver’s licences face some restrictions, as ‘P-plate’ holders are only allowed to drive combinations where the trailing vehicle does not exceed an unladen weight of 250kg. Learners are not permitted to tow either trailer, caravan or other vehicle.

Insurance

There is no separate compulsory third party insurance (CTP) required other than of the towing vehicle. As long as the caravan or trailer complies with the legal and manufacturer’s conditions (not exceeding weight, height etc.) your policy will cover you.

Manual or Auto?

Although having automatic transmission seems to be one less worry when pulling a caravan, having a vehicle with manual transmission offers the greatest control over your motor’s revolutions per minute (rpm) which may prove to be a benefit when reversing your combination into a caravan parking space, going downhill or up steep inclines, for example.

Driving tips

Reversing your caravan or trailer is without a doubt the most problematic aspect of it all. Driving on an open road will become second nature soon enough and with a little practice even the idea of reversing into a tight spot will turn out to be less daunting. While it is still highly recommended to take part in driving training, here are a few pointers which will keep you from unhitching your caravan and driving off in complete frustration:

* When reversing, grip your vehicle’s steering wheel at the very bottom. If you move it to the right the rear of your trailer will follow suit and turn right. Accordingly, if you move the steering wheel to the left the trailer’s rear will move left as well . * When starting from a stationary position, avoid severe acceleration as it only leads to increased fuel consumption and no significant ground gained. If travelling in a car with manual transmission (space and road incline permitting) allow your trailer to roll back slightly so the rig and car are at an angle. When you accelerate out of this position your car is only straightening out the angle without the full weight of the caravan for the first few metres and hence lightens the strain on the clutch considerably. * When climbing hills, anticipating when to change to lower gears to let your car to work more efficiently and allow for a greater life span is an important aspect. In automatic cars, changing into second gear will prevent your transmission from switching back and forth between gears. * On steep downgrades, changing to a lower gear leads to a lesser need to use the car’s brakes and will ultimately prevent them from overheating. * For the safest way to brake it is suggested to opt for electrical brakes which operate when the brake lights of the car do. As an added advantage they can be triggered via hand remote from inside your car individually which in turn prevents the caravan from pressing onto the rear of your vehicle, eliminating sway (i.e. the caravan’s swerve) * When turning into roads and cornering, keep the added length of your combination in mind. Approach corners a little further out from the side of the road and allow the car to go straight for a few more metres than usually so as to ensure the caravan not coming too close to potential hazards. * For trailers and caravans not exceeding 4.5 tonnes the normal posted speed limits apply although it is advisable to keep your travelling speed at around 80km/h or less to ensure a safe journey. Additionally, some companies place added restrictions on speed limits for their respective vehicles; insurances and warranties may not cover and apply if these are not paid attention to and therefore it is advisable to study the guidelines carefully before undertaking any trips.

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