Taking a caravan or boat on holiday can be great fun, but getting there requires extra driving skill and some amount of preparation. The Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club both offer plenty of advice on safe towing.
The first trip of the summer
Especially if your caravan has been left idle over the winter it’s well worth getting a pre-season check. Tyres that haven’t moved for a few months, especially if under-inflated, could have cracked. Joints and bearings may have seized and will need lubricating and coaxing back into action. The first trip of the summer season is when you are most likely to have a breakdown this way.
The National Caravan Council has a list of approved workshops and at-home services to arrange a pre-season check for your trailer.
Loading
Correctly loading your car and caravan is important for stability – and that means safety.
Before you set off everything needs to be carefully stowed away. Towing an overloaded caravan is illegal, so check all weights carefully and make sure what weight there is has been evenly and correctly distributed.
Heavy items should be carried close to the axle, preferably slightly ahead, on the floor. Roof lockers should be empty, or virtually so, with the overall intention to lower the centre of gravity. Nose-weight on the tow-ball should be around 5-7% of the caravan’s actual laden weight (typically 50-100kg) but you should never exceed specific limits for the car, caravan and tow-bar.
On the road
Once hitched, the caravan will follow you wherever you go – but don’t be tempted to forget it’s still there! The caravan is wider than your car and the caravan-car combination is of course a lot longer, so will need to steer and manoeuvre accordingly. Sudden steering can cause the caravan to swing, especially at speed, and the extra weight means you will need to brake carefully and gently, especially going downhill.
Towing needs much greater concentration than just driving and takes its toll on you. It’s sensible to plan for a much slower journey with stops for a break every two hours at least.
When you do stop, it’s sensible to do a walk-round and run through a little routine of checks. Feel the tyres for heat – if they’re abnormally hot they’re probably under-inflated; check the coupling, make sure the lights all still work and that catches are secure. Stand back and check the overall stance; if it’s leaning to one side you may have a broken spring or suspension.
Before you set off again, make sure you have plenty of fuel for the next stint – your range will be much shorter with that heavy weight on the back. As you continue your journey, keep an eye through the mirrors on the behaviour of the trailer – if you suspect any glitch, stop at the earliest possible opportunity to check it out.
Planning your route and journey time
As with all long holiday journeys, you can reduce the stress by planning your journey beforehand and allowing the right amount of time. Include an allowance for breaks every two hours and for slow traffic, especially on busy days when everybody seems to be heading off at the same time and in the same direction.
Set yourself a reasonable departure time and stick to it! If you set off late it might mean rushing, less times for comfortable breaks and extra stress if you’re held up in slow traffic.
Thousands of people set off later than planned every holiday getaway day. If you get as much prepared as you can the night before, you’re less likely to be one of them!
Bad weather on the day of travel can have even more of an impact if you’re towing a caravan. You will certainly need to allow more time and plan for a slower journey. Keep an eye on the five-day weather forecast for your journey, then make a final check the night before so you know if you will have to leave earlier or expect to arrive later.
When strong winds are forecast it might be an idea to check your route and see if you can avoid any major bridges or exposed stretches of road.
