Towing a CaravanTowing
a caravan is not as difficult as it might appear to be as long
as you have practiced manoevring you car and caravan before
you go on a touring holiday. It is important to be aware of
the extra length that has been added to your vehicle which will
necessitate more space between your vehicle and other traffic
when you are on the road. In order for you to have more time
to stop safely remember braking distances will increase by as
much as 20% if you are towing a caravan.
It is a good idea to go on a short journey when you have bought
your first caravan to get use to the new experience of towing
it. Afterall, it is important to get a feel for those new stopping
distances as well as turning around a corner, where you need
to take a wide line to ensure the caravan does not clip the
kerb, whilst keeping a watchful eye on both door mirrors. There
is also reversing and parking to attempt as well. When reversing
into a space, turn the steering wheel the opposite way to normal
to start the turning process, then slacken off and turn the
normal way to enable the car to follow the caravan. If you oversteer
your caravan it could jack-knife and cause damage. Therefore,
stop, pull forward in a straight line, and retry. Remember you
don't really want to be trying this out for the first time when
you go on holiday with it.
Other points to watch out for are:
• When towing a caravan you are restricted to a maximum speed
of 50mph on single carriageway roads, and 60mph on dual carriageways
and motorways, provided no lower limit is in force.
• You are not allowed to use outside lane of a three or more,
lane motorway when towing, except where there are lane closures
which restrict the lanes to two or less, or when instructed
to do so by the police.
• When towing a caravan the weight of the vehicle should not
generally exceed 85% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle.
Most vehicle manufacturers state the maximum towing limit in
their hand books.
• If you are towing a large high sided caravan you may require
extended door mirrors. These will help visibility along both
sides of your vehicle and caravan.
• Try to put all heavy items over the axle and make sure they
are secured to prevent movement when cornering or braking. If
possible, put heavier items in the car and larger lighter items
in the caravan.
• Consult your caravan and car handbooks to establish the correct
"nose weight" for your caravan. This is the weight that you
can puy safetly on the tow ball of your vehicle. Most cars state
50kgs to 100kgs.
• When coupling your car to the caravan it is far easier to
reverse the car up to the caravan. Adjust the jockey wheel so
that the caravan coupling head is approximately 2" to 3" above
the tow ball on the back of the car. It can be helpful to have
a companion to guide you when reversing your vehicle, so that
the ball is underneath the coupling head of the caravan. Lower
the jockey wheel and lock the coupling head onto the ball, making
sure it is properly locked on.
• After You have coupled up your car and caravan cannect the
break away cable to the hook on the tow bar, not ball, and connect
electrical plugs to car. Check all the lights work
• As long as the caravan is evenly loaded, nose weight is correct
and the whole outfit sits level on the road you are unlikely
to experience a problem with snaking, except for high sided
caravans where side winds or passing HGV's can unrest the caravan.
If this might be a problem you may need a stabiliser. These
reduce snaking by increasing the turning friction between towing
vehicle and caravan. However a stabilisr will not compensate
for bad loading, weight distribution. |
