• Fit a stabiliser to help prevent swerving and snaking.

• When you begin your journey check that the brakes are in good working order.

• It is illegal to drive in the right hand lane of a motorway if you are towing a caravan unless you are directed by a police officer or lane restrictions are in place.

• Do not be tempted to drive too fast, drive according to your experience and the conditions on the day.  Never exceed the general maximum speed limits, in the U.K they are as follows, unless signs indicate otherwise:

30mph on roads with street lights

50mph on single carriageways

60mph on dual carriageways and motorways

• It is illegal to carry a person in a caravan whilst it is moving. Pets can legally be carried in the caravan whilst it is moving, but this is not advisable.

• Caravans can snake or swerve if they are incorrectly loaded, if you are travelling too fast or if you break or accelerate too hard. If this happens you need to gently decrease your speed and continue on in a straight line. Do not break or accelerate heavily as this is likely to exacerbate the problem.

• Be aware of and take into account the weather and the condition of the road and drive accordingly.

• Leave substantially more time for each manoeuvre, including driving around bends, than you would for driving only a car.

Specific Towing Issues

Reversing

1. It is a good idea to practice reversing a caravan somewhere safe, possibly offroad, if you are unfamiliar with the procedure. There are also a number of courses available which provide training if you feel that extra help would be beneficial.

2. Caravans have large blind spots so you should never begin to reverse without physically getting out and checking that there are no pedestrians or obstacles behind you.

3. Ideally have someone else stand in a safe position near the caravan and guide you whilst you are reversing.

4. When reversing your caravan it is important to be aware of irregularities on the road surface. For example potholes, cambers and slopes will make reversing a caravan in a straight line more challenging.

5. Reversing at a low speed and as smoothly as possible will help to ensure the safety of yourself and other road users.

Hills and Mountains

To ascend a hill whilst towing will take considerably more power than travel on flat surfaces. It is advisable to keep out of the way of other vehicles as much as is possible. Use lower gears and try to ensure that you progress at an even rate up the hill.

Starting upon any uphill slope should be considered a hill start, however slight the gradient. Make sure you have adequate power when you release the handbrake to prevent rolling backwards.

If you plan to caravan in the mountains it is advisable to check that your towing vehicle is adequately powerful to deal with continual slopes and potentially difficult terrain.

Weather

It is always worth checking weather forecasts before you travel. Rain reduces grip on the road, and increases braking distances. Winds are especially hazardous for caravans. If you are driving into a head wind you are likely to find the caravan more difficult to control. This is because the nose weight will be lessened, reducing stability. Driving into a headwind has much the same effect as driving fast; both can cause the caravan to snake and swerve. To avoid this lower your speed.

The other places to be especially wary of winds are on exposed bridges and open areas where you are likely to be able to feel the effects of cross winds. Also be aware that being close to large vehicles is likely to affect the aerodynamics of your caravan, as these vehicles create their own slip stream.

Relative Weights

Having the correct weight distribution is a legal requirement, so it is definitely a good idea to ensure that you have all of the weights worked out before you purchase any new equipment or a new vehicle.

1. Ensure the engine of the towing vehicle is large enough for the weight of the caravan.

2. Ensure that the brakes are powerful enough for the weight of the caravan.

3. Check that the gross weight of the trailer doesn’t exceed the towing weight. The recommended towing limit will be recorded in the manufacturers handbook and on the V.I.N. Plate on the chassis. It is recommended that the towed vehicle does not exceed 85% of the weight of the towing vehicle.

4. Check the nose weight is either 4% of trailer weight or at least 25kg, whichever is higher.

Loading Your Caravan

The way in which you load your caravan will affect the way that it drives. Wrongly loaded caravans are far more likely to swerve or snake and so will be much more difficult to control. Follow these loading guidelines to achieve the maximum amount of stability for your caravan.

• Always store heavy smaller items low down, ideally over the axles or just in front of them.

• Try and maintain even weight distribution. If you have heavy items to place in front of the axle balance them by placing an equally weighted item just behind the axle.

• Lighter, larger items should ideally be carried in the towing vehicle.

• Only place light items in the overhead lockers.

• Place heavy and medium weighted items towards the front of the vehicle.

• Safely secure all items in the caravan. Tying them down if necessary.

• Gas cannisters must be turned off at the cylinder when moving. Furthermore the channel tunnel and ferries have their own guidelines regarding gas transportation. Always check before you travel with each individual travel provider.

Checks To Perform Just Before You Travel

It is advisable to perform these checks every time that you are going to travel. They will help to ensure the safety of you and your vehicles whilst on the road.

1. Check all cables for wear and tear and ensure they are firmly secured to both the towing and the towed vehicles.

2. Check the tyre pressure is correct on both vehicles.

3. Ensure that all prop stands and corner steadies are completely wound up and secured in place.

4. Check the coupling height is correct. The trailer should be level with the towing vehicle.

5. Check you have adequate visibility from the drivers seat, add additional towing mirrors if necessary.

Licenses

The law states that if you have a driving license from before the 1^st of January 1997 you can drive any vehicle and trailer combination as long as the combined weight of the vehicles does not exceed 8250kg Maximum Authorised Mass (M.A.M.). And the towing vehicle’s weight must not exceed 7500kg.

If you have a full driving license from after 1^st January 1997 you may drive a car or lightweight commercial vehicle and tow a caravan but the combined weight must not exceed 4250kg. So the caravan’s weight must not be greater than 750kg, if the car weighs 3000kg. If you wish to tow a caravan above 750kg, you must follow the rule that the combined weight of the vehicle and caravan must not exceed 3500kg. In order to do this the caravan must not have a greater M.A.M. than the unladen weight of the vehicle towing.

Inexperienced drivers are recommended to tow a caravan with no greater than 85% of the weight of the vehicle towing. This will make more difficult manoeuvers, such as hill starts, easier.

It is illegal to tow any vehicle with only a provisional license.

If you passed your test after the 1^st January 1997 and wish to tow a greater weight, you need to take a B+E driving test. See the Driving Standards Agency or Driving Instructors Association websites for more information about how to take this test. It is worth noting that the tests will probably be held at a designated truck and bus testing centre.

Establishing The Weight of the Towing Vehicle

There are two different directives on how to establish the weight of your towing vehicle:

• According to the UK Construction and Use Regulations 1986, curb weight is the “weight of the vehicle as it leaves the manufacturer with full fuel, adequate lubricants and water, standard tools and equipment but no driver, occupants or load”.

• According to the E.U. Directive 95/48 it is, “the weight of the vehicle as it leaves the manufacturer, with fuel tank 90% full, necessary fluids for normal operation, a nominal driver weight of 68kg and 7kg of luggage.”

In reality this means that E.U. curb weights are around 70kg more than by the U.K. rule. Most new cars now use the E.U. definition, but the U.K. standard will provide you with a safer ratio.

It is always advisable to determine the curb weight by consulting the manufacturer, in store sales advisers will not always be up-to-date with towing laws and may not give you correct information. Any infringement of the law could cause an accident, invalidate your insurance or see you taken to court. None of which are desirable outcomes so it is best to be crystal clear before you make your first trip.

Accordingly it is important to keep up-to-date with new developments in this law. Currently amendments to the laws are being considered in order to clarify these laws that many find confusing. Although this should not change current allowances for drivers who already hold their full license, it is possible that there will be adjustments.

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