Caravanning opens up a lot of adventuring opportunities, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Every driver is responsible for ensuring they are towing and driving safely, for their own benefit as well as others on the road.
An important thing to remember is that safe towing practices start before you get behind the wheel. So, let’s dive into some key areas to focus on to make sure your next trip is as safe as possible.
Vehicle capability and weight distribution
Understanding your towing setup weights is essential for safe towing. First of all, make sure that your vehicle’s legal tow limit is suitable for your fully loaded van (the aggregate trailer mass, ATM). A good rule of thumb is that your towing vehicle should be heavier than your caravan.
For a refresher or to learn more about weight jargon, check out our 'Caravan Safety 101' feature.
It is up to the driver to ensure that caravan weight is within the limits. Overweight vans are not only more susceptible to accidents but are also a finable offence throughout Australia.
If in doubt, visit a weigh station or public weighbridge to get an accurate reading of your van and car weights. It’s a good idea to go loaded with everything you’d take on a trip — full fuel and water tanks, your camping gear, food, clothing, passengers and so on — so that you know how much extra weight you’re adding to the van’s base weight. If you’re approaching or over the limit, this will give you an idea of how much you need to trim down.
Overloading can have many negative impacts on your setup, as excess weight places strain upon both your tow vehicle and caravan — including the suspension and chassis which may not be rated to handle the weight. It will also impact your driving experience, affecting steering, braking and acceleration, and manoeuvrability.
Proper weight distribution when packing is important even when you’re within the limits and refers to how the total weight of your van and items is distributed across its axles and tyres. The ideal setup will have an even weight from front to back and left to right across the van.
If too much weight is placed to the front of the van, more stress is put on the towball or hitch and this can cause the tow vehicle’s rear to sag while simultaneously lifting the car’s front axle which will compromise steering control, handling and braking.
Conversely, too much weight to the rear of your van can result in low traction, lack of driving control and braking issues.
Incorrect weight distribution, especially too much weight at the rear, can also cause caravan sway or snaking, when the uneven weight causes the caravan to swing from side to side on the hitch. Sway is a major safety concern when towing, for both the driver and others on the road. And while some have sway control devices installed, it is important not to rely on them and ensure your weight distribution is correct from the start.
As displayed in the diagram above, the ideal setup is to place the heaviest items low and towards the centre of the van over the axle, while evenly distributing medium weight items to the back, front and centre. Only light items should be high in the van, as too much weight high in the van can affect its centre of gravity.
And don’t forget to reassess your weights every trip, taking into account any extra accessories or large bits of gear you are adding or removing.
Vehicle and van health
Regular maintenance is key for both your vehicle and van, especially if your van is in storage for long periods. Some key areas to focus on before a trip are:
Tyre health: Make sure your tow vehicle and van’s tyres all have plenty of tread depth left and they aren’t cracked or brittle. Don’t forget the spare. Generally, tyres shouldn’t be used once they are over six years old — check the four-digit number on the tyre for the date of manufacture.
Tyre pressure: The pressure of your tyres is just as important when it comes to safe towing. Underinflating or overinflating will cause them to wear unevenly.
Wheel nuts: Make sure they are secure — not too tight or too loose. Incorrect securing can lead to wear and tear on the wheel nuts and risks them shearing or breaking, which in serious cases could cause the wheel to detach. It’s a great idea to have suitable spare wheel nuts with you when travelling and to check the tension daily when travelling.
Brakes and lights: Check your brakes are functioning correctly and are in good condition. Check all electrical lights on both your tow vehicle and van are working.
Click this link to find out how to troubleshoot your brake lights.
Batteries: Ensure that your tow vehicle and caravan batteries are all in working order and fully charged.
Fluids: If needed, top up the oil, water and brake fluid. If you’re heading on an extended trip, it’s worth bringing some backup supplies.
Pre-trip checks
Before you hit the road, it's a good idea to follow a pre-trip checklist with all your basic safety checks to make sure all the items on your caravan and tow vehicle are secure and locked into place.
Double-check all items inside the van are securely fastened to prevent moving around during transit. Small items such as your crockery falling may not impact your driving experience, but they will be an unwanted inconvenience when you arrive at your destination. Whereas large, heavy items shifting out of place can do a lot more damage and potentially cause an imbalance while driving which would increase the risk of an accident.
Make sure your doors and hatches are locked, antennas and other external devices are in driving position, water hoses are disconnected, stabiliser legs are up, your hitch connection is secure and safety chains are crossed (with enough give to avoid tension when turning but not so much that they will trail on the ground) and fasten your brake away lead securely to the tow vehicle.
Driving safety
Driving with a van in tow requires a lot more care and consideration than driving a car alone. Your towing setup is longer and weighs more, and your driving style must be adjusted accordingly.
Being familiar with your van’s size is an important part of safe towing; the last thing you want when driving is to head down a narrow track forgetting your van is wider than your car and end up with some new decals you didn’t expect. Knowing the width (awning included), height (plus the solar, antenna and so on) and length (spare tyre, bikes and axle included) will save you a world of trouble. Write them down and have them handy on your dash if that helps.
Braking and acceleration
With the added weight of a van, you must allow longer breaking distances when coming to a stop or slowing down. This means it’s important to always keep a safe towing distance from the vehicle in front of you and avoid sudden braking whenever possible. Sudden braking (and accelerating) can cause destabilisation and trailer sway. When on the open road leave plenty of space behind the vehicle you are following to allow other drivers to overtake and fit in safely.
Likewise, you will also need to allow more time to accelerate, which will impact your driving style, particularly at intersections and when merging with other traffic.
Check your speed
Except in Western Australia, where the maximum towing speed limit is 100km/h, fully licensed caravanners are allowed to match the prevailing speed limit of the road. However, it is important to remember these speeds aren’t always caravan friendly, and while the highway or freeway might allow travellers to drive at 110km/h, that doesn’t mean you should.
The best towing speed is to keep up with the traffic flow on two lane roads. You can back off on dual lane sections but keep to the left and allow following vehicles to overtake. Excessive speeds with a heavy van make you more susceptible to loss of control, destabilisation and sway, particularly if a road train passes in the opposite direction. This slower speed will also allow more reaction time if braking is required.
Overtaking/being overtaken
If you need to overtake, make sure you have plenty of room to do so, taking into account your slower speed, acceleration and added length.
When being overtaken, keep to the left, maintain a consistent speed and stay vigilant for any buffeting that could trigger sway.
If there is a convoy building up behind you and no overtaking opportunities in sight, find a safe place to pull over and allow other travellers to pass by.
Adjust your gears
When towing in hilly areas with a manual car (or an auto with sports mode), you’ll need to adjust how you use your gears. Lower gears and consistent speeds are your friend, and if you spot a ‘Trucks use low gears’ sign, it’s a good idea for you to do so as well.
Using lower gears during ascents will reduce risk of overheating and stalling and ensure you don’t chew through your fuel. Lower gears when going downhill will stop you from gathering too much speed, reduce overreliance on your brakes and overheating. With practice you’ll find the sweet spot of building up a consistent speed during ascents and controlling it before starting your descent to ensure you remain in complete control.
Plan your journey
Caravanning is more tiring than driving a car alone, so it’s essential that you plan your journey carefully. Regular rest stops and driver swaps are a must, as is monitoring the weather and being flexible enough to stop if the conditions require it.
Communication
In an ideal world, we would never have to deal with other traffic on the road and get from point A to B with minimal interference. Until then, it’s a good idea to have a UHF radio on board so you can communicate with other vehicles, particularly other caravanners and trucks, and share the road safely.
While you may not need to use it constantly, being able to talk to other drivers on the road can allow you to safely overtake if needed, alert drivers to any concerns or safety risks and help avoid creating unpassable convoys that can lead to unsafe overtaking manoeuvres.
Essential gear
There are many towing gear items that can make travelling with a van safer and easier, which we’re going to dive into it in the next feature: Towing essentials. But some we consider an absolute must — for legal reasons in at least one case — are:
- Towing mirrors
- UHF radio
- Reversing camera
- A first aid kit
Reversing with a van
Reversing is one of the more challenging elements of towing a caravan, and something caravanners can’t avoid forever. But with some practice and good techniques up your sleeve, it’s not an impossible skill to master.
Visibility is one of the biggest concerns when reversing a van. For this we recommend scouting the area you’re planning to reverse into first to ensure you’re aware of any obstacles and the size of the site (don’t forget to allow room for your awning if required). If you’re reversing into a garage or similar structure, keep an eye out for sloping ground that may cause the top of your van to tilt. And most importantly, don’t rush the process. Take your time and correct when necessary. Practice makes perfect after all, and it’s better to take it slowly than to jackknife because you rushed.
Jackknifing is when you turn your vehicle too sharply for too long, causing your car and van to collide. A pro tip to avoid it is to mark a spot roughly in the middle of your van, then when reversing, keep an eye on that spot and once it reaches the bottom left corner of your side mirror, that is your sweet spot when reversing around a corner.
Having a spotter is one of the best ways to ensure safety when reversing, as they will be able to direct you throughout the process and have visibility of any blind spots. Clear communication is essential — make sure you’re both on the same page about how you’ll direct one another (particularly when it comes to your lefts and rights). A set of UHF radios or mobile phones can make the process even simpler and avoid any miscommunication.
One of the other major concerns when reversing a van (or any trailer) is the fact that it is inherently different to reversing a car alone. With a van hitched up, the towball acts as a pivot point, meaning that when you reverse the car to the left, the van will go right. This can take a bit of getting used to, but there are some techniques to get passed the confusing back to front of it all.
One easy way is to use your side mirrors to keep an eye on where your van is going. As shown in the diagram, when reversing in a straight line, the van should be equally visible in both mirrors. Right turns will make the van more visible in your left mirror, and vice versa.
Another method, and one that can be handy when using a spotter to avoid the ‘your left or my left’ discussion, is to refer to your steering wheel directions as pulling in or pushing out. Pulling the wheel in (i.e., turning it left) will make the van go to the right, while pushing it out (turning right) will make the van go to the left. Essentially, it removes at least one set of the lefts and rights and can make communicating with your spotter easier.
Hit the road Jack
Towing a caravan is a massive responsibility, so it is important that you are thoroughly prepared and know how to do it safely — for yourself and others on the road. A lot of the skills come with practice and on-road experience, but some planning ahead of time and the right gear setup can make a world of difference.
If you’re new to caravanning or want to brush up on some skills and get expert assistance, we recommend signing up for an accredited towing course, where you’ll have experienced towers who can walk you through the theory and practical side of towing a van in a safe environment and set you up with a valuable skillset.
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