17 Apr, 2024

Towing safety: METEC Driver Training towing course

by Allison Watt and Amelia Mansell

Two of Caravan World’s editors, Allison Watt and Amelia Mansell, completed a certified towing course with Melbourne company METEC to build their skills, confidence and promote the importance of towing safety.

The brief

Working at Caravan World is great, and we get to do lots of fun stuff such as reviewing caravans, which includes taking them for a drive so we can judge how they tow.

So, being able to tow a caravan is pretty much a requirement of the job. With little to no experience between us in that regard, we jumped at the chance when it was suggested we do a towing course and then write about the experience for Caravan World readers.

Editor-At-Large John Ford suggested METEC Driver Training in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and, after a few phone calls and emails, we were both enrolled in the full-day certified towing course to take place at the METEC dedicated driver training course in Bayswater North.

The company

Founded in 1971, METEC is a not-for-profit road safety organisation offering learner and advanced driving courses and education for individuals, schools and corporate groups, as well as 4WD and offroad training and two dedicated towing courses.

It operates with an independent Board of Management, General Manager, administration team and more than 30 expert driving instructors, and has been actively lobbying government at all levels for many years on the importance of professional driver education and training. It works closely with VicRoads, RoadSafe Victoria, Victoria Police, Government Departments and other industry regulatory bodies to enhance road safety and to foster a responsible approach to road use.

Its facility, built on 25 acres of land, has 5km of private closed roads with built-in, real traffic features such as intersections, traffic lights and roundabouts to provide the ideal, safe learner training facility for young drivers. A large car control area is set aside for more advanced driver training for those wishing to upgrade or increase their current driving skill levels and companies that include driver education and training as part of their Risk Management policies.

The course

The towing courses offered are the Certified Towing Course for complete novices and the Private Practical Towing course which is an ideal refresher for people with some prior experience.

We did the Certified Towing Course ($725 per caravan with one or two participants) which is an ideal course for beginners, designed to teach practical towing skills plus legal and safety requirements when towing a caravan.

This is a nationally recognised course (AURTGA001: Drive and manoeuvre trailers). It is delivered by METEC with its RTO Training Getabout Training Services and everyone who completes the course satisfactorily will receive a Statement of Attainment or certificate. That means that you will need a verified Unique Student Identifier (USI) to enrol which is an easy online process.

There is some homework to do beforehand in the way of reading, a series of educational videos to watch (about two hours’ worth) and a multiple-choice test, so be aware that the course is much more than just showing up on the day and driving around the testing circuit. Heads up, you’ll need to do all the required preparatory reading and watching so you can successfully complete the 22-question multiple choice test that will be marked on the day. It covers a broad range of topics including tow ball mass, the purpose of safety chains, overtaking and minimum brake requirements.

Participants are also required to bring their own insured, towing vehicle and caravan, although we chose to use one of the caravans available at METEC (at an additional cost of $110) which is ideal if you don’t want to bring your own van. Our assigned single-axle bright yellow van emblazoned with logos for a local car dealership, and while it had seen better days it performed perfectly for us on the day and was easy to manoeuvre.

Six other couples were in our course — each opting to bring their own caravans with them. One brave soul who had no towing experience whatsoever towed his brand-new van across from the western suburbs in torrential rain — good on him!

On the day

We both had to hit the road early to get to Bayswater by 8.30am and in true Melbourne fashion it bucketed down during the morning commute. Axel greeted us at the gate, showed us where to park and directed us to the lunchroom for a quick cuppa before joining the other participants in the classroom for a welcome and introduction from David and Denis, our instructors for the day.

To start there was about an hour or so of theory which included marking our test (we both passed!). There was also a lot of discussion about weight distribution and correct hitching which can be surprisingly complex depending on your van, your tow vehicle, the type of coupling you have and other variables such as weight distribution bars, shackles and emergency break away brake controllers.

Dave had checked out everyone’s hitch-ups beforehand and, alarmingly, only one setup was to his satisfaction. Everyone went outside and, as a group, we went from van to van with Dave explaining where changes should be made. It was eye-opening and very educational.

A break in the rain saw us drive our vans to a large area out on course where we practiced unhitching and re-hitching our own vans, reversing in a straight line and reversing in a circle to define our pivot points, using the commands pull (left hand down) and push (right hand down).

After lunch (you’ll need to take your own) Dave worked with us on reversing into a caravan site which sounds easy in theory, but in practice took more than a few tries to get right. Watching folks reverse into a caravan site can be pretty amusing free entertainment in caravan parks so it’s good to experience how it feels on the other side.

Dave’s patience is to be admired. After that we did some towing on the roads around the circuit which included some slalom awareness through a series of witch’s hats.

The course finishes up at 4.30pm. The day goes very quickly, not a minute is wasted and there is so much information to take in. Back to the classroom for a quick wrap up, presentation of certificates and a group photo for posterity.

Allison’s wrap

Despite being a caravanner for many years, the only towing I have ever done is straight stretches of highway to give my partner a break for an hour or so, so this course was well overdue for me. As an ‘older’ couple who travels to remote areas, I need to know how to tow our van confidently in the event of an emergency if, for some reason, my other half is unable to drive.

I can’t recommend it highly enough. The course content is spot on for beginners, with the right mix of theory and real-life practice out on course. The instructors are knowledgeable, patient and hit the mark with the delivery and coaching. However, as with any new learned skill you must keep practising so you can keep learning and become more adept over time.

I was able to put my towing skills to the test at Caravan World’s recent Australia’s Best Hybrid 2024 presented by Tough Dog 4WD Suspension competition in Merimbula, NSW, towing some vans around the stunning coastline and countryside of the Sapphire Coast, and I definitely felt more confident behind the wheel having had the benefit of the driver training.

Even travelling up and down the Hume Highway from Melbourne to Sydney over the Christmas break, I watched other caravanners on the road intently, identifying incorrect weight distribution and poor driver behaviour. I reckon driver training should be compulsory. If you’ve been thinking about undertaking a towing course, do it. You won’t regret it. The more properly trained, safe drivers on the road, the better for us all.

Amelia’s wrap

Unlike Allison, I came to this course a complete novice, having never towed a van forwards let alone backwards. In truth, my only towing experience had involved a tractor, a fruit picker and a glacial pace — only the last of which came in handy during the course!

The team at METEC were great teachers for newbies such as me, patiently covering all the theory basics and demonstrating each step during the day before setting us to work.

Before the towing began, however, the instructors cast a skilled eye over every van setup to ensure they were hitched up correctly. Many weren’t, which highlighted even further how important it is for new caravanners to undergo towing training before hitting the road. Another lesson a few learned (and thankfully not the hard way!) was to always check that their van's water tanks are locked.

The day thoroughly covered all the basic skills you need to tow a caravan safely, from a brief look at understanding towing weights, driving corners without cutting into the second lane, effective communication with your partner while reversing through to finding the pivot point in order to safely reverse into a caravan site.

There were many reversing tips I found helpful, but in particular I appreciated learning to use the terms ‘push and pull’ rather than ‘left and right’ when directing the person reversing the van. Clear communication was one of the key pieces of advice Dave and Denis imparted upon us, and avoid the terms left and right, which can easily be misconstrued when the two parties are facing opposite directions and the van will do the opposite of what your hands are doing. Testing our skills and trust in one another, on the first few tries Dave even closed the side mirrors to ensure the driver was listening to their partner completely.

While it was a long day, and by the final half hour our brains had had a thorough workout, I can proudly say I came away a lot more confident in my abilities and eager to practice some more. As someone without a van, this may involve a trailer for the time being, but for others who complete the course it will set them up with all the foundational knowledge they need to hit the roads safely — and perhaps back into their van site without too much trouble.

Safe towing

There are so many joys to caravanning, from visiting all of the beautiful and often remote corners of Australia to making lifelong friends on the road. But amid all the fun, every caravanner has a responsibility to understand how to drive safely, not only for themselves but everyone else with whom they share the road.

While undergoing a towing course isn’t required by law, the course imparts a wealth of knowledge and practical skills that many believe should be a legal requirement before heading out on an adventure with a van in tow.

One of the things that became very clear over the course of the day was how quickly things can go askew if directions aren’t interpreted or followed through on, and how mentally taxing a day of towing can be for new drivers.

Australia is filled with new caravanners who hit the road with their new (or new to them) rigs and little understanding of how to drive it safely or little practice as they work out all the idiosyncrasies of their new set-up during their ‘shake down’ trip. And while for many this goes smoothly, that’s not always the case.

If you’re a novice, courses such as the one we did are ideal to set you up with the basic skills you need to drive safely on the road and feel confident that you and your van will arrive at your destination safely. The safe learning environment and having a trained instructor at hand were very beneficial at calming nerves and building confidence, and while they were always nearby, they did make a point of leaving us to work on our own for periods of the day.

Towing courses aren’t just for newcomers either, and we’re sure even some old hats could learn a thing or two, or perhaps unlearn some bad habits. The emphasis put on teamwork and ensuring both people in the car have the ability to tow, reverse and communicate effectively was fantastic. Even if you’re not planning on doing the majority of the driving or parking, these are good skills to have up your sleeve in case of an emergency, and who knows, you might find you enjoy it and now there’s a world of vanning adventures to experience.

While a day alone might not make all the skills stick completely, a towing course sets you up with all the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the roads more safely, and the more people that complete these courses, the safer Australia’s roads will be.

*The authors participated in this course free of charge courtesy of METEC Driver Training.