Tips For Driving With A Caravan

With a caravan the world really is your oyster. The freedom of the open road, combined with the flexibility of travelling quite literally anywhere and spending the night in a mobile home with all the creature comforts of a hotel, but without the price, cannot be beaten.

However, driving with a caravan is a skill in itself and you would be advised to follow the following tips and educate yourself to the common dangers that first-time caravan drivers are at risk from.

Make Sure it’s Roadworthy
The chances are your caravan spends a lot of time sitting in transit gathering dust. Before you take it out on the road always give it a quick service and be sure to check the brakes and tyres are in full working order. You may also want to add some extended wing mirrors to your caravan just to be on the safe side. If you haven’t done so already, visit Simple Caravan Insurance to take out some cover for your caravan before planning your trip.

Carry That Weight
Badly-loaded caravans are dangerous caravans. All heavy items should be firmly placed over the axle and secured tightly to prevent any movement should you need to brake suddenly or turn a corner sharply. The greater number of heavier items you can put in your car the better. It is important that you don’t forget to secure all the lockers and cupboards inside your caravan and keep them free of heavy objects such as tins of food and cans of beer!

Get Your Motor Running
When you’re on the road, always remember you are towing a significant amount of extra weight, so the stopping distances are going to be that much longer. Bear this in mind and allow extra space between you and your fellow motorists in front. When approaching junctions slow down in advance and follow a wide line around corners to avoid hitting curbs.

Versed in Reverse
Reversing the caravan can be tricky, but if you turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction than normal, it will start the tiller turning. Once it is ticking over nicely, turn the steering wheel the right way so the car follows the caravan. Over-steering caravans will cause them to jack-knife, so unless you are a past master at manoeuvring a caravan you may want to practice a little bit in a large open space beforehand.

Say no to Snaking
When other road-users say they hate caravans it’s usually because they have been behind one that has been ‘snaking’. To stop your caravan from ‘snaking’ fit some stabilisers. When the caravan’s axles move out of the line of the towing vehicle, it tries in vain to align itself but goes too far and causes a cycle of side to side movement. This is what’s know as ‘snaking’ and can be very dangerous as left to its own devices it will ultimately cause the driver to lose control. You cannot safely read the ‘snaking’ action, so it is nigh on impossible to steer yourself out of the situation. It is important not to accelerate when their caravan is ‘snaking’, your best bet is to change down a gear and ease up completely on the pedal.

To Tow or not to Tow?
Many first-time caravan owners fall into the common pit-fall of placing so much emphasis on the safety of the caravan, they forget the all-important need to ensure their driving vehicle is appropriate for the type and size of caravan being towed, as well as making sure it meets all the required safety regulations. To make sure your vehicle can cope with the extra load, all tyres should be in tip-top condition and inflated to full load pressure. Ensure your tow-bar is in good condition and is rigidly connected to your vehicle. Your driving license will inform you of the maximum weight you are allowed to tow. An approved registration plate must be fitted to your caravan and be warned it is an offence to tow a caravan with passengers in it.

Remember, if you drive at a moderate speed, don’t overtake unless absolutely necessary and follow the above tips, you and your caravan will enjoy a much safer trip.

Tweet

©2012 All content copyright just-auto.com.

Published by Aroq Ltd. Address & registered office: Seneca House, Buntsford Park Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs, B60 3DX, UK.

Tel: Intl +44 (0)1527 573 600. Toll Free from US: 1-866-545-5878. Fax: +44 (0)1527 577 423.

Aroq publishes: just-auto.com | just-food.com | just-drinks.com | just-style.com

VAT No: GB785642391. Registered in England No: 4307068.