Top Towing Tips

Top Towing Tips

Essentials of Safe Caravan Towing

by Constance Sanders

If you've just bought your very own caravan, you probably love to go out camping. But before you can head out to the roads with your new acquisition in tow, you should know how to properly tow it. Towing a caravan can be quite scary if you don't have any past experience, but it shouldn't be. Read the guide below to learn about the essentials of safe caravan towing:

Find a tow vehicle with sufficient towing capacity.

The first thing you need to consider is whether your tow vehicle has the capacity to safely pull the weight of your caravan. To ensure your tow vehicle's towing capacity is sufficient for your caravan towing, you should check your owner's manuals to find out the weight of your vehicle and the weight of the caravan. But that's just the legal part. You should assess your vehicle's towing capacity from a practical perspective too. 

For the most part, you will load your caravan with things you need for your camping expeditions, so it is always best to avoid maximising out the weights. To avoid putting your tow vehicle under strain, it is wise to tow your caravan with a vehicle that provides higher towing capacity.

Ensure proper tow vehicle-caravan setup.

To ensure proper securement of the tow vehicle-caravan assembly, it is important that you use the right hitch. When towing light to medium weights, the use of a ball hitch would do. However, a weight-distribution hitch may be required for towing a heavier caravan. No matter what type of hitch you need to use, it is important that you unite the caravan to the tow vehicle. You can achieve this by raising the caravan with a tongue jack until it reaches up to your vehicle's hitch platform. With the hitch unlocked, slowly lower the caravan into position and then lock the hitch. 

For added safety and better vehicle handling, always connect safety chains between your caravan and your vehicle. Attach the safety chains below the hitch in an X pattern so that the chains cross from side to side. This way, the caravan tongue will drop onto the chains should the hitch get detached. Before you hit the roads, make sure everything else, including the brakes and lighting, are working properly. These elements go a long way in ensuring you stay safe while on the roads.

Towing a caravan for the first time can be a scary prospect, but with a bit of prior study and proper caravan towing set-ups, you will be good to go! 


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Top Towing Tips

Hey! My name is Richard and I would like to give you some advice about what you need to do if your car breaks down. Many people go through their lives without thinking that one day their car may break down. However, when it occurs, you will certainly know about it and you may begin to panic. I began to panic when my auto broke down 60 miles out of Perth on a quiet country road. Thankfully, I managed to contact a local tow truck company on my phone and they came right out and rescued me. Since then, I have been trying to educate people about using towing services.

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