You’ve never towed a caravan before? It’s just like everything else in life, practice makes perfect. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll get the hang of it.
Here are our top tips on how to tow a caravan:
1. Ask yourself whether you can actually tow
Hold your horses. First things first, do you have the right driving licence? You should definitely check your licence first to see whether you’re allowed to tow a caravan. We wouldn’t risk towing a caravan if your licence isn’t covered for it as it can be quite tricky if you’ve never done it before and not to mention illegal.
2. Get your mirrors sorted
We all love a good mirror and checking ourselves before we go out and it should be the same with you car mirrors too. When towing you’ll need to get some extensions for your wing mirrors. You’ve probably seen extended mirrors before when you’ve been out and about. Cars have them for towing and some lorries sometimes have them too. Just don’t even think about towing a caravan without them or you’ll be driving blind! There are lots of different towing mirrors out there, you just have to find the ones that are right for you.
3. Don’t be a slithery snake
If you haven’t heard of snaking before then listen in. Basically, if your caravan isn’t loaded properly then it will start a swaying movement and begin to snake. Sometimes, caravans can become so snakey that they violently swing from side to side and can cause you to lose control. You don’t want the caravan to be driving you so if this begins to happen, just steer straight.
4. Test the tread on the tyres
We don’t mean to sound all dull and boring but your tyres are so important when towing your caravan. If your tyres aren’t up for the challenge then how can you be? Let’s be honest, if your tyres aren’t at the right level for your car then their not going to be for towing a caravan either. It’s best to check that your tyres are at the right pressure and double-check that they’re at the right pressure for towing a caravan.
5. Watch from corner to corner
Corners can be tricky anyway, never mind when you’re towing a caravan. Tight corners can make it difficult for you to turn and you’re probably going to need to take it a bit wider than normal. Not to state the obvious, but turning in later than normal and sharper is the key. You’ll also learn to love your mirrors more and more doing this too as you watch the caravan steering with you.
It might all sound like effort and too much of a faff just to tow a caravan but these top tips will help you get from A to B safe and sound. Our final top tip is to check whether you’ve got the right tow car. It’s all about weight and power because let’s not forget, you’re pulling a heavy caravan at the end of the day. So, if you need to get a new car that can actually pull the extra weight, then why not sell your current car here first.
It’s fast, convenient and hassle-free, so what are you waiting for? Enter your reg number now.
