Carefree towing
Speed, tyre pressure, stabilisers – everything plays a part
Poor road surfaces or crosswinds are often blamed when a caravan starts to swerve uncontrolably, but they’re not the only culprits. Other factors within your control also play a role. Even if you’ve checked everything a hundred times before and even if you’ve been towing since the days when petrol still cost R2 per litre, there is no harm in following these steps again.
HITCH A MATCH
The most important factor is probably your towing combination: What are you towing and what are you towing it with? The GVM (total mass of the loaded caravan) must be less than the tare of the towing vehicle (it’s mass without being loaded). The wheelbase of the towing vehicle is likewise a consideration. Vehicles with longer wheelbases are invariably more stable when they’re towing.
DRIVE MORE SLOWLY
In Europe, the top speed for vehicles towing caravans is 80 km/h – and for good reason. When a vehicle is towing something, many more things can go wrong. OK, you don’t want to spend all day on the road, but rather reach your destination an hour later instead of never. Endeavour never to tow faster than 100 km/h. After all, the journey is meant to be part of the holiday.
TYRE PRESSURE
Tyre pressure plays a major role in the stability of your towing combination. As a rule, it’s important to tow with correct tyre pressures: The higher the pressure, the less sideways movement on the sidewalls of the tyres there will be and the smaller the chances of having a towing vehicle or caravan swerving on the road. The pressure of the rear wheels of the towing vehicle is particularly important. Check what tyre pressures are recommended for your vehicle with heavy loads by its manufacturer and inflate accordingly, perhaps even a little more. If you drive along sand roads, deflate slightly and drive more slowly. The maximum pressure for every tyre is indicated on its side wall. Keep this in mind when you buy new tyres for your vehicle and/or caravan.
LOADING AND WEIGHT
See to it that the weight is spread proportionally in the caravan: not too much weight on just one wheel and not too much behind the axle. If you load incorrectly, the caravan is made less stable. If there is going to be fresh water at your destination, then leave the water tank empy. A full water tank simply adds unnecessary weight. If you have to take water along, drive slowly. Fill the water tanks completely – water in a halffilled tank causes a lot of sloshing. (Most modern water tanks are fitted with mechanisms that limit the movement of the water inside, though.)
THE TOW BAR/HITCH
Check to see whether your tow bar is positioned correctly – it must not be fitted too high or too low. Once the caravan has been hitched, it must be level with the nose or no lower than 2,5 cm from level. The SABS recommends that the ball of the tow bar must be between 350 mm and 465 mm above the ground. If the tow bar is fitted higher than this, remove it and fit a drop plate to the vehicle. There are drop plates with four holes and others with six holes – ask a dealer to check which one will work best on your vehicle.
SIDE MIRRORS
Towing mirrors are not necessarily compulsory. Legal requirements merely state that you must be able to see well enough past the caravan. However, it is worth your while to buy a set of these mirrors. Adjust them in such a way that you can see the rear corner of the caravan on both sides.
STABILISER
There is a huge variety of stabilisers available. Get yourself one. You’ll have more peace of mind and it will prevent the caravan from wagging its tail like an excited puppy when it’s towed.
STOP LIKE THIS
Don’t simply come to a screeching halt when the caravan starts to wag its tail. It’s much safer to take your foot off the accelerator and try to steer the vehicle straight ahead. This ought to enable you to regain control of the caravan. If your vehicle has ABS, you can step on the brakes lightly and let go of them again. Don’t try to stop over a short distance using the brakes.
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
Have your caravan serviced regularly and ensure that the brake system works properly. See whether the axle (or axles) is (are) still true and not damaged. After a trip on a bad road with potholes, the axles may need realignment. You won’t easily feel the effect of the alignment that is out on a caravan with double axles, but it will nevertheless interfere with the stability of your combination.
ALL GOOD AT THE BACK?
Make sure that the rear lights of the caravan work along with those of the towing vehicle. It’s illegal to drive with lights that aren’t working properly.
TOW BAR TIPS
Beware of removable draw bars. They often have play that cause the tow ball to move around instead of being securely fixed in position. Although this may seem insignificant, it has a much bigger effect towards the rear of a combination and may cause a caravan to swerve. Sometimes, the ball of the tow bar is located on an extension some distance away from a vehicle, for example when making space for a spare wheel at the back. This can negatively effect the stability of a caravan.
KEEP UP WITH SERVICES
The tyres and rims of a towing vehicle must be checked and balanced regularly. Check the alignment before every trip and ensure that the shock absorbers are in good nick. Consider additional shocks if your towing combination feels unstable. Coil springs can be reinforced with air bags. They’re the size of a cold-drink and fits within the coil.