Touring Caravan Towing Essentials
Caravan Club website - towing guide
Towing a caravan can seem like a dark art to a new caravanner. Although the fundamentals of towing are relatively straightforward, it’s a great idea to practice in a safe area, without the risk of damaging your car or caravan. Towing on the road requires an increased focus on ‘defensive driving’, especially with regard to other road users who may not anticipate the way your caravan will behave, even if you do!
Below are links to videos produced by Practical Caravan magazine and are useful in helping new caravanners to understand the basics of towing and manoeuvring.
P.C. towing masterclass pt1 - tow cars etc
P.C. towing masterclass- loading / hitching up
P.C. towing masterclass - out on the road
P.C. towing masterclass reversing
P.C. Checking nose weight and devices
Caravan Club Training Courses
The Caravan Club also provides low-cost courses for caravaners and these provide a comprehensive level of training, improving skills and building confidence, helping to avoid establishing ‘bad habits’. Attending the certificated courses can also mean a discount on your caravan insurance premium.
Which course is right for me?
1) Practical Caravanning Course The Club has been running its one-and-a-half-day Practical Caravanning course for over 35 years now. It costs only £165 and is perfect for those new to towing. The 10 hour course covers instruction and practice in:
- Understanding loading and how it affects towing.
- Hitching up and towing, safely and efficiently.
- Practice in manoeuvring an outfit forwards and backwards, easily and confidently.
- Simple technical information to encourage user checks.
- Everyday safety checks and the law affecting caravanners.
2) Caravan Manoeuvring CourseThe one-day Caravan Manoeuvring course is great for experienced caravanners who simply want to hone their skills, increase their confidence and become true experts in towing. This course pays particular attention to reversing and turning and costs just £140. The course takes place in the private grounds of colleges and commercial training schools. The courses are taught by professional instructors, and caravans are provided.