How to Drive with a Caravan for a Better Camping Experience?
Caravanning is a popular activity in Australia. It’s a great way to meet other people while having a great time relaxing in the outdoors.
However, there’s more to towing a caravan than just attaching it to your vehicle. If you are planning a road trip with your caravan in tow, be sure to take up a towing course. It’s the safest way to learn how to drive with a caravan and have an enjoyable, hassle-free camping experience.
Avoid Overloading the Caravan
Don’t stuff your caravan with everything you intend to take with you. This will only affect your driving experience. For a safe ride, you must only take the essentials. When it comes to camping and caravanning, less is more.

An overload caravan will strain the tow vehicle’s engine, tyres, gearbox and suspension. It will even affect the braking.
Ensure the Weight is Equally Distributed
When you attach your caravan to your vehicle, you must consider the problem of weight transfer. With the caravan attached, the front of the car could be carrying less weight than the rear wheels. For optimal stability, safety and vehicle control, ensure that the towing vehicle and the caravan are level.
Avoid setting off on a caravanning trip if the towing car and caravan are not level. If they are not level, you could face a host of challenges and you even run the risk of veering off the road suddenly or meeting with an accident.
When the front wheels are taking less weight, the braking and steering are affected. You can prevent this by moving the weight from the back of the car to the front wheels. That’s possible only with the help of a weight-distribution hitch, also known as torsion, stabiliser, level-ride or anti-sway bar.
Adhere to Speed Limits
Certain states have lower speed limits for cars with caravans.
Avoid driving too close to the vehicle in front of you. Keep a distance of at least 60m unless you are overtaking. Keeping a safe distance allows others to pass you by safely. If you are approaching a hill, you could consider speeding up slightly (if it’s safe to do so). This will make the uphill climb easier.
When your car’s speed reduces considerably, be sure to choose a lower gear early on. Once the engine speed comes down, you may have a hard time regaining it. This will put more stress on the vehicle’s engine.
Overtake Cautiously
Overtaking with a caravan is a tricky task, especially when you are overtaking other caravans or long trucks. Not only is your acceleration affected due to the additional weight but you also have to cover a greater distance owing to the extra length.

Be sure to check the mirrors before you begin to overtake. Avoid overtaking a slower vehicle when driving downhill.
Monitor the rear-view mirrors regularly to spot any speeding vehicles that may be overtaking you. If it’s a bus/truck, ensure that they can overtake safely and quickly. If possible, veer slowly to the left of the road as much as possible. Ensuring distance between the vehicles is the best way to ensure safety. When a vehicle is passing you by, avoid braking or speeding up.
Reverse Slowly
When reversing your towing car, be sure to do it at your own pace. Do not be in a rush. Begin by scanning the area you want to back into. Notice if there are any taps, low branches or other obstacles on the ground. As you are moving forward, angle your car and the caravan roughly towards the spot you want to go to when you begin backing up.
Join a Caravan Driving Course
If you haven’t towed a caravan before, it helps to take a caravan towing course. Be sure to choose take the manual driving lessons as you will most likely be driving a manual vechicle for heavy towing. The courses are very affordable and the trainers will provide lots of practical advice on driving safely with a caravan, teach the basic skills of towing a caravan including reversing and more.
You will also learn about weighing your caravan properly. Caravans generally have a limited payload (carrying capacity), so you must adhere to it to ensure you are not overloading. Common accessories and modifications like gas cylinders, water tanks and toolboxes can take up a chunk of the carrying capacity and curtail how much weight you can carry.
Knowing the weight of your caravan will help you in choosing a suitable tow vehicle. You don’t want to tow a heavy caravan with a small car. It’s important to use an appropriate tow vehicle to ensure a safe and leisurely camping trip.…