Getting the Right Towing Vehicle for the CaravanPosted by Moses Gold on April 23rd, 2021 Ensure that your towing vehicle is with the capacity of towing your caravan. Check the manufacturer's book on the utmost weight that is recommended and ensure you stay within this limit. It really is an essential part of planning for a caravan holiday to make sure your towing vehicle is safe, well maintained and well equipped. Size and Towing Capacity The majority of travellers do not have the luxury of selecting a special towing vehicle to suit their new van; in most cases this is a matter of getting a van that may suit your existing vehicle. Car manufactures stipulate a safe towing weight for each vehicle and Australia's national regulations are designed around these specifications. As a general rule, the best option towing vehicle is one that is heavier than the caravan it is towing. This will then allow for the fully loaded weight of the caravan that's to be towed. Small cars are usually limited by towing camper-trailers, folding caravans, and small caravans or pop-tops. Bigger cars can manage caravans and pop-tops at the bigger end of the market. Along with weight, it is important to take into account the overall measurements of the machine you want to tow. If your caravan is quite high or wide then extra power is needed to overcome wind resistance. Off Road Vehicles Four-wheel drives have become very popular towing vehicles and are extremely capable. They could tow large vans, and manage the boat and some other items aswell. Many travellers use off-road vehicles without ever venturing off the main road. Others travel extensively in the outback, unhitching the van when the terrain gets too rough and either taking a tent or swag using them, or sleeping in the rear of the car. Transmission The choice between manual and automatic transmission is among personal preference. In past times, manual transmission was always the most well-liked option by travellers, however modern improvements in automatic transmission has meant they perform equally as well now. Actually automatic four-wheel drives perform quite nicely off-road. Tools and Spares
When setting out on a protracted touring holiday you should carry a tool kit so as to undertake minor repairs to your vehicle and to carry out those household repair jobs round the caravan. A tool kit will include the following items:
Blade screwdrivers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Set of spanners to suit your car and van
Hammer
Pliers
Small adjustable shifter
Larger shifter for gas bottles
Scissors
Wheel spanner
Group of spike-resistant jumper leads
Tyre-pressure gauge
Tow rope or tow strap
Be certain that the jack and handle are fitted in the automobile and that the jack is in good working order. Make certain that exactly the same jack will fit both your automobile and caravan. Before you leave home, make sure you know how to change your tyres and where the jacking points are for both your towing vehicle and your caravan.
Carry a jacking board, about 250 sq. mm, to put beneath the jack when the ground is soft, uneven or wet. A bit of checker-plate aluminium is okay.
The wheel brace that suits your vehicle might not necessarily fit the wheel studs on your own caravan. Check before leaving home.
Carry an excellent spare tyre for your vehicle and one for the caravan. If you plan to travel off the beaten track, you will require two spares for each unit. On
car shipping -trailers, the wheels are interchangeable with those of the towing vehicle. If this is actually the case, a total of two spares will be adequate in most circumstance.
TOWING EQUIPMENT AND MODIFICATIONS
Fitting towing equipment and modifying towing vehicles are specialist activities and should only be achieved by professionals. Dealers will most likely fit tow bars to new vehicles if requested. You will need to specify that you need someone to match the vehicle's maximum towing capacity so that you do not end up with something only suitable for towing a little household trailer. If you already have a vehicle, contact an expert tow-bar retailer and mechanic; check the Yellow Pages under "towing" or find one via the internet.
Towing Equipment
All commercially manufactured tow bars in Australia are built to a stand and really should perform well. Different makes and models could have different features and various prices.
Most lightweight bars are ideal for towing trailers and vans with a gross mass of 1 1,000 kg and even less. Heavy-duty bars, such as for example those fitted to large four-wheel drives, have the capacity to tow a mass of around 3,500 kg. Each tow bar has a specified maximum trailer mass and a maximum static ball weight. The latter, which is the difference in weight between your caravan on and off the vehicle, should be around 10 % of the full total trailer weight. So, if the loaded trailer weight is 1,000kg, the ball weight ought to be around 100 kg. All tow bars are limited to the maximum recommended capacity of the vehicle. To make absolutely sure you are not towing more that you ought to be, get your caravan weighed fully loaded. Exceeding towing weight limits can lead to accidents, fines and non-payment of insurance claims.
Tow bars are fitted with either towing hitches. Most standard caravans and trailers manage with a 50 mm ball, while off-road models may necessitate a more complex off-road hitch.
Caravans and trailers must be fitted with safety chains; these must be securely mounted on the towing vehicle.
Towing Limits
In 1999 the National Road Transport Commission (NRTC) introduced a set of recommended towing limits, that have been adopted by all States and Territories. Until that time around five different towing limits applied across Australia, which meant lots of confusion for caravanners crossing State and Territory borders.
The national regulations, as organized by the NRTC, state that the weight of the loaded caravan must not exceed the recommended limit as prescribed by the manufacturer of the towing vehicle, or the stated capacity of the towing apparatus fitted to the vehicle. If the manufacturer have not specified limits, which, surprisingly, is not that unusual, the weight of the loaded caravan ought to be no more than one . 5 times the unloaded weight of the towing vehicle, provided the caravan is fitted with brakes. If the caravan isn't fitted with brakes, then your loaded caravan should equal the weight of the unloaded car. If you have any difficulty establishing the parameters of the requirements, seek the advice of your dealer or an unbiased tow-bar manufacturer.
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