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Drive safely when towing a caravan

Caravan holidays are becoming rather popular in the UK. The credit crunch has seen many people holidaying in the UK and what better way to do so than in your own personal hotel room on wheels! Caravans have been around for many years and have become so popular that there are many owners clubs out there.

But towing a caravan can alter your driving experience completely. You have what is essentially a vehicle as big as a lorry which no longer handles as you’d expect your car to. Here are a few tips to help make sure your caravan holiday towing experience is safe and you reach your holiday destination in one piece.

Your car – making sure it’s up to the task

Your car is what will be bearing the load of your caravan, so it’s no good if your car is a small hatchback with a lightweight engine. Driving uphill with a caravan is incredibly demanding and so you will require a larger car that’s powerful enough – certain caravans, routes or destinations may even specifically require a 4x4 vehicle. The RAC recommends you buy a caravan that is no heavier than three quarters of the weight of the vehicle towing it.

Your tow bar – Can it handle the weight?

Your car’s connection to the caravan is vitally important. Make sure that there is adequate room for the hitch to attach. Some cars have removable sections of rear bumpers to allow a caravan to attach safely. Always double check the connection before driving and pull away slowly, just in case.

You should also ensure that the electrics are hooked up properly to the towing vehicle too. This ensures other road users can see your lights when driving.

Wing mirrors – Get a better view

With your car alone your wing mirrors can easily do their job of letting you know what’s happening around you, however with a caravan attached, your view will be heavily restricted. This is why wing mirror extenders need to be fitted to your car’s existing ones.  They normally attach via Velcro and are relatively cheap.

Hitting the open road – Driving carefully and considerately

Driving with a caravan increases both your vehicles length but also the length of time to accelerate.  Overtaking long vehicles like Lorries should be done with extra caution. It will take much longer for you to overtake a vehicle when you have a caravan trailing behind so always make sure you have plenty of space and room to overtake. Likewise if you are driving slower than the rest of traffic give way to other motorists, on country lanes pull over to keep the flow of traffic moving.

When driving with a caravan make sure you are free of distractions and also use your mirrors and signal before any manoeuvre. As long as you take care then you should arrive at your holiday destination ready to relax and enjoy yourself.

About the Author

Phil has been writing on various car finance related subject such as used cars and car loans to help find the right car for you

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