On the road 5 towing tips for vans and trailers

On the road 5 towing tips for vans and trailers

 

You’d be surprised how far you can tow a caravan, trailer or boat in our wide brown land. Even when the blacktop is a distant memory and brown and wide is all you’ve got left. It just takes an adventurous spirit, a pinch of know-how, and the right equipment. “Australia is the world’s best joint for touring,” says 4WD guru David Wilson, of adventure4wd.com.au and Loaded 4X4 magazine. “And with 3.5-tonne towing standard on a bunch of new rigs, the only limit is your imagination. Take your time, run a little wider through corners, and leave a much larger gap, and the world’s greatest destination is basically your oyster.”
Here are a few pointers to get you going.

1. Be prepared

Ute ads are mostly the same: a bloke who says ‘tough’ a lot, improbably aggressive off-road swerving, and an ALL-CAPS FONT that clangs onto the screen, covered in rivets. Ad agencies whip them out on autopilot—and your pre-towing checklist should be just as second nature. “Check your fluids—oil, water, transmission and brake fluids,” says Wilson. “Check your indicators are working, and tyres have grip and proper pressure, on both your vehicle and trailer. Make sure your towbar and drawbar are in good nick, that all connections are solid, and calibrate your electric brake controller.” If you’re not sure what any of these things are, maybe reconsider that trip.

2. Don’t overload

It’s vital that you’re within the safe stated bounds of both your tow vehicle’s GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass), and the GCM (Gross Combination Mass) of your tow vehicle and van/camper. “That includes your weight, and the weight of all the probably unnecessary stuff your family has crammed into the trailer,” says Wilson. “That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people would tow a horse float and forget that Mr Ed has to go on the scales, too.” Maybe take a trip to your local weighbridge.

3. Keep it on the level

“There’s a bigger story to tell about weights and towing. And this includes aftermarket accessories such as distribution hitches and air bags, both of which can have drawbacks, such over-stressing your vehicle’s chassis on undulating or corrugated surfaces,” says Wilson. “Basically, you need both your trailer and vehicle to be sitting level to prevent your steering or braking being compromised.”

4. Reversing is hard

There’s no substitute for experience, and the best way to get experience is by practicing in an open, no-stress environment. Rather than, say, when you’re trying to back down a boat ramp with five vehicles queued behind you, while being filmed by 37 cackling blokes. “Two-stage extendable mirrors help,” says Wilson. “Reversing can be hard at first—all your inputs are opposite, obviously—but go slow and if in doubt, use a spotter or get out and check—a lot.”

5. No wagging

Sometimes called ‘snaking’, trailer sway is the terrifying phenomenon where your van or trailer begins to fishtail. Strong winds don’t help, but many other factors, such as speed, improper ball height, under-inflated tyres, or poor weight distribution can all conspire to ruin your day. “With trailer sway, like bankruptcy or facial tattoos, prevention is much better than cure,” says Wilson. “If things start to go wrong, you need to slow down. But don’t touch the brake pedal, just back off — keep your steering straight and apply the trailer’s brakes.” If you’re buying a new rig, consider one with trailer sway control as standard.

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