smith100s Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 On Tuesday this week I towed our caravan for the first time, oddly I had the caravan prior to the licence to tow it which is another story however we have had use of it through family towing it for us to site. In summary I thoroughly enjoyed the experience after passing my B and E test thus week. I found the caravan dramatically nicer to tow than the weighted twin axle box trailer I learned with. My tow car was also much more competent than the Dacia Duster I trained with. There are however loads of observations I couldn't help but make. First one was despite checking and double checking every connection, torque settings on wheels, cleaning the towball, checking tyre pressures on the van and car I did make one massive mistake! I never adjusted the car to "towing" pressures which on my car had to go from 36 to 41 psi. Under 45mph this issue did not reveal itself however with my chest out I decided to venture onto the motorway when very quickly the instability was massively concerning. Having pulled onto the motorway behind a lorry with a called on the back I first thought this was just turbulent air however while some truth might be in that it was 100% tyres. Realising my error I pulled off at the next junction and corrected my error. At this point it is worth mentioning that the nose weight was checked and adjusted perfectly. The caravan is loaded for camping but under weight and and the tow car match is comfortably under the 85% rule. The caravan is a 2014 Lunar lexon 540 and has AL-KO atc and AL-KO shockabsorbers which give it a lovely smooth ride. The car has 163bhp, loads of torque, self leveling rear suspension, new matching premium tyres and trailer assist too. In otherwords its a really comforting set up for a novice dragging a van. Once I adjusted the pressures the high speed experience could not be better. The combination was stable even when passing wagons, in the grooves from HGV it was also superb. Conclusion tyres pressures make such a dramatic difference! It did get me thinking that back in the day towing caravans must have been very different. Without these systems, modern power and torque levels are amazing but even still having 1400kg on the back makes a real dent in the performance compared to solo. Back in the day some cars must have really struggled. Can't wait for the next adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevan Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Yes, tyre pressures can make a huge difference! "Back in the day" towing was not as different as you imagine. Stability was still a problem if you got things wrong but outfits towed as well as they do now if you got it right. Modern aids like ATC and stability programs in cars only help out if things go wrong. Many cars were very low on power so lots of gear changing on hills was normal even solo. Good roads were few and far between so speeds were lower anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Good to hear it went quite well. As a child growing up in the 70’s it was common to see cars (both towing and solo) at the side of the road with the bonnet up having over heated in heavy traffic during the holiday season. Cars today certainly seem to be able to cope a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildwood Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 During the main season I simply leave the car at towing pressure to make sure I do not forget. You do also need the caravan tyres at their correct pressure though. I do find the idea that you need a commercial trailer to take the test wrong as it is very different to a caravan but that is the way it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevan Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 4 minutes ago, Wildwood said: I do find the idea that you need a commercial trailer to take the test wrong as it is very different to a caravan but that is the way it goes. Yes, but.... +E on your licence qualifies you to tow a lot of different types of outfit. A horse box tows very differently to a caravan, as does a glider, a boat, a car on a trailer, etc. all different to a caravan and different to each other. The test covers many of the aspects they have in common hitching, unhitching, breakaway cables, safety precautions etc. It also covers aspects such as reversing, the principles of which are constant across all trailers, even though they feel very different. To be fair to all candidates the test has to be based on some form of standardised trailer, why should this specifically be a caravan when many drivers have no intention of towing one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smith100s Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 13 minutes ago, Stevan said: Yes, but.... +E on your licence qualifies you to tow a lot of different types of outfit. A horse box tows very differently to a caravan, as does a glider, a boat, a car on a trailer, etc. all different to a caravan and different to each other. The test covers many of the aspects they have in common hitching, unhitching, breakaway cables, safety precautions etc. It also covers aspects such as reversing, the principles of which are constant across all trailers, even though they feel very different. To be fair to all candidates the test has to be based on some form of standardised trailer, why should this specifically be a caravan when many drivers have no intention of towing one? All good points, we all have the option should we choose to do so in continuing our driver training. Caravan clubs do offer specific training should we choose to do so. I lost out on my grandfather rights by six months, not due to being lazy I simply could not take my test legally prior to 1/1/97 and this has frustrated me having to take a test. In my personal circumstances I am sensible, work in the motor trade with a mechanical mind and always thought I would be competent especially if I compare myself to my mother who could legally tow without training but I have massively benefitted from doing the b and e test. I know understand some dangers of towing. I recieved safe advice re driving and planning ahead, loading the trailer, the importance of safety checks and the order in which to safely couple and uncouple. On reflection I am now very pleased that I have completed this training and feel much more comfortable and confident towing while respecting some of the dangers associated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Welcome to caravanning and a towing training course is a great idea. Even after 3 years towing i found the one i took very helpful. As your experience shows perfectly, slavishly following the 85% advisory weight ratio and overlooking other safety related issues is no guarantee of a safe stable outfit. There is no ‘rule’ other than what is legally allowed in law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildwood Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 23 hours ago, Stevan said: Yes, but.... +E on your licence qualifies you to tow a lot of different types of outfit. A horse box tows very differently to a caravan, as does a glider, a boat, a car on a trailer, etc. all different to a caravan and different to each other. The test covers many of the aspects they have in common hitching, unhitching, breakaway cables, safety precautions etc. It also covers aspects such as reversing, the principles of which are constant across all trailers, even though they feel very different. To be fair to all candidates the test has to be based on some form of standardised trailer, why should this specifically be a caravan when many drivers have no intention of towing one? Stevan, I do appreciate that you can also tow other types of trailer. I have towed a short twin axle trailer and it is very different to towing the caravan. It just seems to me that if you are going to take a test to prove you can tow, then you should do it towing what you are going to use. Why learn to tow a short commercial trailer when you may be towing a twin axle caravan in real life? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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