Hoot guide to caravans

Like Cliff Richard, musicals and sprouts, caravanning is one of those odd things that are detested by most sensible people but loved ardently by a few.

It was with some trepidation, therefore, that one or two of the cheap car insurance team here at Hoot came forward to admit that they knew a little about caravans, and would be prepared to write a Hoot guide on the subject - if the rest of us would let them.

They pointed out that, with all the resentment and ill-feeling from regular motorists, it can be hard to know where to start at what can apparently be a really fun, rewarding hobby. And, just like we made sense out of so many other tricky subjects in the Guides - everything from MOT tests to the new mobile phone laws - it was probably about time we shed a little light on caravanning, too.

So without further ado from the detractors, here's the guide to driving with a caravan from the cheap car insurance experts.

Safe combinations and loading tips
Towing a touring caravan is something of an art form, and requires considerable skill even with the most forgiving combination of car and trailer.

However, a well-matched 'outfit' (in this context, the word means your car and caravan taken as one unit - just as a truck cab and trailer are together viewed as one vehicle) can make the difference between a dangerously unstable load and a merely unwieldy one.

As a general rule, don't ever tow a caravan which weighs more than your car, and for a safe and stable outfit limit yourself to one which is under 85 percent of its weight. Bear in mind that a caravan full of clothes, foodstuffs and other holiday things will weigh considerably more than an empty one when working this out.

After weight ratios, the next thing to worry about is your caravan's 'noseweight' - the load at the front of the trailer which is applied directly to your car's towball. Finding the correct noseweight means getting as much of the caravan's weight over the towball as possible (because this makes the outfit more stable) without overloading it.

Check your manufacturer's handbook for the maximum load your car can handle - it's generally somewhere between 50kg and 75kg - and then arrange the luggage and equipment in your caravan (bulky items directly over the axle where possible, and the rest in the front) to provide this.

For calculation purposes, noseweight generally works out at 7 percent of a caravan's total weight when the luggage inside is evenly distributed. If maths isn't your strongpoint, noseweight gauges are available at accessory shops and some camping stores.

Driving with a caravan
Providing it isn't too heavy and your luggage is evenly distributed inside, driving in a forward gear shouldn't be too problematic with a caravan in tow. However reversing, manoeuvres and even basic cornering will become fiendishly complex for even the most self-assured of drivers.

The first and most basic rule of driving with a caravan is to never take unnecessary risks while at the wheel. The same is obviously true of regular driving, but in the hands of a cocky or overconfident driver a car and caravan can be seriously dangerous.

The kind of steering mistakes you can get away with in a car (turning too sharply into a bend, for example) can result in nightmarish, un-correctable swerves with a caravan. Never approach corners at too high a speed or you could end up jack-knifing, particularly on wet or icy roads.

If the caravan begins to snake or swerve while you are travelling straight, it's probably because you're travelling too fast or have uneven weight distribution in the caravan itself. In either case, slow down to correct the problem by easing off the accelerator (don't stamp on the brakes).

Successfully reversing a caravan takes time and a good deal of practice - and having a friend stood at the rear of the outfit to shout directions doesn't hurt, either. As with cornering, small corrections to the steering are always better than sharp turns of the wheel.

When reversing around a corner with a caravan, follow three basic steps (along with constant mirror-checking and minor corrections) for a smooth performance. First, steer your car away from the turn to correctly angle your caravan. Second, straighten up the car before the trailer has a chance to jack-knife. Thirdly, steer gently into the bend, following the caravan, until the corner has been negotiated and the outfit is once again lined-up straight.

For an animated guide to the process, along with more detailed instructions, visit the National Trailer and Towing Association (NTTA) website, at http://www.ntta.co.uk.

Legal issues
There's plenty of towing legislation to take on board before setting off for your first caravan holiday. Failure to observe it could well result in criminal convictions, points on your licence and the loss of cheap car insurance - and as with all driving laws, ignorance is certainly not a valid excuse.

Most people know that it's illegal (not to mention extremely uncomfortable and dangerous) to carry passengers in a trailer while it's being towed. Always travel in your car - which has been designed to keep you safe in the event of a crash - rather than your caravan. You are permitted to carry pets in there, however.

With regard to noseweight, it's illegal to exceed the manufacturer's stated maximum load over the car's towball. If you let this happen, your car is overloaded - which besides breaking the law could also void your motor insurance cover. If seven percent of your caravan's unladen weight (i.e. the lightest recommended noseweight for that model) still exceeds the car's maximum load, it's time to get a bigger car - or a smaller trailer.

As any Top Gear viewer will tell you, different speed limits apply to vehicles towing caravans in the UK. On single carriageways the maximum is 50mph; on dual carriageways and motorways, it's 60mph.

See http://www.practicalcaravan.com for a summary list of all the laws you need to be aware of, or the NTTA website (listed above) for a more exhaustive look.

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