Towing Guide - Flipbook - Page 28
PRACTICAL TOWING GUIDANCE
Reversing
Reversing competently comes with
practice. Watch for slopes, cambers,
potholes and other irregularities that
can cause the caravan to deviate.
As with all maneuvers, the secret is
to do things smoothly and at low speed.
At night, additional lighting and/or a
second pair of eyes may be needed.
Steering a caravan in reverse is
counter-intuitive:
1. To cause the rear of the caravan to
turn one way, the top of the steering
wheel must be moved initially in the
opposite direction from how you
would normally steer the car.
2. One technique is to simply move
the bottom of the steering wheel in
the direction you wish the caravan
to go
3. Once the initial turn is established
be prepared to ease the steering
wheel back again to prevent jackknifing.
Road lights
All the road lights fitted on a caravan
(including reversing lights) must be
clearly visible and in working order.
The car must also have an audible and/
or visual warning device linked to the
wiring leading to the caravan indicators.
The warning device will indicate
whether the caravan direction
indicators are working or not. On many
modern cars, this function is integrated
into the bulb failure warning system.
If you are towing with towing covers
fitted you must ensure that the road
lights are not obstructed.
28 NCC Caravan Towing Guide
Attention should be paid to the road
lights when the caravan’s road lights
are LED to ensure they are compatible
with the towing vehicle.
If you are going abroad, remember
to check the local motoring regulations
and obtain headlight beam adaptors
where necessary. Further information
may be obtained from the car
manufacturer or the user clubs.
Carrying passengers
It is illegal to carry passengers in a
caravan when it is being towed.
Rear number plate
requirement
It is a legal requirement to have an
approved rear number plate attached
to the caravan that matches the towing
vehicle, which must be in the space
provided by the caravan manufacturer
for such a plate.
