On the Road

Outback Travel

When touring in the outback it is recommended to carry sufficient drinking water for a number of days in containers other than the caravan tank.

Advise Authorities what road you are taking, your destination and estimated time of arrival.

In case of breakdown stay with the car and caravan and on no account leave the vehicle on foot to summon help. Help will come to you.

Driving Techniques

Many newcomers to caravanning are concerned with the prospect of towing or manoeuvring a car and caravan combination. The problems that are sometimes encountered may be due to incompatible vehicle combination, incorrect loading, lack of proper towing equipment or simply a lack of skills. Once the above points have been fixed and a little common sense is used, towing a caravan or a camper trailer need not be any more difficult than driving a car by itself.

Some areas where extra awareness may be required are:

• Moving off
  With a load behind, the acceleration rate of a vehicle is significantly reduced. With a manual transmission it is usually necessary to stay  little longer in each gear before shifting into a higher gear. If an automatic transmission is fitted the use of the selector level to control up changes, especially when going uphill, is sometimes desirable.
• Cruising
  Because of the extra length and weight fast speeds are not recommended. In some States the speed limits are lower when a caravan or trailer is pulled. Never drive too close behind other vehicles. Leave at least a 60 metre space unless actually overtaking. This allows others to pass you safely. When approaching a hill and provided it is safe to do so, increase your speed slightly so it is easier to go up the hill. Always select a lower gear early if the vehicle speed drops off noticeably. Once engine speed is lost, it is difficult to regain. As a result additional stresses may be placed on the engine.
• Overtaking
  Overtaking other vehicles, particularly long trucks or other caravans, must be done with extreme caution. Not only is the acceleration considerably reduced but due to the extra length a greater distance has to be covered before moving back into the left-hand lane. Remember to check mirrors to ensure it is safe to overtake. Never overtake a slower vehicle when going downhill.
• Being Overtaken
  By constantly monitoring the rear visions mirrors, a faster travelling vehicle can be readily spotted. If the vehicle intending to pass is a truck or bus make sure that this can be achieved quickly and safely. If the road conditions permit, move as far left as possible The greater the distance between the two vehicles, the safer the situation becomes. Never take the foot off the accelerator or brake when another vehicle is going past.
• Going Downhill
  Always slow down and engage a lower gear before actually reaching the downhill section of the road. This is particularly important if the hill is a steep one. By adopting this procedure the need for heavy braking while going downhill is reduced. Excessive speed or sudden braking while travelling downhill could create an unstable situation.
• Fuel Consumption
  Assuming that the caravan and towing vehicle are compatible, excessive fuel consumption can usually be attributed to either fast speeds, poor engine tune or bad driving habits.

More economical driving techniques can easily be mastered by anyone and will result in a noticeable reduction in fuel consumption. When moving off or passing another vehicle always move the accelerator smoothly. Any rapid or excessive movement will waste petrol. Judging traffic flow is another useful technique. By observing the traffic some distance ahead it is often possible to avoid unnecessary braking and delays.

It has been stated that every time the brakes are used fuel is wasted. This implies that the brakes needed to be applied because vehicle speed was kept up longer than necessary. Everyone knows that braking cannot be avoided completely, but by slowing down sooner when approaching traffic signals or other vehicles, fuel can be saved.
If you see a hill coming up, and safely permits, increase vehicle speed slightly to make it easier for the engine to pull the vehicle up the incline.

It is worth noting that to enable a vehicle to pull a given load, it must produce a certain amount of power. The power will be approximately the same whether the engine has four, six or eight cylinders. This means that when towing a caravan or camper trailer with a four-cylinder engine the fuel consumption may be nearly as great as if a six cylinder engine was fitted.

Finally if you wish to obtain a reasonable fuel consumption while towing, do not choose a caravan that is beyond the capabilities of the towing vehicle. Alternatively do not use a vehicle that cannot adequately cope with the load you intend to pull.

Loading

As mentioned earlier, it is desirable to have about 10% of the trailers’ total weight supported by the towball to achieve the correct balance for stable towing. While some caravans might have the right balance when empty, others don’t achieve the 10% until they are loaded. For this reason, great care must be taken when loading a caravan, or for that matter, any trailer.

As the layout of caravans and campers varies a great deal, it is not possible to be prescriptive as to where certain items should be placed. It is important, however, that consideration is given to the storage of heavy items. Many of the front lockers limit their contents to 25-30kg while adding an extra spare wheel or containers of fuel to a rear bumper could easily upset the balance.

As a general rule, heavy items should be stored at floor level and as close to the wheels. Lighter items can be placed closer to the ends. If in doubt as to the best location for certain equipment, check with the supplier of the caravan. Ultimately it is only a visit to a weighbridge that will tell you that what’s behind the car is correctly balanced and is not likely to become unstable.

Weight Distribution

Whenever a vehicle towing a trailer travels along the roadwith the back right down and front up, a problem of weigh transfer exists. This means that there is less weight on the front wheels but more on the rear than without the trailer in tow. For maximum safety, stability and vehicle control, both the caravan and the vehicle should be level.

Reasons for why they may not be level could be due to:

1. Incorrect towball height compared to the traler coupling height.
2. Uneven loading of the caravan.
3. Lack of proper towing equipment

To determine the correct ball height, measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the coupling on the front of the A-Frame. Then compare this with the distance from the ground to the base of the towball on the rear of the vehicle. If this is not the case, the ball mount or tongue may need to be adjusted or altered.

Even loading of the caravan can be checked by weighing the caravan on and off the vehicle. The difference between the two is the “ball” or “nose” weight. This should be about 10% of the overall weight of the loaded van. Some of the heavier items normally carried in the caravan may need to be moved around to achieve this.

For a four to five metre touring van the vertical ball load could be between 100kg and 150kg. Although this may be about 10% of the overall weight, it is certainly enough to push down the back of most vehicles. If due to stiff springs the back goes down very little, some weight will be transferred from the vehicle’s front wheels onto the back ones. With a “ball” weight of 100kg the rear wheels may actually an additional 130kg-140kg. The extra weight has been moved from the front wheels due to a simple leverage factor.

Whenever the weight is reduced on a vehicle’s front wheels both steering and braking are reduced. To prevent this occurring, weight has to be moved from the back to the front wheels. This can only be done by using a weight distribution hitch, sometimes called stabilisers, level riders, torsion or anti sway bars.

The effect of the weight distributing bars can be compared to handles on a wheelbarrow. The higher the handles are lifted the more weight is moved onto the wheel and the easier it is to hold it up. Similarly, the more tension that is placed on the weight distribution bars, the more weight is transferred forward onto the front wheels of the vehicle.

These weight distributing bars are necessary on all but the lightest camper trailers. When correctly fitted the bars will ensure that some of the ball weight is carried by the front wheels. As a result the complete outfit will be level but slightly lower.

It is unwise to set off on a trip if the caravan and tow vehicle are not level. If you are in doubt as to the best way to cope with the weight of the trailer, consult a towing equipment specialist. Anyone boasting that they do not need or use weight distributing bars are either not aware of the implications or do not have safety as their utmost concern.