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Taking a caravan on holiday

A caravan can give you almost unrivalled freedom and flexibility when you make your holiday plans: it is more comfortable than camping, and cheaper and more flexible than staying in a hotel

Before you set off, make sure your caravan is fully functioning. It has probably sat unused for a fair amount of time, and so it is unwise to take it straight out onto the road without a quick service. In particular, check that the brakes and tires are in good order.

Depending on the size of your caravan, you may need to put some extended wing mirrors on your car before starting out on a long journey.

Watch for poor loading

Many of the problems associated with towing a caravan are a result of it being badly-loaded. You should try to put all the heavy items over the axle, and make sure they are secured to prevent any movement when you turn corners or brake sharply. If possible, put heavier items in the car and larger, lighter items in the caravan.

Loose items inside the caravan should be stowed securely. Whatever you do, don't stow food tins, glass bottles or heavy items in the overhead lockers. Before you set off, make sure the caravan is properly attached to your car. Ensure all the lockers and cupboard doors are closed and secured. It is easy to miss one, so after a few miles of driving, have a quick stop and check inside the caravan to make sure everything is still well-secured.

On the road

Once you are on the road, remember that the extra weight you are towing will mean that stopping distances are much longer than when driving in your car, so allow extra space between you and the vehicles in front, and slow down in good time when approaching junctions.

To avoid hitting curbs or driving off the road, take a wide line around corners and remember to allow for the extra length and width of the caravan.

When reversing into a space, turn the steering wheel the opposite way to normal to start the tiller turning, then slacken off and turn the steering wheel the right way to enable the car to follow the caravan. If you over-steer your caravan it could jack-knife and cause damage, so if things are looking a bit tight, stop, pull forward and try again.

Unless you are already confident in manoeuvring a caravan, it is a good idea to practice in a large open space before you set off.

Avoiding 'snaking'

You may want to consider fitting stabilisers to your caravan if it doesn't already have them. The main purpose of a stabiliser is to stop a trailer or caravan from becoming unstable and 'snaking'.

Snaking is when the axles of the caravan move out of the line of the towing vehicle. When this happens, the caravan tries to move back into line, but goes too far. This action starts a cycle of movement from side to side. Unless it is stopped, it will increase and cause the driver to lose control.

To stop snaking, even if you have stabilisers fitted, keep the vehicle steering in a straight line. Don't try to steer out of the situation as it is very difficult to read the snaking action and it can make it worse.

It is best to change down a gear and take both feet off the pedals. If the snaking starts while you are going down a hill, change down a gear and very gently apply the brakes. Don't brake hard or you may cause the caravan to jack-knife into the air. And whatever you do, don't try to accelerate out as this could end in disaster.

Remember, there is more to taking a caravan on holiday than simply hooking it up to your car and driving away. With a little preparation, caravans can be great fun, giving you freedom and a little bit of home comfort when you go away. And whether you are travelling in this country or abroad, make sure you have the right level of breakdown cover should the worst happen.

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