A Guide to Caravan Towing

Caravanning on holiday can often feel like a quintessential British summer holiday. It comes with all the fun. Long trips to seaside or countryside, clean fresh air and unpredictable weather patterns.

But, if you are new to owning a caravan, or are simply at the stage of buying your first caravan, then you may be a bit nervous about towing a caravan for the first time.

Luckily, with the right knowledge, and some confidence, you can soon be out towing your caravan to some of the best holiday locations the British Isles has to offer.

License Considerations

Since November 2021, all motorists with a full car license are allowed to tow a caravan, as long as the maximum authorised mass (MAM) is not over 3,500kg.

If you need to tow a trailer or caravan with a larger MAM, you are required to pass the car and trailer driving test.

The exception to this rule is for drivers who passed their test before 1st January 1997. They are allowed driver with a MAM of up to 8,250kg.

Caravan Towing Rules

When caravan towing, the maximum trailer width for any vehicle is 2.55 metres and the maximum length for a trailer is 7 metres (when being towed by a vehicle that weigh up to 3,500 kg).

You must have tow brackets which have been tested to European standards, and you must use the correct mounting points as stated by the manufacturer of your vehicle.

There are some vehicle types which are not able to tow by law. You will notice these if they do not have a train weight displayed on the VIN plate and do not have any mounting points.

If you are unsure if your vehicle is capable of towing a caravan, check with the vehicle manufacturer.

Although not a rule, make sure that when pulling a caravan you give yourself more time and more space. This is especially true when turning corners or dealing with road junctions.

Caravan Towing Legal Requirements

You must have a registration plate on the rear of your caravan which displays your car’s registration number. It must mee the British legal standards for registration plates – you cannot use a homemade sign.

You must have a good and unobstructed view of the whole caravan. This means you will need to invest in extensions for your wing mirrors in most cases.

It is illegal to tow a caravan with people inside the caravan.

Unbraked Trailer Towing

If your caravan is on an unbraked trailer, you cannot legally tow anything that has a greater combined weight of 750kg, or half the kerbside weight of the towing vehicle.

Kerbside weight being the weight of a parked and unused vehicle – minus passengers and luggage.

Towing Caravan Speed Limit

It’s important to be aware that the legal speed limit can differ for you if you are pulling a caravan. If you are towing on dual carriageway, the UK’s speed limit is 60mph.

If you are breaking the speed limit, you risk a fine and points on your license.

When driving and towing on the motorway it is also recommended that you do not exceed 60mph.

Caravan Snaking

Snaking of a caravan is when the lateral movement of the caravan behind the car begins to become excessive. This can lead to the caravan swaying side to side more and more aggressively.

In extreme scenarios, this can then cause the rear end of the car to sway – causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

To avoid snaking, you need to ensure that the car can appropriately deal with the weight and size of the caravan. Also pack the caravan efficiently, with a well-balanced weight distribution.

Even with the best care in the world though, sometimes a strong side wind can cause a caravan to begin snaking. If this is the case, you should gently take your foot off the accelerator and allow the car to slow down on its own.

Avoid the desire to brake or try to correct the snaking by steering. Keep in a straight line and slow down gradually. This should be enough to bring the caravan under control.

Caravan Tyres

Caravan tyres have the same legal minimum tread depth requirement as car tyres, which is 1.6mm across three quarters of the tyre's circumference.

Once a tyre 6 years old, the rubber compound will have degraded to the point that they become weak and potentially dangerous.

To check the age of your caravan tyres, you will find the DOT code on the sidewall of the tyre.

This is a series of numbers – and the last four last digits represent the age of the tyre. With the first two digits telling us the week and the last two the year the tyre was made.

For example, if the final four digits were 3921, you can decipher that the tyre was manufactured in the 39th week of the year 2021.

So, before setting off on any journey with your caravan, check the three most essential areas of your tyre, tyre pressure, tread depth and the overall condition.

If you require new tyres for your caravan, Blackcircles.com stocks a great range of tyres suitable for caravans and campervans from several leading brands.