As per a previous thread we are going on a CC Manoeuvring Course next Saturday, I've never towed or hitched before - well the paperwork came for the course and in huge letters across the agenda it said that this course is not intended for novices and you must be able to hitch up and tow a caravan!!
So today I have been fastening and unfastening hitch and wheel locks, engaging the mover (won't need that next week), raising and lowering steadies, attaching mirrors and hitching up and un hitching - think I may have jarred my back slightly raising the stabilizer handle phew thats heavy!!! I have been a very good student and have made lots of notes which I will read through prior to the weekend. After we had done the hitching bit OH drove me to a deserted industrial estate where I had a go at towing, he was suggesting I had a go at a stretch of motorway but I didn't want to be out on the open roads for my first attempt. I was surprised how natural it felt and I even had an almost successful attempt at reversing around a corner (I got around but it was a little wide). Poor kids thought we were going on holiday bless, only to return home within the hour!!!
Im really pleased I've had a go at it all because I feel that I will be fine on the course now - I'll probably take a little list with me just to remind me of the order of things but I now don't feel as though I have too much to worry about.
Well done on your first experience and hope you enjoy the course. I have just returned from my first tow and I was really bricking it, but it wasn't that bad and coming home today I didn't worry much at all and soon got used to how it feels to tow. I still may do a course though.
Your experience about it feeling natural is probably just about spot on, with care simply towing is easy and nothing for anyone to be afraid of.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
I was the same when I first bought my teeny van (one of the reasons it's teeny!). Having never even towed a trailer before, I was worried to say the least. My son came and sat in the passenger seat - he drives HGV1's for a living and can reverse them!! We set off for a little round trip (on roads as nowhere near for an off-road practice. However half way along the route I had already got the hang of it, so we went and did a junction of the motorway, which I also found easy.
Take care not to rush anything when hitching up, and take the left hand bends a bit wider and you've got it. I also had to get to grips with my automatic tow car, and that took a bit more practice. And I still can't reverse the darned thing, so I just unhitch the caravan, look little and helpless on a site and ask for help! You shouldn't really need to ever reverse yours if you have a mover, though!
The only thing I've still not done is refuelled the car whilst the caravan is still attached, so if you ask about that, perhaps you could let me know!
Ah well done! It's not something that I am volunteering to do.. well not yet anyhow! I am fine with towing the trailer though.
In my defence I can do the mover, steadies, wheel locks. But for my first tow I just want to set off in a straight line and stop in a straight line and definately no corners!
Well done Fiona you will be fine on the course you are probably a lot better than some of them out there who cant be bothered to learn just hte basics.
Jax 365 offers some good advice but learn to reverse dont unhitch. Its ok man handling on site but there will be times when on a narrowish road you have just passed a passing place and you need to reverse back to it.
------------- A barman is just a pharmacist
with a limited inventory
Hi, Well done,its a lot easier than you thought,bit strange that course is not for novices, would think it would be very good for novice as they can learn to handle van, safely the correct way right from the start,can see why you need to be able to hitch and unhitch,but the part about need to be able to tow a van,always thought that these courses where for all to learn how to handle van,obviously i thought wrong.
Congratulations again and hope you enjoy the course,Good luck.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
Mover or not, at some point you will have to reverse, so it's a skill worth developing.
For example, you might be on your way to a site down a single track country lane, and you might meet a coach full of passengers, let's say school children. The driver is not legally allowed to reverse with passengers on, and is unlikely to turf the children out on a country road. So it's down to you....
You might say that's unlikely, but I've seen it. The main reasons why I have to reverse my caravan on the road have largely been other caravans.
Not everybody seems to respect the times posted for leaving and arriving at sites, so sometimes you can meet in the middle.
So get some practice in. Reversing is part of driving. If you can't reverse, you really shouldn't have a licence. It's not as hard as you think, once you start.
They recommend the Practical Caravan course for novices rather than the Manoeuvring Course as that covers all aspects of caravanning loading, weight and hitching up as well as a bit of manouevring where as the Manoeuvring course is all about the driving of the caravan. Although OH can drive the caravan really well and confidently but because of the mover he hasn't fine tuned the reversing so this is why he wanted this course. In fact this course is mainly reversing with a small amount of forward driving and levelling and is 6½hrs - ha I will end up better at going backwards than forwards by the end of it!!!
Quote: Originally posted by Chalkie56 on 11/4/2011
Jax 365 offers some good advice but learn to reverse dont unhitch. Its ok man handling on site but there will be times when on a narrowish road you have just passed a passing place and you need to reverse back to it.
yep I'm with you on that one! LOL... I live in fear of having to reverse back in a situation like this. Really must practice reversing sometime soon.
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Topic: I towed!!! (well just a little)...
