Caravans are terrific recreational assets, but unlike RVs and other motor homes, they do not come equipped with an engine. So, if you just bought a new caravan, you will need to learn how to tow it with your vehicle. The first priority when towing a caravan, or anything for that matter, is safety. By learning the proper methods for towing, you can prevent accidents on the road, and protect yourself and your passengers from harm.

Continue reading to review some helpful tips for towing a caravan.

Know Your Total Tow Weight

You must determine how much your caravan weighs before it is full of belongings and passengers. You will need this numeric value to calculate your total tow weight. You can usually find this number in the owner’s manual. If your caravan did not come with one, you can download a free manual online. Just find a portal and type in the make, model, and year of the camper.

When you know how much your camper weighs, estimate the weight of your cargo and then add the two values together to get the total weight of your caravan. After you have calculated the total weight of your camper, you can refer to your towing vehicle’s owner’s manual for information about its towing capacity. If the total weight of your camper is less than your vehicle’s towing capacity, you are in good shape for safe towing so far!

Towing Accessories

Your camper should have a trailer coupler that attaches to a towing hitch receiver on your towing vehicle. Be sure your hitch set-up has everything to deliver a safe tow. This includes the trailer coupler, hitch receiver, trailer ball, ball mount, electrical hookups, safety chains, and pins and clips. Again, refer to your owner’s manual for instructions on which receiver you need for your towing vehicle and camper. You must get towing accessories that can withstand the weight of your load.

Set Up and Inspections

Be sure you are completely familiar with these parts, especially how to hook them up, replace them, and inspect them for defects. And every time you set out to tow your caravan, always check that all the lights are hooked up properly and functioning. This includes taillights, headlights, turn signals, flashers, brakes, parking, and more.