Warning over 'costly' and common caravan mistake ahead of Aussie summer holidays
Domestic tourists are being urged to be mindful of their cargo as they head out to enjoy an end of year trip.
As the summer holidays and Christmas celebrations near, many Aussies will spend the coming weeks planning and prepping for a caravan getaway. After packing up the essentials, eager travelling families will pile into their 4WD and make their way out of the cities with the hope of enjoying the country’s picturesque landscape.
However, before they hit the road, drivers should be wary of making a “costly” common caravan mistake that could have “dangerous” consequences.
Jeff De Ath, who created NSW-based mobile caravan weighing company Check Weight five years ago, told Yahoo News Australia that 60 to 70 per cent of his callouts “have a weight issue” that can pose a genuine threat on the road.
While not all vehicles exceed their limit, many also have issues with balance. “The majority can be fixed with knowledge,” he said, urging people to get their set-ups checked before heading off on holiday.
Overweight items on the back of caravans a common problem
Recently, Mr De Ath issued a warning to drivers after helping a man who had fixed three metal boxes onto the back of his caravan. “He’d added a lot of infrastructure, which added a lot of weight to the caravan and made it overweight. When you add weight to the back of the caravan you reduce your tow ball weight,” he told Yahoo, explaining that at speed, that can make it sway dangerously.
The tow ball weight is the weight that the caravan exerts down on the tow bar, and the maximum will be specified by the manufacturer.
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Mr De Ath said the customer did “the right thing” by getting weighed before starting his trip and promptly removed the boxes — but they aren’t the only possible culprits. Attached spare wheels, jerry cans and bikes can also cause problematic swaying.
“Little things like your ball heist or how high the hitch is also affects your weight,” Mr De Ath said. “Caravans are notoriously unbalanced and then we make it worse and that affects your balance, safety and your wheel wear. It doesn’t cause an accident but it makes it hard to recover when things go wrong.”
If a caravan is overweight and is involved in an accident, the driver could potentially lose their vehicle and van insurance. “My advice is to get weighed so you understand your vehicle and caravan weights — what’s legal and what’s safe,” Mr De Ath said.
“A lot of people focus on the legalities without being safe. There’s no minimum legal requirement for minimum tow ball weight.”
Australian standards for towing caravan
With caravan sales on the rise, authorities sounded the alarm earlier this year following a spate of bad crashes.
Across Australia, it’s a requirement to follow safety standards associated with your vehicle while travelling on roads towing a van or trailer. Drivers must secure their load and also adhere to licence restrictions, mostly relating to learner and provisional licence holders.
Other rules include keeping 60 metres behind other caravans on roads outside built-up areas and ensuring speed doesn’t ever exceed 100km per hour — but a lower speed is recommended in certain conditions. Most importantly, drivers must adhere to their vehicle manufacturers' safety guidelines such as the maximum weight, which can be found in the owner’s manual.
Mr De Ath said drivers should also be aware that breaking distances are higher when a car is carrying weight, and that the turning radius is wider than normal.
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