Caravanning is a good way to spend a vacation on a land far far away without having to spend on hotels that do not give more of the fun. There are many great places to visit in Australia where you can set your caravan on, may it be along coastlines or terrains. Yet, when doing such activity, towing your caravan must always be part of the plan.
People may be unaware of this, but you cannot tow a caravan when you just want to. You need to follow guidelines and standardized rules for towing, as this will be your safety net to drive your caravan to your desired destination. Ample considerations should be followed, to have a secured adventure whatever circumstances may happen.
Follow these legal requirements instead:
Caravan Length
You must remember that not all caravans have legal lengths for towing. Some caravans might be too long and this might lead to dangers. When purchasing a caravan, one recommendation is to opt for something short in length.
A caravan length that’s legal to be towed must not exceed 12.5 metres. This includes the length from the foremost point of the hook down to the end of the caravan. If ever you have accessories behind, make sure to still measure the length including the accessories like bikes and extra tires along.
Caravan Width
Same as the length, a caravan’s width must also have its limits. In Australia, the legal width measurement for caravan towing must not exceed 2.5 metres. This will include the overall measurement of the caravan body like the wheel guards and the other essentials that come in together for the caravan to be complete.
However, you may need not to include the rearview mirror during the measurement process. Moreover, signaling devices, anti-skid devices, side-mounted lamps and reflectors, and curtain side devices, can be measured together with the overall width but must not exceed 2.55 meters.
Caravan Height
A height requirement limited to 4.3 meters should also be considered when caravanning. Caravan height measurements must start from any type of accessories over your caravan (e.g air conditioners or any aerial accessories) and must end at the bottom of the wheels facing the ground.
Tow vehicle and Caravan Length
Aside from this, it is also important to measure the entire length of the caravan and the tow vehicle. The maximum length requirement from the front most part of the towing vehicle to the backmost part of the caravan must not exceed 19.0 metres. This will ensure the caravan follows the flow of the towing vehicle in order to prevent wobbling especially through curved roads.
Rear Overhang
Rear Overhang is the foremost point of the tow vehicle and caravan considering the accessories and other additional loads. This must not exceed 3.7 metres and is measured with the length of the front load-carrying body ahead of the rear overhang line in the axle group. The front-load carrying area is the distance from the centre of the axle group to the front load of the carrying body.
This is to ensure that the front load carrying area is longer than the rear overhang so coupling will be easy and also avoid the caravan from swerving.
Protruding Loads
Protruding loads over the caravan or the towing vehicle must be controlled as well. If a protruding load is placed on the caravan, it should not exceed 1.2 meters of the caravan’s rear. Whereas when the protruding load is placed on the towing vehicle, it may protrude 1.2 meters beyond the front of the vehicle.
Still, you may opt to use red flags and hang them on the protruding loads, for you to be able to know that the load is there. If ever you are travelling by night, you may place rechargeable lights so you can still monitor the load. Nevertheless, use lights that are not too bright; just the right amount so it will not shun your eyes.
Now, are you ready to go on a caravan trip?