This also assumes a level caravan. If the van is tipped down a bit, the TBM will increase, putting it over the limit. I guess the idea of this video is what happens when you are close to the limit. I think then the idea is to be way more conservative than this so that you have plenty of leeway. Like how much do the people in the car weigh? How much stuff are you putting in the boot? What extraneous stuff have you added to the car, such is bull bars and roof racks? Do you have too much stuff in the van, including batteries, water and extra solar panels? So my advice is to be conservative in your choice of caravan and towing vehicle, and then you have more wriggle room for putting stuff, people, water, accessories and big dogs in the car and van.
I think the Subaru is cutting it too fine, which is why there were a couple of points that were overweight. The Avan Aspire 555 is a bit ambitious for a Subaru which has a towing capacity of 1800kg. I think a Subaru is better suited to a much lighter camper van, such as an Avan Cruiseliner. It is also limited to 80kph which is a bit slow on a 110kph highway. If you want a 1.5 tonne caravan you're better off with a Pajero Sport or better. The ATM of the Avan is a touch more than the towing capacity of the Subaru. The tare weight of the car is 1660 which is less than the ATM of the van. This means that if the van is fully loaded, it will control the car rather than the other way around.
Enjoy your video! Thankyou for sharing your experiences! Would you know somewhere i could buy a set of que cards, for the glovebox, on propper towing techniques, please?? Kind regards, r
The problem I have with this Ute is the short distance between the bumper and the tow ball (approx 60mm). If you have an outback caravan or similar, which has the coupler inside the A-frame, the probability of damaging the bumper during turns is significantly increased. There is no advice on turning circle limitations referencing A-frame design in the promotional pre-purchase material and Mitsubishi offer no alternative and won't take any responsibility whatsoever.
Best video I’ve watched and easily understood what you’re conveying. Noticed you’re reversing to your right, is it more difficult to reverse to your left? My driveway is such that I’ll probably be reversing from the opposite direction to your video
So what is the ideal distance the tow ball should be from the bumper. Most manufactures seem to go for the shortest distance to support 3.5 tonne ratings and 350 kg ball load. This is especially true for light utes and few, if any, manufacturers offer certifiable options that don’t affect warranty or insurance. Not something RU-vid “test experts” comment on as they seem mainly interested in towing in a straight line and seeing how fast vehicles can go up a hill towing a trailer.
Well, most of this advice does not translate to outside of Australia; in the UK for example, we have specific speed limits for towing of a maximum of 60mph (~96kmh) on Motorways/Dual Carriageways, and a maximum of 50mph (~80kmh) on single carriageways, or less depending on the posted limit, where as in many Aussie States there's no limit for towing. In addition, we have a maximum Nose Weight (Trailer/Caravan) or Drawbar Weight (Vehicle), and we don't all tow with 4x4s. For example my tow car is a Toyota Estate with a Drawbar Limit (weight on the 50mm tow ball) of 75kg, and maximum tow capacity of 500kg unbraked/1800kg braked, my caravan is a twin axle (better for towing) with a Nose Weight Limit of 100kg, and an MTPLM (max laden weight) of 1700kg, so I have to secure load the caravan to ensure that the Nose Weight doesn't exceed the Drawbar of 75kg, with all heavy items best loaded in the tow vehicle, or over the axle(s) of the caravan, with minimum weight items in the rear or at any height within the caravan. So the idea of 60% of the load being forward of the axle would overload the Nose Weight Limit of the caravan, and more importantly the Drawbar Limit of the tow vehicle. My 1973 VW 412LS Estate has a Drawbar Limit of 50kg, and a max braked trailer/caravan limit of 900kg. Interesting video though as I have an open invitation to join my Aussie relatives to join a touring convoy (although I'd elect to hire a Motorhome) for a round trip from Brisbane to Darwin, and obviously I'd follow Aussie rules/laws on anything whilst in the Country. I note on your outfit (British terminology for a tow vehicle/caravan combination), that you have a greased hitch on your tow ball, we normally have an ungreased hitch on modern caravans which employs a passive AL-KO stabiliser system with consists of a set of brake pads inside the hitch mechanism (grease would not be a good idea for this), which is a modern change on the stabiliser bar arrangements that many used to add alongside the greased hitches used on old caravans (and modern trailers), which helps in reducing sway to a great extent. Obviously AL-KO also market the AL-KO ATC active stabiliser, which is a further addition to assist in reducing sway, indeed it's my next purchase. You can still purchase the sway bar passive stabilisers for older caravans here (expensive though) www.strongholddirect.co.uk/products/bulldog-caravan-towing-stabiliser
I wish caravan and electrical suppliers would stop pushing the Redard knob type brake controller, they are far from adequate, especially when needing to apply the caravan brakes in an emergency. By far the best unit is the Tekonsha P3, it has a large easy to use lever you can apply gradually and will go to the maximum that you have the brakes set at and will not change the settings, it also does all the important diagnostics and readouts, it also can tell you when the brake coils are warn and shorting out on the drums. The Red Arc cannot do any of this. I know, I have had them both. And please stop being precious about your vehicle and mount the unit on the top right hand side of your dash where it is easily seen and safe to use.
Keep the weight low is a rule to abide by and not to be broken. This rule gets totally ignored when the decision is made to load the roof with solar panels. The added inertia from the high mass in a dynamic instability instance with have the same effect as 100+ tins of soup in the top cupboards. When the spuikers of sway prevent guidance start addressing this issue and not ignore it the sooner we’ll see positive results.
unbelievable...you spend 80 odd grand on a caravan,and cant back it ????, my goodness, a light articulated licence should be mandatory......by the way, dry turning ruins tyres....full lock ???if you need full lock, youve failed...umm, i can reverse a road train around a corner...you are pathetic
this was excellent for me , I just watched one and he really tried hard to teach but it was to confusing for me , then I found you and your lingo with the explanation PERFECT !! thanks !
Put in a few trees, people with their cars partly parked on road, fire hydrants, narrow roads in caravan parks, whole different scenario, not as simple as your video, we been doing this for over 20 years and different lots of time, but i get what your saying, practice makes it easier not perfect, cheers
Exactly what we found. Did a towing course and basically had this information. First use of a new van. Site was directly opposite a cabin, which had a pretty front fence with pot plants. No chance on the narrow road to move more than a few metres before the fence and plants impacted the turn. Took half a dozen short shuttle turns to get the job done.
Thanks guys, the bit on the back of the tow vehicle is the "receiver". The hitch is on the towed vehicle. The receiver is bolted onto the tongue. In the towing world, these definitions are not interchangeable.
Not to sure about turning the steering wheel while stationary. All ways been told to do so puts a lot of pressure on tyres/ power steering pump ect. Learnt that when I was learning to drive over 50 years ago with out power steering
Hi @AU_4591 years ago, when power steering systems were new and delicate, this practice was not encouraged because it put a load on the hydraulic hoses and pump. With the advancement in technology, hydraulic systems are now very durable and not affected by turning the steering wheel whilst stationary. Many new vehicles are now fitted with electronic power steering systems and this practice has no effect on the system at all. Additionally, caravanners are only likely to do this irregularly so it's not going to hurt their vehicle. We hope this information helps.
Hi @paulmorrall5719 years ago, when power steering systems were new and delicate, this practice was not encouraged because it put a load on the hydraulic hoses and pump. With the advancement in technology, hydraulic systems are now very durable and not affected by turning the steering wheel whilst stationary. Many new vehicles are now fitted with electronic power steering systems and this practice has no effect on the system at all. Additionally, caravanners are only likely to do this irregularly so it's not going to hurt their vehicle. In relation to the tyres - Once again caravanners are not going to do this regularly and most of the time that they are turning the wheels, they will be on a gravel or unsealed surface which affords slip and won't damage the tyres. Driver Risk Management has pointed out that they have been using the same vehicle to demonstrate this during their training, at least once a week for the last three years on average 20 times per day. The turning of the wheel has had not detrimental effect on the steering or tyres of the vehicle. We hope this information helps.
We did the two-hour course with Mike a few months back, it was very informative, well presented and it was definitely time well spent. Fully Recommended!!! 👍
