A holiday at a caravan park

A touring holiday starts with the drive, towing the caravan behind the car. The rest of it happens on a pitch at the park.

What your licence lets you tow

GOV.UK explains that the weight you can tow depends on when you got your driving licence. The weight that counts is the maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the car and the caravan. It is in the owner's manual, and it is usually on a plate or sticker on the vehicle or caravan.

If you got your licence from 1 January 1997, you can tow a trailer of up to 3,500kg MAM. GOV.UK calls this category BE. If your physical licence doesn't show BE, DVLA will add it when you next renew. If you got it before then, you can usually drive a car and trailer with a combined weight of up to 8,250kg MAM.

The car has a limit of its own. GOV.UK calls the fully loaded car plus the fully loaded caravan the gross train weight, and says it must not be exceeded. It is normally on a plate under the bonnet or inside the driver's door. If that plate gives no train weight, GOV.UK says the car should not be used for towing.

A car with a maximum authorised mass of 3,500kg or less can't tow a trailer longer than 7 metres. The widest trailer anyone can tow is 2.55 metres.

GOV.UK also lists places that train people to tow a caravan, such as the Safe Towing Scheme.

Loading and hitching up

The Highway Code asks drivers to spread the load evenly, with heavy items over the axle. There should be a downward load on the tow ball. Keep within the weights and the tow ball load the manufacturer sets, which helps stop the caravan swerving or snaking.

If your caravan weighs over 750kg when loaded, it must have working brakes. You must also use a breakaway cable or secondary coupling, in case it comes away from the car. The number plate on the caravan must match the car's.

If the caravan is wider than the back of the car, you must fit towing mirrors. GOV.UK says you can be fined and get penalty points for towing without proper towing mirrors.

Speed on the way

A car towing a caravan has lower speed limits than a car on its own. Where the national speed limit applies, it's 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual carriageway or a motorway. On roads with street lights in a built-up area, it's 30mph in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 20mph in Wales, unless signs show otherwise.

On a motorway with three or more lanes, the Highway Code says you must not use the right-hand lane when towing.

Pitching up

The Home Office's outdoor fire safety advice for England asks for caravans and tents to be at least six metres apart. They should also be away from parked cars, to reduce the risk of a fire spreading. Find out the site's fire arrangements when you arrive, and where the nearest telephone is.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club says the normal supply in the UK is 16 amps. Some sites limit it to less, usually 10 amps and sometimes 5 amps or less. Check the limit when you arrive, before you plug in. A household kettle may not work on a 10 amp supply.

The club asks caravanners to switch off everything inside before connecting or disconnecting. Test the RCD with its button each time the caravan goes onto a site supply. Unwind the hook-up cable fully, because a coiled cable can overheat.

Inside the caravan

The Home Office asks people to fit a smoke alarm in a caravan and test it. It also suggests a carbon monoxide alarm. Keep the caravan ventilated, and never block its air vents.

Turn off every appliance before you go out or go to bed. Do not dry clothes over the stove, and use a torch rather than candles.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club says a gas leak is most likely where the regulator, valve or hose joins. Never look for a leak with a flame. Brush a mix of washing-up liquid and water over the joint and watch for bubbles. The club advises changing low-pressure gas hoses every three years.

Barbecues and gas bottles

The Home Office says never to use a barbecue in a caravan, in a tent or under an awning. HSE explains that any appliance that burns fuel can give off carbon monoxide.

Change a gas cylinder only when it is completely empty, and never smoke while you change it. Store cylinders away from caravans and vehicles.

Useful links