Back when I learned to drive a car, my instructor took me through a process called the ‘cabin drill’. The cabin drill was something I was taught to do every time I got behind the wheel, before I even put the key in the ignition. It involved checking that all doors were closed and that the handbrake was applied. If necessary, I would then adjust the seat, the head restraint, and the steering wheel. I would fix up all the mirrors – inside and out of the vehicle – to ensure I had as clear a view as possible. I was then required to locate all essential controls and know how to work them. The final step of the cabin drill was to fasten my seatbelt, and it was only after completing all those steps that I could turn the car on.
This is all common sense stuff that becomes second nature once you’ve been driving for a while. You barely think about doing these things; you just do them. But what about those times when you’re towing a trailer or caravan on the back of your vehicle? How often do you check that everything on the trailer or caravan is in working order and ready to hit the road? By checking your towed vehicle before you travel, you can identify potential problems early on and avoid paying for expensive trailer repairs. Fivestar Towbars in Melbourne explains how.
If you haven’t been particularly vigilant with your caravan or trailer maintenance, we suggest making sure you get it seen to before you set off on your trip – and you shouldn’t leave it to the last minute. Before leaving with trailer in tow, we always recommend completing an inspection of the towed vehicle. Make sure all lights are working and are clearly visible when activated; front, back, brake lights – the whole lot. Ensure the handbrake on the trailer or caravan has been disengaged once attached to your vehicle (it could make getting from A to B considerably difficult if the brakes are still on!). You should also be on the lookout for any loose items that should not be loose and fix them accordingly.
Once you’re on the road, pull over every two hours to check the wheels for any heat around the centre hub. Any excessive heat that generates is typically a sign that there may be some sort of problem, ranging from tight wheel bearings or a bent axle to faulty brakes.
For those who want to be a bit more thorough, here’s a fairly detailed checklist to help you keep your trailers and caravans properly maintained.
At Fivestar Towbars, we often see people bringing in trailers and caravans that need repairs because they didn’t do these checks before they got on the road. By simply examining your trailer or caravan before hitching it to the back of your vehicle and setting off, you can identify potential issues before they blow out into much larger, costlier problems.
The cost of your trailer maintenance and repairs will be significantly less if you don’t wait until a major problem exists before you sort it out. We’d rather that money stay in your pocket for the things you want to do, so before you set off, be sure to book with FiveStar Towbars in Melbourne for our caravan or trailer repair services.
Towards the end of 2015, the Victorian Government made some changes to the laws and legislations around the safe towing of caravans. Let’s take a closer look at some of these changes.
When you’re towing a trailer or caravan, it’s crucial to have measures in place to prevent the towed vehicle separating from your car. The tow coupling is the standard, but you’re also required to have a safety connection device in place to act as a backup if the tow coupling somehow fails and it either breaks or the caravan or trailer detaches from your car. This essential plan B can be anything like a metal chain or a cable and is connected to the towing car with a part called a D shackle.
Safety chains with compliant D shackles are non-negotiable for secure towing, whether using local or European tow bars. These backup systems prevent dangerous separations if couplings fail, requiring D shackles rated to handle specific loads. Unlike older setups, modern standards mandate load-rated shackles compatible with safety chains up to 3500kg capacity, ensuring alignment with both Australian and European safety protocols.
If a person intends to tow a caravan or trailer on the back of their vehicle, they must be aware of their vehicle’s towing capacity. They will either have what is called a Braked Towing Capacity, which indicates the weight a vehicle is capable of towing with trailer brakes applied, or an Unbraked Towing Capacity, which is the maximum towing ability of a vehicle towing a trailer without its own braking system. The Braked Towing Capacity is most common for caravan enthusiasts, as the unbraked figure cannot exceed the legal limit of 750kg – a weight that is significantly less than a standard caravan.
Australian law requires that any trailer or caravan that exceeds the 750kg weight must be fitted with electric brakes and therefore require brake controllers. Brake controllers are installed in the towing vehicle and enable the brakes on the trailer or caravan to work. They are connected to the brake lights in your car, and as you slow down or stop suddenly, they communicate to the brakes on the caravan or trailer that it must also slow down or stop as well. Without brake controllers, whatever you are towing can collide with the back of your car.
If you’d like to make sure your brake controllers are connected correctly, or if you have any concerns or queries about your towing capacity, it’s important to get these issues resolved before you take to the open roads. Contact FiveStar Towbars today for expert advice and assistance.
At this time of the year, over the Christmas / New Year period and the weeks that follow, the roads are noticeably busy. Some might be road tripping it to their nearest music festival; others might be travelling to catch up with family or friends, while many may just be getting away for a few day. Whether you’re roughing it out in the bush or staying in a caravan park by the beach, the temptation to get out of the city and relax for a few days in the hot Australian summer is hard to resist.
Of course, if you’ve got a caravan or trailer attached to the back of your vehicle as you make your way to your holiday destination, it’s crucial that you alter your driving practices to ensure you arrive safely. Let’s look at safe, responsible towing a little closer.
As every state has its own slight variations regarding towing laws and regulations, for ease this article will refer specifically to Melbourne; the primary market for FiveStar Towbars.
If you’ve never driven while towing a caravan before, be aware that you cannot drive as you normally would. You’ll need to adjust the way you drive almost completely because of the extra length and weight that you’re carrying. But before you even hitch the caravan to the tow bar, ensure your vehicle ticks these boxes:
The caravan must also not exceed the maximum weight recommended by the manufacturer, the towing limits recommended by the car manufacturer, or the weight rating of the towbar.
As we mentioned earlier, you will need to adjust the way you drive when you’re towing a caravan behind you. Before you leave on your road trip, perhaps try driving a shorter distance with the van attached, allowing you to gain a sense of how it feels.
It’s important to remember that towing a caravan or a trailer noticeably reduces your braking ability as well as your ability to decelerate. So when you’re going around sharp corners or find yourself needing to come to a sudden stop, slamming your foot on the brake is not recommended. Ever found yourself walking behind someone who suddenly stops and you end up crashing into them because you weren’t paying attention? That’s basically what the caravan will do to the back of your car if you don’t give the brake controllers in your vehicle time to tell the caravan to slow down and/or stop as well.
Click here for more information on safe caravan towing. It should go without saying, but we’ll say it any way: always drive responsibly, but even more so when you have a caravan attached to the back of your vehicle. If you want to be sure that your car is caravan-towing friendly, get in touch with FiveStar Towing today. We can provide you with everything you need, from mobile tow bar fitting to the installation of electric brake controllers and much, much more.
It’s Spring Racing Carnival Time in Melbourne at the moment, and ‘The Race That Stops a Nation’ is (at the time of writing) just a week away. As a result, equestrian activities are likely on the mind of many horse lovers. As the weather slowly warms, you might feel more inclined to take your horse for a ride at the nearest equestrian club or even out in Victoria’s beautiful bushland.
When it comes to transporting your horse, it’s likely that you have a horse float that you tow on the back of your vehicle. Fivestar Towbars, the towbar installation specialists in Melbourne, offers some tips for safely towing a horse float while you’re driving.
Horses are not known for being petite; in fact, they’re the opposite, and can weigh a literal half tonne each. When it comes to installing a towbar, you need to know what your vehicle’s towing capacity is. If the combination of horse and horse float exceeds your 4WD’s legal towing capacity, you’ll not only be breaking the law, but you also run the risk of putting other users on the road in danger – not to mention your horse as well.
Just as you’d have an electric brake controller fitted to your towed caravan or trailer, so too should you have one for your horse float as well. This device effectively alerts the towed float that the driven vehicle is slowing down or braking to stop and that it too needs to follow suit.
When you’re driving, it’s best to avoid suddenly changing lanes or braking, as these unexpected movements could potentially injure your horse. By braking or changing lanes gently, your horse should remain safe, comfortable and happy.
Above, we have listed just a few points to consider; it is by no means the be-all-and-end-all though. We recommend speaking to an equestrian expert first about safe towing. And once you’ve gotten the information you need, we can certainly help you with the products and towbar installation! Get in touch with us today; we’ll happily come to you anywhere in metropolitan Melbourne.
When was the last time you gave someone a piggyback? Been a while? Perhaps it wasn’t so long ago. Whatever the case, what you’ll likely remember is that you have to adjust the way you walk to ensure your own safety, that of the person you’re piggybacking and possibly even other people who are in or near your path.
The same principles apply when you’re towing a caravan, trailer or a boat on the back of your car. It’s impossible to drive in the same way you would without the extra weight and length you’re carrying behind you without becoming a danger to yourself and others. So whether you’re going on holiday or just to the rubbish tip, here are four important safety tips to abide by when you’re towing a vehicle on the back of your car.
The size and weight of your vehicle will determine how much weight you’re legally able to tow, so get to know your car: its maximum tow rating, the ball weight of the towed vehicle (i.e. trailer, caravan etc) and also the fully loaded weight of the towed vehicle. Be aware that the trailer ball weight, or maximum capacity weight of your caravan or trailer must not go above the maximum tow rating of the towing vehicle. This means that if your car weighs 1100kg and your trailer is capable of holding 800kg, that 800kg is the most you are able to tow.
Long haul road trips can be hard work; particularly when you have a caravan attached to your tow bar. Not only do you need to drive slower to account for the extra weight, but you also have to account for the extra length you’re carrying by being aware of the roads and how they will affect your driving. Long, straight freeways will obviously be much easier to negotiate than winding roads that go uphill and downhill. By thinking ahead about which roads and highways you’ll take, and of course scheduling breaks from driving (every two hours is good) you can plan for the safest possible travelling experience.
Does your trailer, boat or caravan weigh over 750kg? If yes, then you are legally required to ensure it has working brakes installed. “But how do those brakes work when the vehicle’s motor isn’t working?” I hear you ask. Never fear – unlike that awkward moment of walking into the back of someone as they suddenly stop directly in front of you, the electric brake controller prevents your caravan or trailer from doing the same to your car. The controller gets installed in your car, and activates the brakes in the towed vehicle as you slow down to stop. Read more about electric brake controller installation and how these devices keep you safe.
If you’ve never driven while towing another vehicle, you need to understand that you can’t drive in the same manner you otherwise would. We cannot stress this enough. Abide by the safety rules, use commonsense while you drive, take less busy roads if you need to. Getting to your destination in one piece without being a hazard to yourself or others – that is what’s most important.
If you’re planning a trip around Australia with a caravan attached to the back of your vehicle, and want to make sure everything is safe and ready to go before you leave, call FiveStar Towbars in Melbourne today. We service the entire metropolitan area with the best in towbar installations, maintenance and installations of electric brake controllers and much more.