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THE TOWING EXPERIENCE
WORDS : MAX TAYLOR
ARE YOU NEW TO TOWING ? HERE ’ S WHAT TO EXPECT AND SOME TIPS TO SEE YOU THROUGH . IF YOU ’ RE EXPERIENCED , THERE ’ S PLENTY HERE FOR YOU , TOO .
When I first towed a caravan , I was nervous . I was at the wheel of a HiLux and my intention was to tow a pop-top to the Great Ocean Road to meet some friends . It was 20 years ago and , if I ’ m honest , I had no idea if the vehicle was legally capable of the task .
My reasoning was simple : the tow vehicle was a 4WD , it looked capable , and it had a towbar . I suspect plenty of caravanners have reduced the equation to this basic formula before .
So let me relay my early towing experiences and offer some insight into what you should expect the first time you tow a van . Old hands might find this useful , too .
After hitching up , I set off . Was the rear of the vehicle sagging under the weight of the pop-top ’ s ball mass ? I have no idea – I didn ’ t know to check . In hindsight , it probably wasn ’ t . I do recall , however , feeling quite pleased with myself for managing to hitch up myself . I doubt I crossed the safety chains and wouldn ’ t have understood the benefit – that crossed chains can ‘ catch ’ the coupling if the van and vehicle become decoupled .
The journey to the Great Ocean Road was , fortunately , uneventful . Instinctively , I kept to the left lane on the freeway wherever possible and I checked my mirrors frequently .
With a safe , legal setup such as this , and plenty of common sense , there ' s no reason you can ' t also explore all that Australia has to offer – including this magnificent spot in Queensland !
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