RV FEATURE
THE WEIGHT OF IT
First , you ’ ll notice the weight on the back of your tow vehicle . Your vehicle ’ s engine will work harder on take-off and , to a lesser extent , at cruising speed . At all times , it ’ ll feel like your pulling a house on wheels which , after all , is exactly what you ’ re doing .
As such , your senses and general awareness will be heightened . You ’ ll be constantly aware of how the van is tracking , always thinking about its placement on the road . At least , you should be . If this sounds stressful , don ’ t worry – in time , your nerves will settle and you ’ ll learn to monitor the van while simultaneously monitoring the road ahead .
If you ’ re an experienced caravanner , hitching up probably doesn ’ t worry you . But if you ’ re new to the lifestyle – perhaps you ’ re about to buy your first van – you ’ d be forgiven for feeling a little nervous about your maiden voyage .
While not rocket science , towing a van isn ’ t like driving unhitched . It will introduce you to a new range of pressure points and the potential for anxiety is very real . So let ’ s be honest about what to expect the first time you hitch up and head off …
CUTTING IN
The first time you negotiate a turn , you ’ ll notice that your caravan takes a shorter path . It will ‘ cut in ’ on the corner , and if you ’ re not careful , the van could mount the kerb , take out a street sign , or worse .
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