RV FEATURE
5
ASSUME NOTHING
When I was initially learning to tow a caravan , I felt some ‘ clunking ’ on the towball and it appeared to get worse with each kilometre I travelled . Soon enough , I pulled over to inspect the situation . What I found bordered on horrifying : the towball ’ s nut had almost unwound completely – it was literally hanging on by a thread ! I didn ’ t entirely blame myself . You see , I was borrowing the Hilux tow vehicle from a former colleague whose attitudes towards safety were not the same as mine . It turned out that at some point , he had swapped to a different towball but for reasons known only to him , he hadn ’ t fitted the spring washer and I was learning firsthand how important this unassuming part is .
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My mistake , as a beginner , was to assume that the towbar / towball assembly was correct . However , the mere absence of a spring washer to help keep the nut locked in place almost brought me undone .
The lesson : when taking the wheel as the driver , you become responsible . When towing , assumptions can lead to the end of a trip , or a life . Had I not pulled over to check what was causing the clunking on the towbar , things would have been very different – without question .
SUMMING UP
Again , this list is not exhaustive . There are plenty of other considerations when it comes to safe , legal towing , from tyre pressures to payload . Having said that , by taking heed of the above , and approaching each situation with common sense and accurate advice , you ’ ll be much better positioned to keep yourself , your loved ones , and other motorists safe .