We all like to think of ourselves as safe drivers. And, to some extent, your driving licence is there to back this up – you’ve got to have one before you can head out on public roads. But just because you can drive well doesn’t necessarily mean you can tow well. In fact, many caravanners have had no training at all due to the fact that drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 are automatically allowed to tow. This doesn’t make them unsafe, but it does mean that a little know-how and training could make the difference between towing on a wing and a prayer and enjoying a safe, trouble-free holiday.
There is a plethora of information out there to help you become a towing maestro, including a range of books and videos. But to fully get to grips with the best way to tow, there’s only one place you can really learn: from behind the wheel of your towcar, with an expert on hand to address any bad habits or mental blind spots. To see what the UK’s towing courses have to offer, I attended three courses and one test to see if they really did give people the opportunity to turn from towing minnows into towing titans.

BACK TO SCHOOL
The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Caravan Manoeuvring course involves students watching the instructor, watching fellow students and then having a go themselves, allowing time to absorb the information and ask questions. Courses are held from early March through to early October, at various venues around the country.
There is space on each course for about 11 people. They are put in groups of three or four, and each has its own instructor. Before heading out on to the tarmac there is time set aside for covering the principles of towing: caravans and the law, loading, towing vehicles, and weights and restrictions.
Instructor Geoff Voice explained that matching is the key to stability. Accurate measurement of both towcar and van can be carried out at a weighbridge (your local Trading Standards Agency will be able locate your nearest; visit www.tradingstandards.gov.uk or call your local council). The Camping and Caravanning Club advocates sticking to the 85 percent rule: a tourer’s MTPLM must never exceed that percentage of the towcar’s kerbweight. Geoff gave advice on suitable towing vehicles to help illustrate the point, although very little was made of the pros and cons of diesel engines for towing. We covered a mass of ‘pre-departure’ information, which could be a bit overwhelming for a complete beginner, but facts and figures can always be reviewed with the help of the Club’s Safe Towing for Life video, handed out at the end of the day. We were shown how to measure the caravan’s noseweight with a noseweight gauge, and observed how just a small shift of weight inside the caravan has a dramatic effect on this figure. The dangers of negative noseweight, when the tow hitch lifts off the towball instead of bearing down on it, were discussed, as well as overloading the front locker. The mechanics of hitching up were also covered.
Using a BMW 525 and a Sprite Sprinter 350/2 our group tutor, Peter Cooper, showed us the easy way both to hitch and unhitch, without the need to shout instructions to direct the driver back towards the van’s A-frame. Teachers demonstrated, using clear hand signals, and we jumped in our own vehicles and tried the same manoeuvres reversing and hitching with the caravan provided. The students picked up tips such as how to stop with the towball just to the side of the hitch (it’s easier to swivel the van left to right and push it back and forth), how to attach the breakaway cable, and also the perils of jumping over the A-frame (slipping on wet grass or catching your foot could do you a nasty injury).
Next was the really gritty bit – reversing. Straight reversing, as may be required on a narrow road, is in fact more difficult than many novices think; the caravan will always try and veer off course. Using just our mirrors we learnt that all that is required is to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the mirror that is showing most caravan. Also, take your time. With just a little practice, the improvement in technique was startling.
Then, it was time for the party piece – manoeuvring a caravan on to its pitch. The initial positioning of the vehicles is essential, as is the timing of turning the wheel to full lock to pivot the caravan around a corner. Jack-knifing can be a common problem when reversing around a tight corner, but one which is easily solved. Pull slightly forward, and turn the wheel ‘full lock’ – this time, the other way. This will soften the angle of the turn so you can continue following the caravan round the bend.
The afternoon was set aside for practising more challenging scenarios, away from the artificial simplicity of the playground, with the aim to increase confidence and demonstrate how it is possible to get yourself out of most tricky situations. “Softly, softly, catch the monkey,” was Geoff’s tip for the day – stressing the importance of being patient and keeping a cool head. The general approach of the course was relaxed, and concentrated on group learning through observation and practice.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
The Caravan Club runs a similar type of course, also based on group learning, with less classroom-based theory and more emphasis placed on actual towing. Instead, theory is taught throughout the day, alongside the practical tuition. This course is held all over the country from February through to October. For the less experienced there is the day-and-a-half course, Practical Caravanning, and for those with experience there is Caravan Manoeuvring. On the latter, there were five other students being taught by one instructor. The methods and venue were quite different from the Camping and Caravanning Club course. Instead of a concrete yard, our driving area was grassy and bumpy, like a real site. More time was spent behind the wheel, too.
After a brief introduction, we walked out to the field to master hitching and unhitching and put our spatial awareness to the test by slaloming through cones. It was certainly fun, and a confidence builder for the less experienced, but it would have been good to have a little discussion on use of mirrors beforehand. We were set driving exercises to demonstrate just how tightly you can turn without causing any damage. Straight reversing followed, as did the same useful tips as I had learnt on the Camping and Caravanning Club’s course. The unevenness of the grass not only made it more realistic, but also more of a challenge as the caravan adopted a stronger tendency to veer. We had about 20 minutes to repeat the exercise. There was a certain deterioration in skill after a number of goes, as concentration waned. Changing tasks or dividing students into groups might have been a good idea.
Between exercises there was a chance to discuss popular touring myths, safety issues and DIY. There was some disagreement on whether you should remove the jockey wheel during travelling or storing, just how one should attach the breakaway cable and the wisdom or otherwise of towing with a hitchlock in place. (The NCC and the police do not recommend doing this – if you have an accident, the caravan cannot easily be separated from the vehicle.)
The group included several complete beginners, and it was great seemingly ‘obvious’ details such as how to level your van and how to improve security where discussed at some length. The caravans we used were a little outdated, with slightly tatty and basic hitches, so it might have been useful to have at least one modern van with a stabiliser so everybody could practice hitching and unhitching. We practised driving through a narrow gap between cones and then moved on to reversing round corners. Again, the uneven grass made the experience all the more realistic. The instruction was a little less specific than the Camping and Caravanning Club’s course, with less emphasis placed on the ‘full-lock’ technique. However, we did spend plenty of time reversing in from both sides – unlike the other course.
Particularly interesting were the reasons people gave for signing up for towing courses. One man on the Caravan Club course had been booked in by his wife as a birthday present. She felt it would give him added confidence and make their caravan holidays more stress-free. A couple of the women there were learning the ropes so they could share the driving with their husbands on long trips away. Another man, on the Camping and Caravan Club course, seemed a little reluctant to be there to start with, although his wife appeared quite enthusiastic. However, at the end of the day’s lessons, he realised the benefits of attending.

DRIVECRAFT
If you’re really focused and want to perfect both your on-road towing and manoeuvring then Drivecraft offers a range of excellent courses. They are more intensive than the two clubs’ courses, as the smaller group numbers mean greater attention focused on the individual. After the basic Manoeuvring and Reversing course, you can graduate to Bronze, Gold and Platinum levels. A full day’s Platinum course can be tailored to suit your needs.
It is usually on a one-to-one basis, but could include up to four people. With managing director Phil Robinson as my towing instructor, we started on a tarmac practice area before heading out onto the roads around Daventry.
Covering the basics, and towing preparation, the real benefit of this course is the on-road aspect. It’s amazing just how much even experienced caravanners can learn with someone watching them in action – and how much you discover that you take for granted. Awareness of the size your unit and how it reacts in different conditions and situations is merely the first consideration. We covered safe signalling and approaching junctions, bends and roundabouts. The tuition was relaxed and unpressured, and there was time for cups of tea and relevant discussion.

INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED MOTORISTS
If you really want to put yourself to the towing test, the IAM will do just that. The main attraction with their tests is that if you successfully pass one some insurers, such as IAM Select and Royal Sun Alliance, will offer you a discount on your premiums. All the instruction is provided by experts and can be undertaken anywhere in the country. Their road-based test not only looks at how you tow, but also at your general motoring practices. They do ask to see some evidence that you are competent at manoeuvring, so previous training is essential. You are unlikely to pass if you have little towing experience.
Offering myself as a sacrifice in the name of research, I thought I’d try the test – without the prior training. It was thoroughly painless, but definitely an eye-opener. My instructor, Mike Lovelock, who was a traffic policeman with the Metropolitan police for over 30 years, is now head of the police driving school at Hendon. The test lasted about an hour and a half, on all types of road, and Mike left me largely to my own devices. Then came the debrief.
Mike had subtly made notes during my drive. The key is anticipation – looking well ahead and acting accordingly. It is important not to leave braking to the last minute, especially if it is wet or icy. Checking your left mirror when exiting roundabouts was another crucial point, as well as ‘acceleration sense’. This involves using the throttle more economically, so less braking is required. Overall we had a safe drive, and I was encouraged rather than perturbed by Mike’s comments. He left me with plenty to think about and work on, and passing the IAM test in the near future seemed at least within my reach.
So, next time you see someone deftly reversing their caravan out of an impossible predicament you’ll be able to think:“I could do that, no problem.” There are plenty of books, videos and courses you can do which could make all the difference, with minimum stress. As most of us find out at one time or another, it’s best not to leave these things to chance as invariably the least likely situation will arise – so why not be prepared? You can never tell what you will be faced with around the next corner, but you can be certain that some cool thinking and some sensible manoeuvring will help to get you out of trouble.