Towing Course - a glowing report
I attended the practical caravan towing course near Hickstead near the end of July.
I can't remember attending a course that was so informative, practical and such a load of fun. I actually couldn't wait to get there on the Sunday morning.
There were 5 of us newbies and Keith was the instructor. He was able to answer every question we put to him except the question from Mark as to which mortgage he should go for! I never in a million years thought anyone could get me to reverse a caravan without taking life, but Keith got us reversing in from the left and right. I had a pair of cheap tow mirrors and he swapped them over to Milenco mirrors and what a difference that made when reversing in a straight line. So I went out and got a pair after the course.
It was also little things like when you unhitch to lower the jockey wheel on to your foot which gives you a bit more levelling room and looking out for that pivot point when reversing in from the right.
Keith showed us pics of some of the campsites he's been to and has really inspired me to travel and not be scared. Being behind an equestrian centre it was slightly surreal to see a horse walking past the window when you are learning about noseweights!
All in all it was worth every single penny and I met some lovely fellow newbies in person.
I hope I come across them again when we are all 'expert towers'.
Linda x
Comments
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We used their caravans. There's one behind behind my fellow towers in the photo.
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Just checked motorhomers have to use their own vehicle.
Did you use your own car or one supplied?
Just wondering why the difference.
To do the motorhome course in my case would involve a 2.5 hour drive to nearest offer. Almost defeats the object!
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If I wanted a towing course I would pay for individual one to one local professional tuition - better than standing around watching the rest of the group trying to reverse, or looking at the instructor's holiday photos.
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That would be your choice. I attended the CMC towing course and thought it excellent value and I agree with the OP comments. Watching others make the same mistakes as you are making and hearing the instructions on how to correct mistakes is a good part of learning.
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I knew there was something I could learn from a course! Well done Rosie! Once I understood what you said about lowering the jockey wheel onto your foot, it sounded painful! I realised that's what I need to do at home to get the van level! Did he tell you what to do if the van is facing downhill though? It's fairly easy to completely unwind the jockey wheel which is a bit tiresome getting it back together again!
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Pippah45 I don't remember a downhill tip, but I may not have been paying attention or looking at a horse!
It was useful watching others reverse as you could get a better understanding of the pivoting wheel bit (that fascinated me).
If I had booked a one to one course with a local instructor (and no dedicated training area) it would have cost me £500 as he thought I needed approx 10 hours of tuition at £50 an hour. If I had the money I may have considered it as he has a very good reputation, but I do learn better in a group and I discovered the joys of a reversing camera as one of my classmates had one fitted to his car
Gotta get one of those!
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I second that, its all about building your confidence at your own pace. you will make mistakes, we all do, (Guess who broke his break away cable today when putting the caravan back in to storage
) I was distracted by the Dogs , well that's my excuse anyway.Carry on caravaning
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Rosie mr bc went on one at bishop burton nearly two years ago (through the caravan club ) and he enjoyed it so much , he booked in and did the second course for more experienced caravanners too , he learnt a lot and would recomend it to anyone , there were people there who had been towing for years but just fancied getting some expert tuition ,hes very glad he did it ........... And so am i lol
) glad you enjoyed it too cheers mrs bc:))0 -
As I understand it, RR is saying drop it to you foot first using the clamp before you use the winder?
Obvious to some, but maybe not to beginners ?
Have a good weekend everyone
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That's the idea although I would say you lower it onto your foot; less painful that way. The idea is that you then use the winder to lower it the rest of the way to the ground, that way you don't run out of adjustment.
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Just remember not to do that on your foot if the caravan is facing downhill. I think that advice is for facing uphill. When on my driveway the wheels are on the flat but the jockey wheel is on a steep up slope. I struggle to get the wheel low enough but if I use my foot it will be a piece of cake! Thank you Rosie!
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I must ask mr bc to show me because i dont really follow what you mean ..........doh!
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RR, congratulations on both your success & your attitude. You've got over a hurdle with no life lost
. I admire your thinking-you are now part of the solution not the problem, 👏🏻 👏🏻 1 -
Hi Rosie, It's fantastic to read such a great account of your training course and I'm so pleased you found it helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience.
The Club's Caravan Manoeuvring Course also recently featured in the Evening Standard and we're delighted that members experiences reflect the journalists account too. To anyone who is interested, the link to the Evening Standard's article is here.
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Not to mention the decline in motor mover sales
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Isn't that why they still fit the handles on each corner
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