Learning to tow and set up
Hi, I am considering learning to tow and use my touring caravan on my own.
I lost my husband to earlier this year and am trying to decide whether to continue to use our caravan. I have never towed, my husband did all the manual setting up and I never had to hitch up or set up on site.
I would love to continue the lifestyle for peace and relaxation but am worried about the manual side.
I would appreciate your views on strength required and how to level on a sloping site easily and is towing straightforward to learn. I was co pilot for over 30 years.
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I agree with AD, it will give you a lot of confidence. If you haven't got a motor mover, get one. It will make positioning the caravan much easier especially for hitching up but don't neglect your reversing skills. I used to go to an industrial estate on a Sunday morning to practice and build up my confidence in my abilities.
peedee
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I've not towed and I'd certainly take a course, the club run them. My DIL had to take one to take her test as at the time the automatic ability to tow was removed from licences. I believe its been reinstated now so no sure if other courses are available.
I certainly wouldn't give up the caravan until you've done it and given it a go. There's lots of single lady caravanners who post within the club and I know we have one wheelchair user, a motorhomer, who travels alone! She has posted in the story section i believe she pists under the user name Finberry.
We are currently without a van, various reasons,and I miss it. I hadn't realised how much I relaxed and chilled using it.
You've lots to adjust too, so give yourself time etc.
Edit she posted this story
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/your-stories/finnberrys/thisgirlcan-do-solo-motorhoming/
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Hi Jul17 and welcome to Club Together.
As a coupe of people have mentioned the Club run and caravanning courses which cover towing and manoeuvring.
Also feel free to post any questions that arise on the forum as our community is always happy to offer advice and support.
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So sorry to hear of your situation but my advice is not to try and put the clock back or to attempt to re live the past. Your situation is sad, but solo, solitary caravanning won’t help.
There are other options. An old friend whose husband died booked in with a group of a dozen other singles to visit gardens in Madeira.. And now says she wants to see the Taj Mahal. She has no wish to haul a caravan about on her own.
Good wishes.
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Jul17, if you know someone who is a caravanner, perhaps they might be willing to give you a few tips or even sit with you while you get to grips with towing.
As others have said, a towing course will be a very useful starting point.
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I agree with all that's been said, but would like to add that you'll always find someone on the campsite to help you set up and show you the ropes. When I was still at work and didn't have time to go away so very often I'd tow the caravan to a campsite and leave my wife there to set up and stay for a week or two on her own. She had no experience, either, but she said there were always helpful souls around.
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Just found your post. If the situation arises and I am in the same situation as yourself, I am totally going to carry on caravaning. I would hopefully do the course, and enjoy happy memories if you want to carry on, go girl, we live in a beautiful country you don't need to go abroad
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There were loads of driving schools that covered the B+E test courses. If there's no club courses available in your time frame try getting a couple of hours professional tuition.
Not sure of the current guidelines but in the past I've known wardens come out and help people set up and strike camp.
Failing that there are generally loads of people on site who will gladly help you set up. You've only to ask.
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Good advice. Get some towing instruction, learn how to use the motor mover, and the rest of setting up really is a doddle. My advice would be to travel as unfussily and light as possible, but still taking with you essentials.
We gave up on an awning years ago when we used our van, a simple parasol, lightweight table and chair is all you need, 2 minute set up, 2 minute pack up. Use a water container light enough to roll along, or simply don’t fill it as full. Empty the loo and waste water every day, rather than letting the containers fill. If you aren’t filling an awning with clutter, you could be off packed up in 15 minutes, and likewise on arrival you could have the kettle on after arrival in 10 minutes. You could if you wanted to simply use either a serviced pitch, or on-site facilities, but this will increase your costs, and might limit your choice of sites a bit, but the main thing is to keep it as stress free, labour free and as easy as possible.
If you find towing still isn’t for you, then a small camper really is easy, but it all depends on your funds.
Wishing you the best of luck, and yes, you will find help will be out there, either from Site staff, or other visitors.👍
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Good for you, Jul. Go for it 👍🏻
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Good to know and thanks for coming back on.
I would just say though that even with a towing course I can't overstate the usefulness of a mover and preferably one that connects with the wheels by itself and not a level, we have a lever and we often set up by ourselves but it does take some effort.
With a mover even though you'll know how to reverse you won't have to. You can unhitch off the pitch and let the mover do all the work in getting the caravan where you want it to be exactly aligned. I would consider myself pretty experienced but I doubt I could reverse with greater accuracy and get the caravan aligned forward to back and sideways. Also hitching up is far easier as the mover will move the caravan to your car easily and exactly over the tow ball.
You'll always (probably) have to level front to back, or pitch as we would call, it but that's fairly easy and takes hardly any effort, and a mover makes sideways leveling (roll) far easier using a ramp under one wheel. Although on club sites on HS pitches this isn't usually necessary. 'Yaw' doesn't come into it but it may make the other two not level.
There are also self leveling systems which do all that at the touch of a button if you want.
Chocks away and happy landings.
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