RV FEATURE
6. Slow down! There is no need to drive at or beyond the posted speed limit, and do not be pressured to do so. Drive at a speed that is appropriate for the road and weather conditions. If you have to drive slower than other vehicles, make an effort to allow them to pass you when it is safe to do so.
7. Ensure both your car and trailer are roadworthy and any scheduled servicing is up to date.
8. Make sure your trailer’ s electrical connections are working before every drive, particularly to ensure the electric brakes are working.
9. Get your rig weighed by a professional weighing service to ensure you have correct weight distribution.
10. If you have a new caravan, load it up and take it for a test tow away from heavy traffic. Slowly build up to normal cruising speeds and check for any instability.
Bike racks add a lot of weight at the worst end of the caravan. There could be 50-70kg of weight here alone.
It’ s very important to budget for regular maintenance of your car and caravan.
‘ SWAY BAR’ MYTH
Weight distribution hitches are not anti-sway bars! You may have heard of people referring to weight distribution hitches as‘ sway bars’. This is incorrect and can lead to dangerous assumptions.
Weight distribution hitches are used to redistribute some of the towball weight off the rear axle of the tow vehicle onto the front axle and to the trailer itself. While these can improve the stability of a rig, they do nothing to stop a swaying caravan.
Some weight distribution hitches can be fitted with optional sway control devices. These use friction or motion dampeners to inhibit swaying.
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