GORV - Digital Magazine Special Tests Issue | Page 34

5 ESSENTIAL FACTS AUSTRALIAN CARAVANNING MEANS THREE THINGS: AMAZING DESTINATIONS, TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES, AND A HEALTHY DOSE OF MYTHOLOGY. Many campfire discussions have devolved into heated debates about the rules of the road as they apply to caravanning. Here, we’ll debunk five popular myths. Although, let’s face it, there are plenty more out there, which we’ll address another time… 1. EMERGENCY BRAKES I was wandering Facebook when I came across a towing- related post that claimed you should not attach your van’s safety chains if you were using breakaway brakes. According to this well-intentioned comment, the safety chains would prevent the brakes from activating if the safety chains were attached because they 34 gorv.com.au would prevent the cable, which should be secured to the towbar or another permanent part of the tow vehicle, from activating the breakaway brake controller. Nonsense. The safety chains are designed to keep the caravan attached to the tow vehicle in the event they become otherwise de-coupled. The breakaway brakes are an emergency system designed to prevent the caravan, should the safety chains fail too, from careening further down the highway than it would without them. A breakaway system is mandatory on all caravans with a Gross Trailer Mass of 2000kg or more, and they must remain activated for at least 15 minutes after the vehicle and van have separated. To have a van registered in New South Wales, you’re required to have a special monitor in the driver’s cab that shows the state of charge of the battery powering the emergency braking system. 2. I ONLY NEED ONE SAFETY CHAIN Safety chains are compulsory all around Australia. Vans weighing less than 2500kg ATM are required to have at least one safety chain, while trailers weighing between 2500kg and 3500kg ATM must have two. The chains must comply with AS4177-4.