OverSixty January 2023 Issue

34 TRAVEL ISSUE 3 | JANUARY 2023 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU Dos and don’ts of CARAVANNING CATHERINE BEST PLAN A safe and considerate camper is a happy camper. Here are the dos and don’ts of caravanning that will help keep the wheels turning smoothly on your next adventure. • Do plan your journey to identify the most appropriate roads for your caravan (even if they take a little longer), fuel points and rest stops. • Do fill up with fuel the night before you depart without the caravan, then you won’t have to negotiate any tight service stations with low roofs. • Do share the driving. At a minimum, two adults should be capable of towing the cara- van in an emergency – if required. • Do be courteous to other road users. Keep left of overtaking lanes, slow down and let people pass, and pull over if traffic is mount- ing behind you. • Do take every opportunity to fill up your water tanks and cupboards, especially if you anticipate any free- or low-cost camping. This saved us a few times when pandemic snap lockdowns scuppered our plans. • Do inspect your campsite before you go in. What works for a 9ft camper trailer will not necessarily suit a 24ft family rig. • Do think about how you are going to exit a campsite when you are parking and setting up. Angling your caravan for the best views may cause aworld of painwhen it comes time to leave (speaking fromexperience here). • Do inspect your tyre pressure, lights and vehicle connections as part of your regular safety routine. • Do book ahead where you can. It takes the romance and spontaneity out of trav- el somewhat, but in peak times – such as the Kimberley and Top End in the dry sea- son – your chances of getting a caravan site unannounced or booking that iconic tour last-minute are slim. Especially during a pandemic. • Don’t arrive anywhere after dark if you can help it; there are obstacles and snags you might not see. We smashed our kitchen win- dow on a low-hanging branch doing just this at a campground on the Eyre Peninsula. • Don’t take your caravan down a dead-end road if you’re not certain you can park, turn around and get out (inspecting GoogleMaps satellite images helps, as does a reconnais- sance mission on foot). • Don’t drive to the speed limit if it’s not safe. We found 95km/h was the sweet spot for us in a 100km/h zone. Travelling at this speed was not only safer with our rig but also saved on fuel. Conversely, don’t drive too slow as that creates its own traffic hazards. • Don’t allow yourself to become distract- ed when hitching up and doing your final pre-departure checks. Have a system and stick to it. • Don’t leave valuable gear lying around your campsite: thieves can be rampant in some areas. • Don’t monopolise the campground, make room for others and remember not everyone enjoys your music. Caravan holidays can be some of the most relaxing of trips – as long as you take a few precautions along the way Photos: Catherine Best This is an edited extract from Ultimate Caravan Trips: Australi a by Catherine Best, published by Hardie Grant Explore PLAN A caravan holiday provides all the natural pleasures of camping, with that extra dash of comfort. But to enjoy it properly, there are some rules Learn from the experts I can’t recommend a towing course highly enough and it’s something that both drivers should do together. We did a full-day course and it wasn’t cheap, but it might one day save your caravan and your life. Tow-Ed (tow- ed.com.au) runs accredited training courses at sites across Australia (book well ahead), teaching drivers how to hitch up, manoeuvre safely on the road and reverse park. The course also taught us how to check our rig was legal, avoid caravan sway and maintain control when being overtaken by heavy vehicles. Who doesn’t fear being sucked into the undercarriage of a road train when towing? ‘The main objective of the course is learning to be a better driver who is fully aware of the size and manoeuvring techniques of towing,’ says Julie Eggenhuizen, director of Getabout Training Services (Tow-Ed).