Essential Checks Before Towing Your Caravan on Holiday

By Seasonal Caravan Maintenance Tasks for Spring and Autumn
Comments 35
9 Sep 2026

Essential Checks Before Towing Your Caravan on Holiday

Start With a Routine, Not a Rush

The most stressful part of any caravan holiday is the first ten minutes of the drive. Get those minutes right and the rest of the journey tends to look after itself. The trick is not to rely on memory but on a fixed sequence you repeat every single time, whether you are leaving the driveway for a weekend in the Peak District or setting off for three weeks in Cornwall.

Do the checks in the same order, out loud if it helps, and never let someone chat to you halfway through. Most towing incidents on UK roads come down to something small that was missed in a hurry — a cable snagged, a jockey wheel left down, a plug not pushed fully home. Ten unhurried minutes is all it takes.

Coupling and the Breakaway Cable

Lower the hitch onto the tow ball properly, then check the coupling head has locked by looking for the indicator — usually a green band or a button that pops up. Once it has engaged, lift the hitch handle and try to raise the caravan with the jockey wheel. If the coupling is secure, the back of the car will lift; if it slides off the ball, you have just saved yourself a very expensive afternoon.

Lock the coupling with a hitch lock or padlock so it cannot be released accidentally.
Clip the breakaway cable to the dedicated attachment point on the tow bar, never looped over the tow ball itself.
Check the cable is not so long that it drags on the road, and not so short that it pulls tight on a sharp turn.
Wind the jockey wheel up fully, then slacken the clamp so it sits in its highest position and cannot drop.
Make sure both corner steadies and any rear stabilisers are wound fully up.
Release the caravan handbrake only when everything else is done.

If you use a stabiliser hitch, engage it as the final step here — and remember that it is not a substitute for a properly locked coupling.

Electrics and Lighting

Push the 13-pin plug fully into the socket until it clicks, then twist the collar to lock it. Older caravans with twin 12N and 12S plugs need both pushed home, and it is worth checking the sockets for damp or corrosion before you set off.

Now walk to the back of the caravan and check every light: both indicators, brake lights, tail lights, number plate illumination, reverse lights if fitted, and the fog lamp. A simple way to do this alone is to reverse up close to a wall, garage door or shop window and watch the reflection — or ask whoever is with you to sit in the car and work the switches while you stand behind.

Don't forget the caravan's own battery and any internal 12V circuits. If the fridge is meant to run on 12V while towing, confirm that circuit is live too, otherwise you will arrive to a warm fridge and a suspicious smell.

Tyres, Pressures and Wheel Bolts

Caravan tyres age long before they wear out, so check the four-digit date code on the sidewall. Anything over five to seven years old should be replaced regardless of tread, and look closely for cracking between the tread blocks and on the sidewalls.

Inflate to the pressure recommended for your actual laden weight — many caravans run somewhere between 40 and 65 psi, but the plate on the caravan or the handbook is the authority. Under-inflated tyres flex, heat up and are a genuine blowout risk on a hot motorway run.

Check the car's rear tyres too, and raise them to the towing pressure if the handbook specifies one.
Verify wheel bolt torque with a proper wrench — commonly around 110 Nm, but check your own figures.
Re-check the torque after roughly 30 miles of towing, then again at your destination.
Carry a spare for both car and caravan, plus a jack that can actually lift a laden caravan.

Loading, Nose Weight and Mirrors

Load heavy items low and over the axle — awning, water containers, tins — and keep the rear of the caravan light. Nose weight typically wants to sit around five to seven per cent of the caravan's maximum laden weight, and almost always under 100 kg, but your car's towing limit is the one that matters. A nose-weight gauge costs very little and removes all the guesswork.

Secure everything inside so nothing can shift under braking, and make sure roof lights, vents and windows are closed and latched. Then fit your towing mirrors. If the caravan is wider than the car, extended mirrors are a legal requirement, not a nicety, and they need adjusting before you move rather than at the first roundabout.

The Final Walk-Round

Before you turn the key, do one slow lap of the whole outfit. Look at the coupling, the cables, the plugs, the mirrors and the tyres from the outside. Check the caravan door is locked, the step is stowed and the aerial is down. Glance underneath for anything hanging low.

Then start the car, let the brake lights come on, and have one last look behind you. That single lap catches nearly everything, and it turns a nerve-wracking departure into the calm, familiar start of a good holiday.

Towing

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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