Buying your first caravan is one of Australia’s most exciting lifestyle decisions. But the learning curve is steeper than most dealers will tell you.
Understanding Your Tow Capacity
Your vehicle’s tow rating sets a hard limit on what caravan you can legally and safely tow. The Aggregate Trailer Mass of your loaded caravan must not exceed your vehicle’s rated tow capacity. Getting this wrong is dangerous and can void your insurance.
The Big 3: ATM, GTM and Tare Weight
- Tare Weight: How much the caravan weighs empty from the factory
- ATM: Maximum the caravan can legally weigh when loaded
- GTM: ATM minus the download on the towball
- Towball Download: Should be 8-12% of the loaded caravan weight
Backing Up Without Losing Your Mind
Reversing a caravan is counterintuitive and requires practice. Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and the caravan will go in the direction your hand moves. Practice in an empty car park first.
12V Power Basics
A 200W solar panel with a 100Ah AGM battery is the minimum for comfortable off-grid camping for two people in mild weather.
Protect Your Camping & Landowner Journey
Whether you camp, host, or operate – COA.Camp connects you with Australia’s trusted cooperative insurance programs for campgrounds, caravans, landowners and rural properties.