Current Articles
THE 50 mm TOW BALL.
TOW BALLS – THAT THING THAT THE CARAVAN ATTACHES TO. Towing with a Truck – you need to read this especially. The vast majority of caravan rigs on our roads are connected to the tow vehicle via a 50mm round tow ball and coupling. How much do you really know...
TAIL UP OR TAIL DOWN – HOW SHOULD YOU TOW YOUR VAN?
Tony has asked if I would advise Truck Friendly caravan road safety program followers of the correct way to tow your caravan. He mentioned that he (and others) has seen many caravans being towed with the A frame and tow hitch raised in the air and others that were...
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION HITCHES – FACTS AND FICTION.
sameeKen Wilson from Truck Friendly caravan road safety program looks at the misinformation and facts on these towing aids. “I support the correct use of any safety towing aid as an extra safety measure, when needed. However: - I recommend that drivers FIX THE...
BUYING AN NEW TOW VEHICLE – A BEGINNERS GUIDE.
At Truck Friendly we are often asked, “What is the best tow vehicle for a caravan”? HOW TO FIND THE BEST TOW VEHICLE.? The answer is that there is no one vehicle that suits all circumstances and all caravans. However, we have put together the main things to consider...
GVM and GCM VEHICLE UPGRADES
There has been much conflicting information on social media as to whether GVM and GCM vehicle suspension upgrades are legal / illegal in different states, and this causes much confusion. Uneducated and ill-informed comments do little to bring a clear understanding on...
WARNING :- WILL A GVM UPGRADE REDUCE YOUR TOWING CAPACITY?
WARNING: - WILL A GVM VEHICLE UPGRADE REDUCE YOUR TOWING CAPACITY.......? Many caravanners have considered, or have had, a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) upgrade to their tow vehicles to increase load carrying capacity. Is a GVM upgrade the answer? YES, in many cases, it...
NEED A PLACE TO PULL OVER, TO LET FASTER TRAFFIC PAST?
These green reflectors will help you find a safe place. Often, we have trucks or other vehicles behind us as we tow our van and want them to overtake but there is no safe place for them to do so. You may have noticed some green reflectors on guide posts beside the...
WHAT CAN YOU LEGALLY TOW WITH A CAR LICENCE?
Truck Friendly posed this question to Queensland Transport and Main Roads Dept. Below (in part) is the reply from Andrew Mahon - General manager Land Transport Safety and Regulation. "The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) notes that towing any type of...
THE DUAL CAB UTE MARKETING HYPE
Many caravanners have purchased a dual cab ute to tow a caravan - me included. While brands and models vary, most are similar in load and towing capacity. The introduction of the American utes has however, opened up the field slightly in recent years but are not...
DOWNHILL WITH CARAVAN BRAKE BURNOUT
An ex-truck driver friend recently recounted a story of a recent caravan trip where another caravanner and he were going down a very steep and long decline. ‘TRUCKS USE LOW GEAR’ type decline. My friend from his trucking experience, chose 1st gear and used a...