With Christmas just around the corner, families are thinking and planning what to do and where to go.

At this time of the year we start receiving telephone enquiries from people thinking about towing boats, camper trailers and caravans.  Most callers want to upgrade their current motor vehicles, but the problem is that they have not decided what they are going to have to tow, therefore they do not know what the weight, length or height of the towed vehicle is.  I advise these people to research and make a decision on what they are going to tow, and then we can discuss the towing vehicle.  Why purchase a vehicle that has a recommended towing capacity of 2 tonne to tow a caravan that has an ATM of 2.4 tonne?

The first thing that you need to consider is that in 1998, national regulations for vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of less than 4,500kg was introduced.  It basically states that either the maximum capacity of the towing apparatus (tow bar or hitch) or the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations on maximum towing mass (i.e fully loaded caravan)apply - whichever is the lesser.  This applies because some towing vehicles can have various rated tow bars/hitch’s fitted.

Most vehicle manufacturers specify maximum towing mass and maximum ball weight.  The ideal weight for this is considered to be about 10% of the fully loaded weight of the towed vehicle.  It is important to know that some vehicles, mostly those imported from Europe or Japan, sometimes have a stated maximum ball weight that is considerably less than 10% of the maximum towing mass.

After deciding what trailer/caravan to buy, then you have to consider whether you tow it with a sedan or a 4WD?  If you are venturing off-road, then the decision is easy - a 4WD. If not, then a modern 2WD sedan is just as capable of towing a caravan or camper trailer.  You must remember that you cannot exceed the manufacturers towing recommendations.

The next question is whether to purchase a manual or automatic?  This is often a personal preference, but some manufacturers recommend an automatic transmission for towing larger vans/trailers.  The main advantage is that it allows the driver to concentrate on the road conditions without having to worry about what gear they should be using.  Some manufacturers will recommend an extra oil cooler to be fitted to an automatic vehicle also.  The benefits of a manual gearbox is that it makes the uphill and undulating terrain easier to negotiate.