Reversing a caravan in three simple steps
A practical guide from Caravan Information Services
Follow these tips on reversing a caravan if you’re a first-time owner, and the prospect leaves you feeling a little anxious.
You’ll quickly master reversing a caravan into a pitch or driveway with a little practice.
First, though, here are a couple of crucial points to get you started:
General things to remember about turning a caravan
When reversing a caravan, the caravan pivots on the tow ball, so the rule of opposites applies. If you want the caravan to turn left, turn the vehicle’s steering wheel to the right, and vice versa.
Also, it’s typically easier to reverse into a drive or pitch from the right side in a right-hand-drive vehicle because you have better visibility.
Now for the steps:
Step 1 – Position the caravan
Until you become more experienced in judging distances, here’s a simple way to position your caravan ready to reverse:
Start at the front right corner of the space, then take two steps forward and four large steps to the right. Mark the spot as the starting point. This is where the rear right corner of your caravan needs to be.
Now you are ready to start reversing.
Top Tip! Having someone to guide you is helpful. But they can’t be seen or heard if they stand behind the caravan. Likewise, if someone stands at the side, their hand actions are reversed in your mirrors which often creates confusion. Instead, have someone stand at the front of your vehicle. They can look down both sides of the caravan, and as they are facing you, there won’t be any confusion over hand signals. You can also wind your front windows down to receive verbal directions.
Step 2 – Start reversing
Turn your steering wheel all the way to the left and then back by half a turn. Slowly start to reverse, and the caravan should immediately move to the right towards the corner of the parking area.
Step 3 – Turning into the parking area
When the caravan’s rear right-hand wheel reaches the corner, turn the steering clockwise, align the caravan, and enter the parking area.
Be aware that the caravan won’t turn sharply enough if you understeer. If you oversteer, the vehicle and caravan may end up at right angles to each other, which is known as jackknifing. To correct either situation, stop, and drive slowly forward to straighten up before trying again.
Step 4 – Quick safety check
Judging the space behind the caravan from the driver’s position is difficult. So stop for a moment and double-check how far you can reverse. If you have a guide at the front of the vehicle, they can now move to the side of the caravan and let you know how far to go.
Once in place, apply the caravan handbrake and follow our simple guide to unhitching.
Stick to these caravan reversing tips and reversing a caravan gets easier with practice. Be patient, and you’ll soon master the process.
Happy caravanning!