Caravan rules you need to know before you set off on your summer caravan holiday

For summer holidays in July, many caravan owners will be planning road
trips of their own, whether that’s to a festival, or a camping holiday.

The experts at Moneybarn <https://www.moneybarn.com/bad-credit-car-finance/>
have shared the most important caravan rules you must follow to ensure all
your trips are safe and legal.

Towing a caravan:

A special driving licence is not required to tow a caravan. However, there
are rules about the load that you can tow depending on when you passed your
driving test, and your  car’s suitability for towing a caravan. Your
vehicle’s manufacturer plate has information about weight limits for your
car. Similarly, when planning to tow a caravan with a hire car you need to
know the exact maximum towing capacity of the car and ensure it is suitable
to tow your caravan. In addition, the caravan being towed by a vehicle
weighing up to 3,500kg should not be longer than seven metres.

When towing your caravan, use this checklist to ensure the correct
procedure:

   -

   The manufacturer’s instructions are followed when coupling the trailer
   to the towball or pin and the coupling height is correct.
   -

   There is enough slack in the breakaway cable (this prevents the car from
   accidentally applying the breaks)
   -

   Both tyres have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm: across the central
   three-quarters of the breadth of the tread, as well as around the entire
   circumference of the tyre.

Finally, make sure you have the right insurance. While most policies do
cover drivers when towing, it is important to check if this is incorporated
in your insurance plan.
How to drive whilst towing:

Drivers must exercise extra caution when driving whilst towing, especially
when slowing down, stopping and at bends. Trailers tend to cut corners when
turning, so it is important to allow extra room on bends. Given that
caravans are wider and taller than your car, make sure to be extra careful
with road positioning, particularly when pulling over alongside kerbs,
entering toll booths or stopping over at petrol stations.

Parking your caravan:

The isn’t always that clear on when it is acceptable to park your caravan
on the road. If you’re looking to park up on the road, this would have to
be checked on a case by case basis. The minimum requirement is that it
doesn’t cause an obstruction, or it isn’t parked dangerously. In addition,
you must ensure that the caravan is lit at night, and park it with the
nearside facing the pavement so the rear lights are visible for approaching
traffic.
Storing your caravan:
You may need to secure planning permission to store the caravan in various
places. A caravan that is being used as a self-sufficient home will need
standard planning permission. Caravans parked on farmland or on a large
piece of land that includes a protected nature area may require a special
planning permission. This will be the case even if you are the legal owner
of the land.
Storing your caravan on your own land:
Storing a caravan on your own land is the only case when a planning
permission is required, with the expedition of the above. However, certain
criteria must be met:

   -

   A habitable structure that can be moved
   -

   Maximum dimensions of 20m long, 6.8m wide and 3.05m tall

In addition, the caravan must be an extension of your main home to avoid it
being classified as a self-sufficient home.