New towing videos aim to prevent accidents
Industry experts provide tips to help keep caravan newbies out of troubleCoinciding with Queensland Road Safety Week, industry body Caravanning Queensland is rolling out a number of towing and safety information videos designed to keep first-time and inexperienced caravanners out of trouble.
Nine videos in total, covering a range of topics including wheel bearings, tyres, suspension, brakes, couplings, weight distribution, general maintenance and towing training, are covered in the short videos, which are being rolled out on the Caravanning Queensland website this week.
The videos are hosted by Caravanning Queensland CEO Jason Plant, with advice and tips from industry suppliers and experts including Cruisemaster, Allbrand Caravan Repairs, Coastline RV Parts and Service, Caravan Industry Association of Australia, Hayman Reese and Tow-Ed.
"With no international travel we're seeing newcomers to caravanning and recreational vehicles, and we want to make sure they're on the road operating safely and compliant, while being aware of all road users and getting to their destination safely." Plant said.
With around 190,000 registered RVs in Queensland currently allowed to travel freely around the state, Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey said "we want to see them driving around safely, knowing about weight distribution and how to prepare and do maintenance... we encourage new people out there getting into caravans and RVs to get them checked and get information from a reputable source..."
Authorities around Australia are increasingly concerned about a rise in caravan crashes as more people tow heavy caravans for the first time and travel locally due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some industry experts are pushing for compulsory caravan and towing training for caravanners, or even a special licence for towing a caravan. Unlike driving a heavy truck, there is currently no special training or licence required to tow an RV rig with a combined weight up to 11 tonnes.
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