Frequently Asked Questions Handy Hints and Tips Instruction Manuals & DIY
Tips on towing There are some very simple rules to follow. It may seem a difficult concept to grasp at first, but instead of being able to turn your car steering wheel in the direction that you want your trailer/caravan to go, you must turn it in the opposite direction.It might take a little time to master this technique, especially when reversing round a corner. When reversing in a straight line, the easiest way to remember what to do is to steer towards the towing mirror in which the trailer or caravan appears.
Step-by-step straight-line reversing:
1) It's a good idea for a passenger to step out of the car and stand in a communicating position to the rear and side of the caravan. Then look for objects such as low posts, walls, children's bicycles and so on, which may be in your way and which you cannot see. Start reversing as you would normally, with your steering wheel straight.
2) Check each extension mirror in turn. If you see the back end of the caravan appearing in one of them, this means that the caravan is starting to veer, and you need to correct it to stop it going further in that direction. Here, the caravan has appeared in the left-hand extension mirror. To straighten up, steer smoothly towards the mirror in which the caravan appears (left), very slightly, and it will disappear.
3) Now start checking each mirror in turn once again and you will probably find that, however carefully you undertook your correction, the caravan has appeared in the other mirror. Here the caravan is in the right-hand mirror and so the steering wheel is being turned very slightly to the right to correct the movement. Remember to keep your steering movements smooth and gentle.
4) If you've corrected properly, you should now be reversing in a straight line. Once you have practised reversing in this way a few times you will know when and how to correct the slightest movement. If you need to build up your confidence, go to a large open area such as an empty supermarket car park, and practise. Remember, take your time, look carefully in the mirrors and make your corrections smoothly and in plenty of time.
Frequently Asked Questions Handy Hints and Tips Instruction Manuals & DIY
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