GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #54 | Page 18

RV FEATURE
You may need to modify your vehicle so it can better handle the stresses of towing . I ’ m not talking about larger tyres or ECU remaps , as these can have the opposite effect . I ’ m talking about items like catch cans or larger exhaust systems that can add to the longevity of most turbodiesel engines . Fitting extra fuel filtration may be required if you do a lot of remote travel .
And , please , while the internet can be a fantastic source of useful information , beware of the keyboard warriors who may seem like they know what they ’ re talking about but , in reality , have very little experience at all .
WATCH YOUR WEIGHT
You would have to have been living under a rock not to have read about the need to check the weight of your tow vehicle and caravan in order to ensure you are legal . That much is a given . To that end , many of you may get your rig set-up , ready for a trip , and take it to a weighbridge to check to see if you are overloaded . If you are new to towing and you ’ ve done exactly that , I commend you . You ’ ve already done more than most others on the road .
The thing is , that is not the end of your job . Over time you will want to buy new gear , upgrade your rig , and take more stuff with you . The point is , you may start out your travels underweight but , over time , I guarantee you will creep over that point and end up overweight .
We have experienced this first hand . The first time we weighed our rig , we were horrified at the result and just how close we were to being illegal . We now have a very simple rule . If we want to put something new into our van , we have to remove something else we don ’ t need of similar weight .
A ScanGuage will tell you a lot about how hard your car is working towing your heavy caravan
You would be amazed at how many experienced caravanners forget simple things like leaving the power cord connected when driving off site . Checklists work for everyone
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