Roadworthy and road-ready: what to check before towing in South Africa

South African roads aren't kind to caravans. The potholes on the N1 north of Johannesburg are famous. The gravel roads to most good campsites are long and corrugated. The wind on the plateau can push a side-on caravan sideways. This checklist is what to go through before every trip and what you need for legal compliance.

Legal requirements first

A caravan must have its own roadworthy certificate (RWC), its own licence disc, and its own number plate. You must have the original registration document (the RC1 or newer equivalent) accessible while towing. The caravan must have reflective triangles - required by law regardless of whether you're towing.

If the gas system has been altered or replaced, a gas CoC is required. If you need a workshop to handle this, caravan repairs and service workshops are listed in the directory.

The tow vehicle needs a drawbar attached to the manufacturer-rated towball, and the ball must be the correct size for the coupling. In South Africa, 50 mm is the standard.

Pre-trip mechanical checks

Tyre pressure: both tow vehicle and caravan. Check cold, before you move the vehicle. Under-inflated caravan tyres are a blowout risk on hot roads.

Wheel nuts: torque them correctly. After the first 50 km on a new or repositioned wheel, stop and re-torque. Wheel-off incidents happen and they are catastrophic.

Lights: full circuit test before every trip. Connect the caravan, walk around, test indicators left and right, brakes, reverse, running lights, and fog light. Tape a note to your dash to remind you to test them. It takes four minutes and it's an instant R1 000 fine if the brake lights aren't working.

Electric brakes (if fitted): test the brake controller gain setting. A fully loaded 1 400 kg caravan needs more gain than an empty 800 kg one. Test in a car park before the highway.

Jockey wheel: fully retracted and locked. This sounds obvious. People forget it.

Safety chains: crossed under the drawbar, not just clipped to the side. Crossed chains form a cradle if the coupling fails. Side-clipped chains just let the drawbar drag on the road.

Breakaway cable: connected and able to pull the pin on the caravan's handbrake if the coupling fails. Test that the pin mechanism actually works.

Weight distribution

Nose weight should be 60 to 100 kg for most caravans. Too light and the caravan wags; too heavy and your car's steering lightens up dangerously.

Load the heaviest items (water, food, tools) low and over the axle. Don't pile things in the boot overhang at the back - it shifts the balance rearward.

On the road

Keep below 120 km/h. Legally the limit is 120 km/h towing, but 100 to 110 km/h is more comfortable on South African roads and allows for reaction time when something happens.

Don't brake hard. Cadence braking into corners. The caravan has momentum and it will push you through if you try to stop late.

If you get a snake or sway: don't brake. Ease off the throttle, hold the wheel straight, and let it settle. Apply trailer brakes independently if you have a controller. Braking hard makes snaking worse.

When to not tow

Crosswinds above 60 km/h sustained are serious. If the forecast says gale warning, consider waiting it out. The Huguenot Tunnel approach from Paarl and the Hex River Pass are notorious in south-easter conditions.

Gravel roads above 80 km/h destroy caravan bodywork, loosen fittings, and wear tyres. Budget enough time to do them at 60 km/h. Most of the best caravan parks worth visiting have a gravel road somewhere on the way in.