Caravan checklists you can print and keep in the van
Read them here, or print the lot for the glovebox.
The short answer
A4 checklists you can print, laminate and keep in the van for the jobs you do not want to be remembering on the day.
- Before you leave - load, hitch up and a brake test
- At the weighbridge - the three-weigh method for GCM, GVM and ATM
- When it goes wrong - a sway, a blown tyre on the van, or a breakdown on the shoulder
Load and walkaround
- Tow ball mass in the healthy band: usually 8-12% of the van's loaded weight, and under your towbar and coupling ratings (often 350kg). European vans run lower by design.
- Heavy items stored low and over the axles. Nothing heavy at the back.
- Wheel nuts torqued to your hub and wheel maker's spec. It varies too much to guess: roughly 70 Nm on small studs up to 245 Nm on the big M14 hubs.
- Tyre pressures checked on car and van, adjusted for the load.
Hitching up
- Coupling seated on the tow ball. Locking mechanism engaged. Padlock or pin in.
- Safety chains crossed under the tow ball to form a cradle. D-shackles tight.
- 12-pin plug and Anderson plug connected. No cables dragging.
- Breakaway cable clipped straight to the tow vehicle (not the chain loop).
- Jockey wheel wound up and stowed. Caravan handbrake off.
Quick brake test before you roll
- Towing mirrors fitted if the van is wider than the car. You need a clear view of the road behind (Road Rule 297).
- Pull forward at 15-20 km/h on a flat, clear surface.
- Use the manual override slider on the electric brake controller. Keep your foot off the brake.
- You should feel firm, obvious braking from the van. That means the trailer brakes are working - no need to force a full stop.
Checklist 01
Before you leave: load, hitch, and brake test
CaravanCompare.com.au
Load and walkaround
- Tow ball mass in the healthy band: usually 8-12% of the van's loaded weight, and under your towbar and coupling ratings (often 350kg).
- Heavy items stored low and over the axles. Nothing heavy at the back (pendulum effect).
- Wheel nuts torqued to your hub and wheel maker's spec. It varies too much to guess: roughly 70 Nm on small studs up to 245 Nm on big M14 hubs.
- Tyre pressures checked on car and van, adjusted for the load.
- Internal hatches locked, fridge latched (12V on), TV antenna down, windows secured.
Hitching up
- Coupling seated on the tow ball. Locking mechanism engaged. Padlock or pin in.
- Safety chains crossed under the tow ball to form a cradle. D-shackles tight.
- 12-pin plug and Anderson plug connected. No cables dragging.
- Breakaway cable clipped straight to the tow vehicle (not the chain loop).
- Jockey wheel wound up and stowed. Weight distribution hitch engaged if you use one.
- Caravan handbrake off.
Brake test before you roll
- Towing mirrors fitted if the van is wider than the car. You need a clear view of the road behind (Road Rule 297).
- A co-pilot checks all trailer lights: indicators, brakes, tail lights.
- Pull forward at 15-20 km/h on a flat, clear surface.
- Use the manual override slider on the electric brake controller. Keep your foot off the brake.
- You should feel firm, obvious braking from the van. That means the trailer brakes are working - no need to force a full stop.
Checklist 02
Weighbridge check: the three-weigh method
CaravanCompare.com.au
Load the rig the way you actually travel: full water, full fuel, all your gear, passengers in the car. Otherwise the reading is meaningless.
Weigh 1: gross combination mass (GCM)
- Do: Drive the whole rig onto the weighbridge. All axles on the plate.
- Records: Your actual loaded GCM.
- Check: Must be less than the car's rated GCM.
Weigh 2: gross vehicle mass (GVM)
- Do: Pull forward so only the tow vehicle's axles are on the plate. Van axles off, still hitched.
- Records: Your actual loaded GVM (car plus tow ball mass).
- Check: Must be less than the car's rated GVM.
Weigh 3: aggregate trailer mass (ATM)
- Do: Unhitch the van on the plate. Drive the car right off. Van resting on the jockey wheel and axles.
- Records: Your actual loaded ATM.
- Check: Must be less than the ATM stamped on the caravan's compliance plate.
Came in over the limit?
If the car's GVM or GCM is over the rating, stripping accessories won't fix it. You need a heavier tow vehicle.
Scan to explore finance options for a bigger tow vehicle with Jade Finance.
Jade Finance pays us a commission if you finance through them. About Jade
Checklist 03
If the van starts to sway
CaravanCompare.com.au
Read this first
If the van starts to sway hard, do not hit the foot brake.
Braking the car during a sway makes the pendulum worse and can jackknife the rig.
Getting it back under control
- Lift off the accelerator. Keep the steering wheel dead straight.
- Do not swerve to counter the sway. Hold the wheel firm.
- Gently apply the manual override slider on your electric brake controller.
- Braking only the trailer drags the van in line behind the car and straightens the rig out.
- Once you're straight and speed has bled off, you can gently use the foot brake.
Once you're stopped
- Indicate left and pull the whole rig off the highway (onto the shoulder or dirt if you have to).
- Hazard lights on straight away.
- Everyone out on the passenger side, away from traffic.
- Move well behind a barrier or away from the road verge.
- If you carry a reflective triangle or vest, use it - place the triangle well behind the van with a clear sightline. Not a legal requirement for a car-and-caravan rig, but a sensible one.
This is a general guide only. In a life-threatening emergency, call 000. For roadside help, use your insurer or roadside assistance provider.
Checklist 04
Flat or blown tyre on the van
CaravanCompare.com.au
Read this first
If the flat is on the traffic side, or the ground is soft or sloping, do not jack the van.
Ring for help and wait behind the barrier.
Getting stopped
- Hold the wheel firm and lift off the accelerator. Do not brake hard and do not swerve.
- Indicate left and pick the flattest, widest, most level ground you can reach.
- Hazard lights on. Car handbrake on, caravan handbrake on, wheels turned away from the traffic.
- Everyone out the passenger side and behind the barrier. Pets on leads. Nobody waits in the car.
Can it be changed here
- Location first: road name, distance from the last town, marker post number, or coordinates off your map app.
- Look for torn brake lines, bent parts and damage under the guard. A spare will not fix any of that.
- Do not change it on the traffic side, on a slope, on soft ground, on a narrow shoulder, or in the dark. Ring for help.
- Nobody gets under the van, and nobody stays inside it, while it is on the jack.
Changing it, and before you drive off
- Chock the wheel on the other side of the van, front and back, before you lift anything.
- Stay hitched, car in park or gear. Jack only on the point your van’s handbook gives, close to the axle.
- The car’s jack is usually too short in reach and rated for a lighter, lower vehicle. Use a bottle jack rated above the van’s loaded weight.
- Loosen the nuts a quarter turn on the ground. Torque them in a star pattern once the van is down, to your hub and wheel maker’s spec: roughly 70 Nm on small studs up to 245 Nm on big M14 hubs.
- Check the spare’s own pressure before you go, and re-check the nuts after about 50 km.
This is a general guide only. In a life-threatening emergency, call 000. For roadside help, use your insurer or roadside assistance provider.
Checklist 05
Breakdown or a stop you did not plan
CaravanCompare.com.au
Read this first
Get everyone out and behind the barrier first.
A stopped rig on a highway shoulder is the most dangerous place you will ever park.
Make the rig visible, get people safe
- Hazard lights on the moment you slow down, and leave them on.
- Pull as far left as the shoulder allows, van straight and clear of the lane.
- Out the passenger side. Pets on leads. Nobody stands between the van and the traffic.
- Vest on if you carry one, triangle well back, park lights on at night.
Before you ring for help
- Say first if you are on a narrow shoulder, if it is dark, or if anyone is unwell.
- Location: road name, direction, distance from the last town, marker post number.
- The rig and the fault: car and van, the noise or the dash light, whether it still starts.
Roadside help, or a tow
- Ask what they will attempt at the roadside, what turns it into a tow, and whether your cover includes the van.
- If it needs a hoist, a part or a diagnostic, stop trying. Nobody gets under the car at the roadside.
- Ask where the car is going, whether the van can go on the same truck, and what the distance costs.
- If the van is left: fully off the road, chocked, locked, photographed, insurer told that day.
Fill these in now, at home
- Van VIN and ATM, off the compliance plate on the drawbar or door frame:
- Tyre size and pressure, car and van. Both registration numbers:
- Roadside membership number, the number to ring, and your insurer’s claim line:
This is a general guide only. In a life-threatening emergency, call 000. For roadside help, use your insurer or roadside assistance provider.