The worst towing mistakes new caravanners make on Australian roads

While many people daydream of hitting the open road in retirement, seasoned Victorian caravanners Leonie and Harry Reints warn there are a growing number of drivers with "all the gear and no idea".

"A lot of people get to retirement age and they think, "Oh, we'd like to do caravanning'," Leonie told ACM (the publisher of this masthead).

"They go out and caravan, they become a grey nomad. But they've never towed vehicles."

Leonie, 71, and Harry, 72, have been travelling, camping and caravanning for four decades, and ran their own caravan park in the 1980s.

Caravanning has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more than 17 million domestic trips taken in 2025, according to federal government tourism data.

But as the number of caravans on the roads increases, the number of mishaps from inexperienced campers is also on the rise.

Read their top tips on how to stay safe while caravanning.

Learning to tow a heavy rig safely is a skill, and anyone buying their own caravan should research towing, and how to reverse with a caravan attached.

"People get out on the road and they've never done it before, and that often is where there are accidents," Leonie said.

Harry said he was often surprised while operating a caravan park how few drivers knew how to reverse their caravan into a parking spot or site.

"People would come in and say, 'Could you back it onto the site for us?'" he said.

"Well, you shouldn't be driving the caravan on the road if you can't back it up."

Failing to keep your caravan weight within legal limits can greatly increase your risk of accidents, damage your car brakes, and void your insurance in an accident.

Drivers need to become keenly aware of their caravan's different weights, including the tare weight (the weight of your caravan when empty), aggregate trailer mass (the maximum weight your van can be while driving safely), and the gross trailer mass (the maximum weight your wheel axles can handle).

The couple often see caravanners carrying dangerous amounts of heavy gear, including dinghies, outboard motors, bicycles and loads of firewood.

"You can just see the weight distribution is not right, and then you see the van fishtail and snake around," Harry said.

Over the years the couple have learned to keep their caravan's weight in check by only bringing essential items.

"When you first start caravanning, you put everything into your van," Leonie said. "But it's really important to take just what you need."

One of the key mistakes people make before a long-haul trip is neglecting to prepare their vehicle, according to Matt Young from Ingenia Holidays.

He recommended taking note of your length and weight, so you do not get caught out with nowhere to park at your destination.

Leonie and Harry warned that towing a caravan is not as simple as ensuring your weight is compliant. Caravans can careen out of control if the towing weight is not distributed evenly.

"It's really important that people make sure that they've got their weights correct," Leonie said.

Harry recommended having your caravan professionally weighed, which measures the total weight, along with how weight is distributed across your car, van and wheels.

It can also be helpful to get a weight distribution kit - which attaches to your tow ball and uses spring bars to distribute weight to your caravan's wheel axles, taking pressure off the rear of the car.

The couple previously downsized from a 21-foot caravan to an 18-foot, after a professional weigh-in found their vehicle was too heavy, and was not compliant.

"If we're involved in an accident and we're overweight, we're not covered by insurance," he said.