Une caravane stable dépend de la combinaison légale, d'un chargement correct et d'un conducteur qui ralentit avant que la route ne l'exige. Les courbes et le vent de la Nouvelle-Zélande rendent la vitesse maximale autorisée non pertinente sur de nombreux tronçons.
Connaître la combinaison
Vérifiez la capacité de remorquage, l'attelage, la chaîne de sécurité, les feux, les pneus, les freins et les poids chargés pour les deux véhicules. Tenez compte de l'eau, du gaz, des vélos et des équipements ajoutés après la spécification vide.
Les passagers ne peuvent pas voyager à l'intérieur d'une caravane sur la route. Tout le monde a sa place dans un siège retenu approuvé dans le véhicule de remorquage.
Vitesse et espacement
La vitesse maximale sur route ouverte lors du remorquage est de 90 km/h avec une liaison rigide. Déplacez-vous plus lentement chaque fois que la stabilité, la visibilité, les conditions météorologiques ou la route l'exigent.
Laissez un écart d'au moins quatre secondes, voire davantage en cas de mauvais temps. Freinez avant les virages et sélectionnez un rapport inférieur pour les descentes.
Partagez des routes étroites
Utilisez des zones d'arrêt sécurisées pour laisser passer la circulation suivante et approchez-vous des ponts à une voie uniquement lorsque l'ensemble du groupe peut se dégager.
Un vent fort, un balancement de la remorque ou des freins chauds nécessitent un arrêt. N'essayez pas de récupérer le temps perdu sur l'itinéraire en augmentant la vitesse.
Towing speed limits are lower
Light trailers and caravans are limited to 90 km/h on the open road, below the 100 km/h general limit, and heavy trailer combinations are also capped at 90 km/h. The limit applies regardless of the posted speed, and it is enforced.
Leave a much larger following gap than you would in a car. Braking distance increases substantially with a trailer, and the most common towing crashes here involve running out of stopping room on a descent.
Weights, ratings and loading
The tow vehicle's maximum towing capacity, the towbar rating, the caravan's gross laden weight and the tow ball download all have to agree, and the limiting figure is whichever is lowest. Exceeding any of them affects handling, braking and insurance.
Load heavy items low and over the axle, keep roughly ten percent of the weight on the tow ball, and avoid loading the rear of the caravan, which is what causes sway. Check the load again after the first hour of driving.
Sway and how to respond
Sway usually starts from a crosswind gust, a passing truck or too little tow ball weight, and it builds rather than settling. The instinct to brake hard or steer against it makes it worse.
Ease off the accelerator gently, keep the steering straight, and let the combination slow itself. If your vehicle has a trailer brake controller, applying the trailer brakes alone can pull the combination straight. Then stop and check the loading.
Roads to think twice about
Tākaka Hill, the Crown Range, the Rimutaka Hill Road, the 309 Road and much of the Coromandel coast are demanding with a caravan and some are prohibited or strongly discouraged for large combinations. Check before committing, since turning around is often not possible.
On descents, select a lower gear and use engine braking rather than riding the brakes, which fade. Pull over regularly to let following traffic past, both as courtesy and because a queue behind you creates overtaking risk.
Reversing, parking and campgrounds
Practise reversing in an empty car park before the trip. Campground sites frequently require a reverse into a defined space with neighbours close on both sides, and doing that for the first time with an audience is how people damage vans.
Book sites that suit your combination length and say you are towing when you book. Many holiday parks keep specific drive-through sites, and getting one removes most of the difficulty from arrival.
Unhitching gives you an ordinary vehicle for day trips and is worth doing whenever you stay more than one night. Use wheel chocks and levelling ramps, and check the handbrake holds before disconnecting anything.
Wind and exposed roads
A caravan is a large flat surface and crosswind is the main cause of loss of control while towing. Exposed sections around Wellington, the Desert Road, the Mackenzie and coastal Canterbury are all known for it.
Slow down before exposed sections rather than reacting within them, and take particular care when emerging from a cutting or passing a truck, where the wind loads and unloads suddenly.
Lieux sur le chemin
Vérifiez avant de partir
Les règles et conditions changent. Revérifiez la source officielle et la page de votre parc ou terrain de camping exact avant le départ.
Emportez-le sur la route
Enregistrez les arrêts. Planifiez tout le voyage.
Créez un itinéraire ordonné à partir de lieux enregistrés, calculez la distance et conservez les dates, les notes et les tâches en pièce jointe.