How to reverse a caravan
Reversing a caravan feels anything but natural: the outfit pivots around the tow ball, so the back of the caravan swings the opposite way to the way you turn the wheel. With a few good habits, though, the manoeuvre becomes simple.
Hand at the bottom of the wheel
Put one hand at the bottom of the steering wheel, at six o'clock. Move it towards the side you want the back of the caravan to go: hand to the left, caravan to the left. It is the most useful trick to stop thinking backwards.
Slowly, with small movements
Reverse at walking pace, slipping the clutch or letting an automatic creep on its own. Make small steering inputs and straighten up early: the caravan keeps turning after you move the wheel, and the angle grows faster than you think.
If the angle between the car and the caravan gets too big, stop. Pull forward a few metres to line everything up again, then start over. Pushing on leads to a jackknife, where the caravan hits the car.
Seeing behind you
A caravan is often wider than the car, so you need towing mirrors that stick out, set before you start manoeuvring. Check both sides in turn: it is often the corner on the far side of the manoeuvre that gets hit.
Before reversing, get out and walk round the pitch: pegs, hook-up posts, low branches, slopes and soft ground cannot be seen from the driver's seat.
Getting someone to guide you
A helper outside is worth more than any mirror. Agree on the hand signals before you start, and ask them to stay visible in one of your mirrors: if they disappear, you stop. Avoid shouting through the window; with the engine running you can hardly hear a thing.
What about not reversing at all?
On a campsite, a small caravan can often be pushed by hand by two people once it is unhitched on level ground. For a heavy caravan, a motor mover lets you place it to the centimetre with a remote control. And many campsites offer a hand when you arrive: you only need to ask.
Practising
Training for the B96 or BE category includes manoeuvres, reversing among them. Nothing beats an empty car park on a Sunday morning, with two cones or two bottles of water to mark out a pitch. And in the meantime, there is the mini-game above.
Find out more
Frequently asked questions
Why does a caravan turn the wrong way when reversing?
The caravan pivots around the tow ball, behind the car's rear wheels. When you turn the wheel to the right while reversing, the back of the car moves right and pushes the drawbar right, so the back of the caravan goes left.
What is a jackknife?
It is when the angle between the car and the caravan becomes so large that the caravan hits the back of the car. You avoid it by stopping in time, then pulling forward to line the outfit up again.
Is the game realistic?
It uses the real movement of a car and a 6-metre single-axle caravan: the caravan follows the tow ball just as in real life. Speed and ground are simplified, and real pitches are rarely so neatly marked.
What do you win by finishing the 5 levels?
Finishing the 5 levels of one game without touching anything gives Nesters, the members of Campernest, the « Reversing Ace » trophy. Once per account.