When a Caravan Is No Match for the Snow

Among the many things caravanners learn after a season or two is how disruptive weather can be to even the best laid plans. However, no amount of planning or trailer lessons could have prepared a group of holidaymakers on their way from Britain to Spain for a winter holiday. A brutal winter storm pummelled northern Spain with 16 inches of snow, cold temperatures, and wind.

The Daily Mail reported on a group of 100 British travellers who had just arrived in Santander when the storm hit. Approximately 60 of them were housed in a local gymnasium for the night while others stayed in their cars. Nevertheless, a small, hardy group who were towing caravans hunkered down in their portable accommodation until the roads were cleared.

Obviously, the snowy weather is not what the holidaymakers had in mind when they departed their homes for Spain. Nonetheless, it’s nice to know that you’re towing a caravan if you are forced to stop unexpectedly for the night. The downside is that driving in treacherous weather while towing a caravan becomes that much harder. This is one of the primary reasons the police and caravanning clubs encourage caravan owners to undergo training – even if they are not required by law to have an enhanced licence.

What many new caravanners do not realise is that driving with a trailer in tow is quite a bit different from going down the motorway with just a passenger car alone. Even in the best of weather conditions, towing a trailer requires a driver to pay more attention to everything from speed to cornering to braking. In bad weather, there are additional concerns.

For example, consider what can happen to a trailer in the snow. A snow-covered road is one that is more difficult for tyres to grip. Furthermore, loss of grip increases along with speed. A car towing a caravan down a snowy motorway could easily find itself out of control without any warning. It is very easy for the caravan to begin drifting to one side or the other, causing the vehicles to jack-knife. Heavy rain can cause the same kinds of issues.

You Need Trailer Lessons

If you are new to caravanning, we believe it is essential for you to take at least one round of trailer lessons. We offer them here at the HGV Training Centre. Lessons with a qualified trainer will teach you everything you need to know about conducting a pre-trip inspection, safe operation on public roads, backing into parking spaces and hooking and unhooking your trailer.

Our trailer lessons also instruct you regarding the current state of trailer laws in the UK. This is vital information you need to know. There are far too many stories of caravan owners not knowing what the law says about towing until after being pulled over by police.

For more information about our trailer lessons please contact us at your earliest convenience. Train now, before the 2015 caravan season begins.

Sources:

1. Daily Mail – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2942457/More-100-Brits-stuck-Spain-heavy-snowfall-Travellers-headed-Santander-stranded-roads-17-HOURS.html