John Sootheran explores the ‘back to school’ world of caravan towing training courses, and spends a day on a Confidence Builder caravanning course provided by The Camping and Caravanning Club
I REMEMBER MY first caravan-towing course very well – particularly the nerves. I’m pretty sure we were all thinking that we might make fools of ourselves in front of the other trainees.
I needn’t have worried, though, because that course is still one of the best things I’ve done, and since then, I’ve been on several refresher towing courses, and photographed quite a few more.
So I’ve experienced first-hand how these courses are simply transformative. Nervous towing newbies rock up in the morning, terrified of embarrassing themselves, but by the time they leave, they’ve been armed with all the basic knowledge and techniques to tow their caravan confidently, and they’ve proved to themselves that they can do it.
In total, I’ve seen about 50 candidates attending one of these courses, and all 50 of them (me included!) came away ready and raring to tow.
All of those experiences have made me a passionate advocate of towing and practical courses for caravanners, the best of which are delivered by the two major caravan clubs.
I believe basic tow training should be compulsory, because towing up to 2000kg of white box down a motorway at 60mph, without preparation, doesn’t seem wise.
The other bonus for course participants is that many insurance providers then offer discounts, typically around 5%.
The courses are run by caravanning and driving experts – all of them friendly and helpful people – and places can be booked online from The Camping and Caravanning Club (campingandcaravan ningclub.co.uk) or the Caravan and Motorhome Club (caravanclub.co.uk).
‘As a rookie caravan owner, I loved the hands-on, practical side, and the tips given by the great instructors. I came away feeling much more confident and knowledgeable, ready for our caravan adventures.’ Iain L
Towing courses
The Camping and Caravanning Club
The Camping and Caravanning Club offers two types of course. These are a Confidence Builder course (members £160, non-members £185) and a Pitch and Progress course (members £175, non-members £200).
Each course takes place on one day, although they can be combined into a two-day, weekend course. The Club offers a 25% discount at the nearby Kingsbury Water Park Club Site for two-day participants.
All Camping and Caravanning Club training courses take place at the Club HQ, near Coventry (CV4 8JH).
The Caravan and Motorhome Club
The Carava
