When we first started on the journey of living on the road full time, we had no idea what we need in a caravan, or what we should have known prior to purchasing one.
So we have come up with a short list of things you need to know and things you need to consider before purchasing your set up.
Decide on what type of traveller you are. Do you want to camp low cost/off grid which means you need to be fully self sufficient for power, water & Grey water catchment. Do you prefer staying in caravan parks only or a combination of both. This will determine what type of caravan/camper trailer you will be looking for: Tourer - generally have lower ground clearance, smaller road tyres to travel well maintained road. They typically weigh less than other types of caravans, which makes them easier to tow and better fuel economy for your tow vehicle. Semi-Off-road - have much higher ground clearance and larger tyres that allow you to reach more remote destinations. Full Off-Road - have high ground clearance, large tyres and allow you to travel further off the beaten path than the other two types.
Shortlist caravans/camper trailers that you think are suitable to your needs (to make it easier we will write just caravan for the remainder steps but are referring to caravan or camper trailer)
Find the ATM of the caravans you are considering (Aggregate Trailer Mass) which is the maximum weight your caravan can be when fully loaded (everything you want to take in the caravan & all water tanks full)
You need to have a suitable tow vehicle that has a braked towing capacity equal, or greater than the caravan ATM. Keep in mind your tow vehicle should weigh more than what you want to tow, because you don't want the tail to wag the dog (swaying).
With your tow vehicle you choose, remember it's not just the maximum tow weight you should be concerned with, you also need to know all the other type of weights that are taken into account to stay legal. For example GVM - Gross Vehicle Mass, GAW - Gross Axle Weight, GCM - Gross Combination Mass.
As you can see there are so many acronyms to learn and understand.
Cheers Tracy & Chris
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