If you’ve just bought yourself an incredible Adventure Kings MT1 Camper Trailer and it’s your first offroad camper trailer, then this is the article for you. This article is designed for those who are very new to towing a camper trailer in mind, but even if you’ve been around camper trailers for years it’s worth a read – there’s nothing like a quick refresher course!

This will be a 2 part series and in part 1, we’ll concentrate primarily on the basics of hitching up and on-road towing. And in part2, we’ll cover the basics of how to reverse a camper trailer and unhitching your offroad camper trailer.

HITCHING UP

Let’s start at the very beginning – hitching up your offorad camper trailer. I know how exciting it is to finally hit the road after a long week at work, but please remember to take your time and do things properly when it comes time to hitch your camper trailer up.

The first step to hitching up your offroad camper trailer is to make sure your wheels are chocked and your handbrake if you have one is applied. Double check your chains are and leads are clear of where your camper trailer coupling’s path and you’re ready to start lining your vehicle up. While we’re on this topic, it’s worth mentioning that should definitely invest in an adjustable tow ball mounting kit here if your trailer drawbar doesn’t sit level with your hitch. The idea is to get your off road camper trailer as level as possible while towing, with a slight emphasis towards it sitting nose-down to keep good downward pressure on the towbar.  If you have a hitch bolt on the bottom, make sure you tighten it up to get rid of any play or slack inside of the towbar.  

A handy tip if you have a reverse camera with a pivot point is to tilt it down towards your camper Trailer coupling – this way you’ve got a far more accurate way of finding exactly where you need to position your car.

If you have someone who can spot you while you’re hitching up- utilise the extra set of eyes even if you do have a reverse camera. We’ve all heard the early morning arguments between couples at caravan parks because the driver turned ‘not that left, the other left!’

Remember, it is your job as the driver to trust your spotter and listen to exactly where they are telling you to go and if you’re the one spotting, instead of yelling out left and rights or this way and that ways, use left hand down and right hand down implying exactly which way the driver would turn their steering wheel. It’s a much better method of getting things done!

Connect your camper trailer coupling via whatever connection method it uses, and if it’s a standard ball coupling then remember to always use an R-Clip.

If your offroad camper trailer has 2 chains, cross them over onto opposite sides of your tow bar, that way if your camper trailer happens to become detached, the chains will catch the camping trailer in the middle without it hitting the road surface.

Also, make sure you are using the correct properly rated d shackles – contrary to popular belief, your d shackles don’t actually have to be painted yellow but they do need to have their Working Load Limit stamped into them and be correctly suited to your trailer’s ATM.

Once you’re fully hooked up, get your spotter to call out different lights on the rear to double check everything is working as they should (brake lights, indicators and parkers). If one of these isn’t working, pull your trailer plug out and make sure the pins are making a solid connection to the socket. If the gap in the pin looks too small, grab a thin piece of steel or a pocket knife and carefully pry it open, but not too much because they are quite brittle and they can often break if you push it too far.

If you have camper trailer brakes, make sure you test them out before hitting the road. I normally chuck the car in neutral, let the handbrake off and apply your offroad trailer brakes manually using your trailer brake control unit. Once all is working, it’s time to hit the road.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Now once you’re out on the open road, there’s a few things you need to keep in mind.

Now, forgive us if this seems obvious, but it’s vital info so worth repeating. When turning corners your camper trailer will follow a tighter radius than your tow rig – which is why you need to be conscious of swinging wide enough that you clear gutters. You’re not towing a B-Double, but you’re also not driving a hatchback, either.

Take it easy on your vehicle and make sure you apply your brake, throttle and steering input in a smooth manner- avoid any jerky movements and don’t be in a rush to get anywhere. Stick to the far left lane to allow faster traffic to overtake.

If you’re towing a camper trailer up hills with an automatic transmission, flick it out of overdrive so it’s not constantly changing gears as you crest the hill – this will cause your transmission to get hot and can cause dramas in the long run. If you’re towing a heavy trailer with a manual transmission, avoid towing in an overdrive gear like 5^th or 6^th. And it’s always a much better idea to crest a hill a few kays slower, than it is to hold your foot pinned flat to the floor, redlining up the hill.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of ‘How to Tow a Camper Trailer’, where you’ll learn the easiest and best way to reverse a trailer and the proper way to unhitch your offroad camper trailer.