Today marks 100 years of International Women’s Day, which brings awareness of injustices faced by women around the world. Here at Caravan Times we marked the day by asking whether enough women participate in a key part of caravanning: towing. Here’s Yvonne Turley with her guide to towing for ladies.
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by Yvonne Turley
One of my favourite aspects of caravanning is the gender role each of us adopts so naturally. Don’t get me wrong, sexual equality is important – but in the caravanning community we get it right. Sometimes it feels like natural order has been restored on a caravanning holiday.
We never need to assign tasks to our spouses, or they to us. It’s often the case that men do their thing and women do theirs. And we love it. It is a place where the word feminism has been left at the gate and chivalry still exists.
While men are busy levelling the caravan, parking the car exactly parallel, hooking up the gas and wrestling with the awning they insist they can put up themselves…the women will be putting on the kettle and checking out the toilet and shower blocks.
Men are the hunter gatherers, fetching water and emptying chemical toilets. Women are the home makers and meal preparers. Unless it is a barbecue, in which case you will (without exception) find a man equipped with a pair of tongs at the coals. It is all rather primitive and rugged. Some of us like our men to be men.And the beauty is that this is the case with all age groups.
Having said all that, sometimes this perfectly tuned routine can suffer an unexpected blow.
When roles are reversed
Let me paint you a picture which is more Pollock than Monet. Once upon a time, a happy family were on holiday in the south of France when my husband the hunter gatherer put his back out. As in can’t-stand-up-never-mind-drive. This posed a predicament previously unknown to this experienced caravanning family. Namely, who was going to be driving this huge caravan hundreds of miles home?
There was of course only one option – that the homemaker drives the family home. Imagine how daunting this must have been for someone who has become used to only one aspect of caravan life. Towing a caravan isn’t the most difficult of tasks, but can be frightening if you haven’t done it before. Sure I am happy to tow…but there are things to bear in mind.
Tips for towing
One of the first things i found alarming was what it feels like braking with all that weight behind you.You feel like you are being forced ahead when you are wanting to stop and I can only advise all you ladies who have never done it before to try it out somewhere quiet and safe. If you have packed the caravan to the rafters it will be heavier still.
As if that wasn’t bad enough there are other drivers. What can I say? You will experience the frustrated tailgater whose ire increases with the gradient of hill you are crawling up. My best advice? Ignore them. Don’t give in to bullying, you can only drive as quickly as you feel comfortable. The only way is to remain at a speed where you feel totally in control.
The urge to speed up because you are holding six cars up on a bendy country lane on the hottest day of the year will overcome you. Ignore that urge and forget about the guilt. If you are going too fast you aren’t in control and that makes you a danger on the roads. You don’t want to be the caravan on the traffic report that is upturned on the M4.
Also worth getting used to is not having a rear view mirror. You will be relying entirely on wing mirrors which feels strange at the beginning. And if you are parking in a car park with a height restriction check you fit under before rather than after.
Furthermore, know your route and next pit stop. Motorway petrol stations are big so you have plenty of room to manoeuvre (or abandon as the case may be) and recharge your batteries.
The perils of reversing
By far the most difficult thing about towing is the reversing. It is the offside rule of caravanning. The back-to-front steering wheel turning is an art form when performed well is akin to perfectly executed choreography. When performed badly, it can only be described as hilarious.
Personally I am a bit of a left handed back to front person and it has taken me literally years to crack it but at least I know if push came to shove I can reverse the thing. All caravanners are glad to help anyone who becomes unstuck because we have all been there so ask anyone for a hand and help will rally round.
So be prepared but remember, emergencies by their nature are not commonplace. So sit back in the passenger seat, relax and let him drive, because all too soon you will be making the tea and orchestrating the barbecue from behind the scenes.
After all…only you know where everything is packed.
