by Kean Tahghighi-Everitt
The Camping and Caravanning Club has a new partnership with Bailey of Bristol to try and make caravanning safer for new buyers and more experienced caravanners by updating towing skills and making sure people have safer journeys.
There will be a set of 12 brand new tourers from Bailey’s award-winning Pursuit range, which will be situated at the Club’s accredited training centres all over the UK. The members will use them to get towing experience which is a part of the CCC’s caravan manoeuvring courses. The Club’s insurance provider, Club Care has committed to the long term sponsorship of the caravans and their manoeuvring courses.
The caravans can be used by people who aren’t members at the Club’s ‘Towing Experience’ initiatives, which occur at major industry shows and offer first-time caravanners a chance to try towing on the open road and become comfortable with the experience.
The main aims of the Club are to achieve safer caravanning, and to build the skill and confidence of new and older caravanners.
The manoeuvring courses are led by professional driving instructors, and are split into two groups, beginner courses and advanced courses. To participate in the manoeuvring courses, caravan owners need to bring their own car fitted with a tow bar, and then they will be paired with a suitable caravan from the brand-new Bailey fleet.
The beginners course encompasses many basic but vital lessons in how to maintain and drive a caravan safely, such as how to safely load a caravan, how to level it, how to hitch and unhitch, and the course includes tips on manoeuvring through a slalom course. In addition that the course includes a one-to-one driving session with an instructor, who gives each course attendee on-the-road tips and guidance.
The advanced course focuses on the harder and more complex aspects of caravanning including practical training, hill starts, driving on motorways and dual carriageways, as well as reversing and pitching on site.
You can choose from three locations in the North, South and Midlands: Haywards Heath in West Sussex; Rufforth in North Yorkshire; and also at the Club’s own headquarters in Coventry.
The Towing Match Service helps members find what tow cars and caravans are best for them and make sure they are a safe and legal pairing. The Tow Car Awards is an annual test programme, where experts put new cars with suitably weighted caravans, through a series of in-depth tests on a private proving ground, with reviews of each car tested published online.
Simon Howard, Marketing Director for Bailey of Bristol, said: “We’ve worked closely with the University of Bath, who have carried out a great deal of research into trailer stability and towing dynamics, and have incorporated this into the design of our Pursuit caravans, such as ensuring there is less weight at the front and rear of the caravan. We’re delighted to support the Club in these initiatives, and are confident the experiences will help people appreciate the many joys of caravanning.”
Robert Louden MBE, Director General of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “The Club takes the issue of safer caravanning very seriously indeed. By providing high-quality training courses for both new and more experienced caravanners, we aim to equip our caravanning members with the skills and understanding they need to feel confident and relaxed on their British and overseas caravan holidays.”
The CCC, being a member of the FIA, supports the current #3500Lives road safety campaign, which features celebrity international ambassadors including Rafael Nadal, Fernando Alonso and Pharrell Williams. Find out more about the campaign at #3500Lives.
For more information on the Club’s caravan manoeuvring courses visit:
Manoeuvring Couses
For more on the Club’s Towing Match service visit:
Towing Match Service
For more information on Bailey of Bristol visit:
Bailey of Bristol
And for the Tow Car Awards visit:
The Tow Car Awards
