How did you learn to tow & where is my Avatar?

I read a book on how to do it and taught myself from there. Have a look on you tube there are some informative short films on there. However if that does not inspire you with confidence then good professional tuition is the best route. 

I just got in the car, with the caravan already hitched up, and drove it  home from a site in the Lake District along the A65 (a busy and somewhat winding road) so I was thrown in at the deep-end.  My OH was in the passenger seat and not able to drive..  However, my next trip was to take the caravan and our two children, without my OH, down to a campsite in Abersoch.   

I don't remember worrying particularly about it - he'd done it without having lessons, or being shown, or reading about it, and so, therefore, could I.  

Changed avatar using Chrome on laptop but it did not stay put. It had changed when I looked using Firefox - as below so yet another odd thing.  

"How did everyone learn to tow? Friend/course/have a go on your own/instructor"

My dad owned his own haulage company so by the age of 14 I was shunting lorries around in his yard in Peckham  In my early 20's I also drove a recovery truck as a second job and in later years had to occasionally drive 18m long Bendy Buses at work.

Seriously though, just go for it, take it easy, make sure your mirrors are properly set so you can see both behind the caravan and it's wheels and go out when its nice quite on the roads to practice. You'll be fine

One last top tip, if the club site directory says don't use your Sat Nav for directions, Heed the advice. I had an interesting thing happen to me a couple of months ago in a road that became very narrow. Luckily we found a gate to a field set back from the road and was able to reverse in enough to turn around  

I learned how to tow by owning a large ish trailer.  I used that to get confidence in towing something behind my car.

Last year, I purchased my first caravan and have towed that behind the same car.

In the month whilst I was getting my caravan, I went online and became a sponge, looking up anything and everything that I could about towing.  Everything from loading, to maneuvering technique to how to un/pitch.

I also booked myself onto the Caravan club weekend course, and did that too.

After that, it's a case of practice practice. Take your time, there's no hurry.  And if there's a queue of traffic behind you, pull up for a bit to let 'em pass if you are nervous of it.

You are all stars! Many thanks for taking the time to share how you did it! I am going to do everything!

I've just booked for a weekend course at the West Sussex venue on 15 July.

I will look at more Youtube videos as well. I remember when I got my new washing machine and didn't want to pay the exhorbitant installation charge, I went online and found a video. I bought myself a wrench, watched the video a few more times and plumbed it in - Success!!

L xxx

Well done you,

when i started towing 1967 with a Trailer tent, you just hooked up and went,  but it did help when two years later  daughter was born and i stuck a tin box on the hook,,  and to reverse it there was a metal clip that you had to flip over the coupling shaft to stop the brakes applying,,  and remember to take it off  when going forward or the brakes  did not work,

Now you're really cooking Girl, you got class.

When we couldn't afford a caravan and wanted to move away from a tent, well Mrs SF did, we bought a trailer tent. This, with two young children also in tow, served us for several years. And yes, all that time ago, we were members of what was then called, The Caravan Club!

I must admit towing came relatively easy to me. I just remembered what my dad told me when I was caraving with him and mum as a young boy, 'Always be aware of what the van is doing behind you, don't expect it to follow exactly the same line as the car when turning.'

We just took the caravan from the dealers and towed it home. My father did have a caravan so I had some help in the theory from him. The caravan came from a dealer near the centre of Motherwell, so I had to deal with the traffic from the off, and managed with us taking some care, but the caravan was only 10 ft long, so easier than what most people start with.

Basically as long as you take it easy and are aware of the length and width, towing should not be that difficult. If you have doubts though go on the clubs course for beginners.