Every year, as the weather warms up and the school holidays approach, a familiar sight returns to Victoria’s highways: caravans, camper trailers and fifth wheelers heading out for the season. For a lot of drivers, this is the first time the van has left the driveway since last year’s trip, and that gap is exactly when small problems tend to go unnoticed. A tyre that has sat under load all winter, a safety chain that has never actually been checked, a hitch that was never properly torqued down after the last service, all of these sit quietly until the first long haul finds them.
This checklist is built for that exact moment, the week or two before you leave, when a bit of time spent under the van saves you a roadside headache a few hundred kilometres from home. It covers what to check on the tow vehicle, what to check on the caravan itself, and what Victoria actually requires before you’re legally allowed to hitch up and go.
What Grey Nomad Season Actually Means for Victorian Roads
The term grey nomad usually refers to retirees who spend months at a time travelling around Australia in a caravan or motorhome, but the seasonal pattern it describes affects everyone towing a van, not just retirees. Traffic on routes like the Great Ocean Road, the Hume Freeway and the roads out toward the Grampians and Gippsland lakes swells noticeably from spring through to the end of summer, and a large share of that traffic is first time or once a year caravan towers.
This matters for preparation because a fault that would be a minor inconvenience on a short local trip becomes a much bigger problem two or three hours from the nearest town. Victoria Police have also flagged caravan safety as a specific enforcement focus around peak holiday weekends, checking weights, chains and lights on vans heading out for the season, so turning up unprepared is not just a safety risk, it can also mean a fine or being turned around before you’ve even left the state.
Timing Your Departure Around Peak Grey Nomad Traffic
If your dates are flexible, leaving a day or two either side of a long weekend or the very start of school holidays can make a noticeable difference to your first day on the road. Popular routes out of Melbourne become congested with caravan traffic in the hours immediately before a public holiday, which is exactly when an underprepared van is most likely to be tested, whether that’s through stop start traffic overheating brakes or simply more opportunity for a following vehicle to clip a wide load while overtaking. Leaving slightly off peak also means less pressure to keep pace with faster moving traffic while you’re still getting a feel for how the van tows.
Before You Hook Up: Is Your Tow Vehicle Actually Up to the Job
Check your real towing capacity, not just the number on the ad
Every tow vehicle has a manufacturer rated towing capacity, but that figure is usually the maximum under ideal conditions, not the maximum you should actually load up to for a long trip. The number that matters more day to day is your Gross Combination Mass, which is the total allowable weight of your vehicle and caravan together, fully loaded with fuel, water, gear and passengers.
It is common for a fully loaded caravan, once you add water tanks, gas bottles, camping gear and food, to weigh considerably more than the empty weight shown on the caravan’s compliance plate. Before you assume your car can handle the van you’re about to buy or already own, get both weighed at a public weighbridge with everything loaded as it would be for a real trip. This single step catches more overloading problems than any other check on this list.
Confirm your towbar rating and mirror setup
Your towbar must be rated to at least the weight of the loaded caravan, and this rating should be stamped on the towbar itself along with the vehicle it was fitted to. If you’ve changed vehicles or bought the caravan after the towbar was fitted, don’t assume it’s still adequate, check the rating plate directly.
You’ll also need a clear rear view once the caravan is attached. If the van is wider than your vehicle’s mirrors can see around, you’ll need extension mirrors fitted, and these should be removed again when you’re not towing, since driving with them on unnecessarily is itself against the road rules.
The Coupling and Safety Chains: Small Parts, Big Consequences
The coupling is the single point connecting your entire caravan to your vehicle, so this is not a step to rush. Check that the coupling locks down fully and that the safety pin or clip is actually inserted, not just resting in place. A coupling that looks closed but isn’t fully engaged is one of the more common causes of a caravan detaching mid trip.
Safety chains are compulsory on every caravan and trailer on Victorian roads, and they need to be crossed underneath the drawbar when connected, so that if the coupling does fail, the chains catch the drawbar rather than letting it drop straight onto the road. Check both chains for wear, rust or stretched links, and make sure the shackles connecting them to your tow vehicle are rated for the job, not just whatever was in the shed.
If your caravan has a breakaway cable and battery for its brakes, which is required on heavier vans, confirm the cable is properly attached to the tow vehicle and that the breakaway battery is actually charged. This system is designed to automatically apply the caravan’s brakes if it separates from the vehicle entirely, and a flat battery defeats the entire purpose of having it.
Tyres, Brakes and Bearings: The Checklist Items Most Often Skipped
Tyres that have sat under a stationary, loaded caravan for months are one of the most overlooked risks of the pre season check. Inspect both the caravan and tow vehicle tyres for cracking in the sidewalls, uneven wear, and correct tread depth, and don’t forget the spare, since a flat spare found halfway through a trip is no spare at all. Check pressures cold, before the van has been driven that day, and set them to the caravan manufacturer’s specification rather than guessing.
Wheel bearings deserve particular attention on a caravan that hasn’t moved in a while, since they can dry out or develop play while sitting idle. If you’re not confident checking these yourself, this is a worthwhile job to have a mechanic look at before a long trip, since a failing bearing rarely gives much warning before it fails completely.
Brakes on the caravan itself, where fitted, should be tested to confirm they’re engaging evenly and not dragging on one side. During the actual trip, a good habit is to feel each wheel hub briefly at your first rest stop, since an unusually hot hub compared to the others can be an early sign of a dragging brake or failing bearing before it becomes a bigger problem.
Weight Distribution: Loading the Van So It Doesn’t Sway
How you load a caravan matters almost as much as how much you load it with. Heavy items should sit low and as close to the caravan’s axles as possible, rather than out over the drawbar or right at the back. Too much weight behind the axles is one of the most common causes of caravan sway at highway speed, since it effectively turns the drawbar into a lever working against your tow vehicle rather than with it.
A loaded weight distribution hitch, sometimes fitted by caravan and towbar specialists, can help spread the caravan’s weight more evenly across both the tow vehicle’s axles and the caravan’s own wheels, which improves handling and braking, particularly on a heavier van. If you’ve never had one fitted and you’re regularly towing near your vehicle’s rated capacity, it is worth asking a towbar specialist whether one would suit your setup.
Registration and Roadworthiness: What Victoria Actually Requires
Before any of the mechanical checks matter, the basics need to be in place. Your caravan must be currently registered to be towed on a Victorian public road, and it must be roadworthy, meaning the coupling, safety chains, brakes and external lights are all in good working order. If your caravan’s registration has lapsed and you need to move it before renewing, an unregistered vehicle permit is required rather than simply towing it anyway.
Victoria’s official road rules for caravans, including registration, roadworthiness and weight limit requirements, are set out clearly on the Transport Victoria caravans page, which is worth a quick read even if you’ve towed for years, since requirements are reviewed from time to time. It’s also a useful reference if you’re travelling with someone who holds a probationary licence, since Victoria places specific restrictions on caravan towing for P1 drivers.
The Complete Pre Departure Checklist
Print this out or save it to your phone and work through it in the driveway before you leave, not from memory once you’re already hitched up.
Tow vehicle
- Engine oil, coolant and other fluids recently checked or topped up
- Tyres, including spare, inspected and correctly inflated
- Towbar rating confirmed against the loaded caravan weight
- Extension mirrors fitted if the caravan is wider than the vehicle
- Brakes and general mechanical condition recently serviced
Coupling and connections
- Coupling locked down and pin or clip fully inserted
- Safety chains crossed, undamaged, and correctly rated for the caravan’s weight
- Breakaway cable connected and battery charged, where fitted
- Electrical connector plugged in and all external lights tested, including indicators and brake lights
Caravan
- Registration current and roadworthy condition confirmed
- Tyres, including spare, inspected and correctly inflated
- Wheel bearings checked, particularly if the van has been idle for months
- Weight loaded low and toward the axles, with heavier items secured
- Total loaded weight confirmed against the tow vehicle’s Gross Combination Mass
Before locking up and leaving
- Gas bottles turned off at the cylinder
- Fridge and cupboard doors latched
- Roof hatches, windows and the door itself locked
- Awning fully retracted and locked in travel position
- Jockey wheel raised, removed or locked in travel position
- Step retracted
On the Road: Checks Worth Repeating at Every Fuel Stop
A pre departure check covers you for the start of the trip, but a long haul interstate or across regional Victoria justifies a second look every couple of hours. At each fuel or rest stop, walk around the van and briefly check that the coupling and chains are still secure, that no lights have failed, and that nothing inside has shifted or come loose. Feeling each wheel hub for uneven heat, as mentioned earlier, takes less than a minute and can catch a developing brake or bearing issue well before it becomes a breakdown.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong Mid Trip
Even a well prepared caravan can run into trouble, whether that’s a blown tyre, a bearing failure, or a coupling issue that only shows up once you’re loaded and moving. If you’ve never dealt with a caravan specific breakdown before, our earlier article on what a caravan breakdown actually involves is a useful companion to this checklist, since it covers the kinds of faults that tend to strand a van specifically, as opposed to a standard car breakdown.
If you do find yourself stuck with a caravan that can’t be safely continued on, towing a loaded van isn’t a job for a standard car recovery service, since it needs the right hitch equipment and a driver experienced with the extra length and weight involved. Our caravan towing service is set up specifically for this, and our emergency towing line is available if you need help arranged quickly rather than scheduled in advance.
Common Mistakes First Time Grey Nomads Make
Assuming the caravan’s advertised weight is what you’ll actually be towing. Add water, gas, food, clothing and gear, and the real loaded weight is often noticeably higher than the figure on the compliance plate.
Skipping the weighbridge because the trip feels routine. Even experienced caravanners benefit from a weight check after adding new gear or upgrading to a bigger van, since it’s easy to creep over your limit gradually rather than all at once.
Leaving safety chain and coupling checks until the day of departure. These are worth checking a few days out, so there’s time to source a replacement part if something is worn or damaged, rather than discovering it while already running late.
Not testing extension mirrors and lights before a long trip. A trailer light fault is common and easy to miss during the day, so it’s worth having someone check indicators and brake lights while you operate them, ideally before dusk on the day you leave rather than after dark on the road.
RACV’s own guidance for first time caravanners echoes several of these points, and is a useful read if this is your first season towing, particularly around vehicle suitability and towbar selection, in their guide to common caravan mistakes for beginners.
Insurance and Recovery Cover Before You Leave
Most standard car insurance policies do not automatically extend full cover to a caravan being towed behind the vehicle, and the two are often insured separately, with different levels of cover for accidental damage, theft and storm events. Before the season starts, it is worth confirming with your insurer exactly what is covered while the van is being towed, what happens if the caravan causes damage to another vehicle, and whether cover extends to the contents inside the van as well as the van itself.
It is equally worth checking whether your roadside assistance membership, if you have one, actually covers a loaded caravan being towed, rather than just the car on its own. Some standard memberships exclude trailers and caravans entirely, or cap the towing distance and weight they will recover, which only becomes obvious at the worst possible time, when you’re already broken down with a van attached and the operator that turns up isn’t equipped to move it. Confirming this before you leave, rather than finding out during a call out, is a five minute phone call that can save a genuinely stressful afternoon on the side of the road.
If you don’t currently have cover that extends to caravan recovery, or you’re unsure whether it does, it is worth keeping the number for a towing provider that specifically handles caravans on hand for the trip, rather than assuming a general breakdown service will be equipped for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before a trip should I start my caravan prep checklist? Start mechanical checks, particularly tyres, bearings and brakes, at least a week or two before you leave, so there’s time to book a mechanic or source parts if something needs attention. Final checks like gas, latches and lights are best done on the morning of departure.
Do I need to weigh my caravan before every trip? Not every single trip, but you should weigh it fully loaded at least once for your typical travel setup, and again whenever you significantly change what you’re carrying, such as adding a generator, extra water capacity or new furniture.
What’s the difference between ATM, GTM and GCM? Aggregate Trailer Mass, or ATM, is the caravan’s total weight including its own drawbar load. Gross Trailer Mass, or GTM, is the weight actually carried by the caravan’s own axles once it’s hitched up. Gross Combination Mass, or GCM, is the maximum combined weight of your tow vehicle and caravan together. All three matter, but GCM is the one that determines whether your vehicle and van combination is legal together.
Can a probationary licence holder tow a caravan in Victoria? Generally, P1 probationary drivers face restrictions on towing in Victoria, with some exceptions depending on circumstances. Check current requirements on the Transport Victoria caravans page before planning a trip if this applies to your household.
What should I do if my caravan starts swaying at highway speed? Ease off the accelerator gently rather than braking hard, and avoid overcorrecting with the steering wheel. Braking the tow vehicle hard can worsen a sway rather than fix it. If your setup sways regularly, it usually points to a loading or hitch setup issue worth addressing before your next trip rather than something to manage on the road each time.
What’s the most commonly missed item on a pre trip caravan check? Wheel bearings and tyre condition are the two most frequently skipped checks, largely because they require getting underneath or removing a wheel rather than a quick visual glance, and both are common causes of a mid trip breakdown.
Final Thoughts
A caravan sitting idle over winter doesn’t announce which of its parts have quietly worn out, which is exactly why the pre season check matters more than the quick glance most people give it. Work through the checklist above in the days before you leave rather than the morning of, and you’ll catch the kind of small issue that turns into a roadside call out a few hours into your trip.
If you do run into trouble on the road, whether that’s a breakdown, a coupling issue or a van that needs recovering, our caravan towing service team can help, and you can get in touch here if you’d like to talk through your specific setup before the season starts.
