Towing Caravan - Festival Field Anxiety

[AJKerr]

Is there anything I can do to minimise my chances of getting stuck in a festival field campsite with a caravan on the back? (apart from not driving like a muppet).

Weight in the back of the caravan to keep the front wheels of the T6 on the ground?

DSG T6 with 255x18 rubber

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Is there anything I can do to minimise my chances of getting stuck in a festival field campsite with a caravan on the back? (apart from not driving like a muppet).

Weight in the back of the caravan to keep the front wheels of the T6 on the ground?

DSG T6 with 255x18 rubber

What ever you do, don’t travel on the road with weight over the rear of the caravan! There’s i high chance you won’t even get there as the snaking trailer will have thrown you off the road.

Put weight in your Transporter rather than the caravan, keep heaviest items well forward of the rear axle. This will ensure the weight is transferred to the front (drive) wheels. Use manual to select 2nd gear and reduce the chance of wheel spin.

Try not to park at the bottom of a hill, gravity and mud (or wet grass) are your enemies.

Know where your towing eye is and how to fit it just in case you do get stuck and need towed.

 

[AJKerr]

Aye - understood re weight in caravan on the road!

Good shout re weight in the van and manual 2nd gear. I'm only really worried about the way out on the Sunday so can make that happen

 

[DaveD]

Is there anything I can do to minimise my chances of getting stuck in a festival field campsite with a caravan on the back? (apart from not driving like a muppet).

Weight in the back of the caravan to keep the front wheels of the T6 on the ground?

DSG T6 with 255x18 rubber

Buy something like;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HEAVY-PORTABLE-COMPRESSOR-150PSI-INFLATOR/dp/B077T7S781/ref=asc_df_B077T7S781/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=324886249090&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10355458261478635009&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006973&hvtargid=pla-698289772215&psc=1

You can get something similar in Halfords.

If the ground looks soft and you expect traction to be an issue, let the front van tyres down to 20PSI. (I've gone as low as 15PSI before)
The larger contact patch will help your tyre spread the weight and you'll get more traction.
Then when you're back on solid ground you reinflate your tyres to the normal pressure.
It's not a "get out of jail" card but in marginal situations it helps and might make the difference between getting out under your own steam or not.
It's a handy thing to have in the van anyway.

 

[Pete C]

Keep moving once you have got going. Make sure your way out to the road is clear before you start, so you don’t have to stop.


Pete

 

[jayc001]

Momentum is key. I take a large twin axle tin tent on some awkward sites. Never been stuck yet but seen similar not make it through. Just plan your route, I usually walk through first to get a feel of it then just keep your speed.

 

[Mattn]

Is there anything I can do to minimise my chances of getting stuck in a festival field campsite with a caravan on the back? (apart from not driving like a muppet).

Weight in the back of the caravan to keep the front wheels of the T6 on the ground?

DSG T6 with 255x18 rubber

Fit snow chains. Work well on wet grass.

 

[DXX]

Momentum is key.

Rarely maintained on any festival site.

 

[Green Giant]

and if you do need a tow, double check the tow driver knows what his doing, don’t let him tear the front of your van off!

 

[DXX]

Normally a farmer with not much time to spend on each stuck vehicle. I’d rather take a tent.

 

[SamD]

Also if you do need to be towed make sure your towing eye fits because if you have a sportline splitter you need an extension

 

[Spaghetti]

Also if you do need to be towed make sure your towing eye fits because if you have a sportline splitter you need an extension

And remember it’s LH thread too!

 

[DXX]

A caravan isn’t exactly sex & drugs & rock n roll.
Not unless your Val Doonican.

 

[VanDamMan]

Fit All season Cross climate tyres…..the Difference between tyre patterns is night and day……and remapping the dsg with a TVS map helps putting the power down smoother

 

[AJKerr]

Only rained for a wee bit on the first day....no dramas at all !