A caravan or trailer breakdown has a complication no car breakdown has: there are two vehicles, and often only one of them has failed. Which one changes the whole job.
DK’s Recovery covers Sheffield, South Yorkshire and the Peak District edge 24 hours a day. Call 07867 860723, or see our vehicle recovery page.
Say which one has failed
It is the first thing worth being clear about, and it is routinely muddled on the call.
The caravan has failed, the car is fine. Only the caravan needs moving. You drive away.
The car has failed, the caravan is fine. Both need moving — a caravan cannot safely or legally sit on a verge while you sort the car out.
Both. Less common and needs planning, because it is two loads.
Describing a healthy tow car as “we have broken down” sends the wrong vehicle. Thirty seconds of clarity saves an hour.
Tyres, and why age beats tread
Tyres cause more caravan failures than everything else combined, and almost never because the tread has worn out.
A caravan stands still for eleven months a year, often outdoors, frequently with weight on the same patch of each tyre. The rubber perishes from the inside while the tread looks essentially new. Then it fails at seventy on the M1 in July.
The date code on the sidewall matters more than how they look. Many manufacturers suggest replacing caravan tyres around five years regardless of tread, and it is the cheapest failure prevention in touring.
Snaking
The caravan begins to swing side to side and the movement builds rather than settling.
Ease off the accelerator gently. Hold the wheel straight. Do not brake hard, and do not steer against it. Both instincts make it worse. Let it slow under its own drag until it settles, then pull off somewhere safe.
Once stopped, look at what caused it: too much weight behind the axle, insufficient noseweight, or simply too much speed for the conditions. It rarely happens without a reason, and continuing without finding it is asking for a repeat.
Loading and noseweight
Heavy items low and over the axle. Not at the back — weight behind the axle is what makes an outfit unstable.
Noseweight matters as much as total weight and is checked far less often. Too little and the outfit becomes unstable; too much and the car’s rear suspension and steering suffer. A noseweight gauge costs very little and gets used almost nowhere.
Unbraked trailers on a verge
Worth its own warning. A trailer parked on a verge with no brakes, on any kind of slope, is a hazard to everyone including you.
Chock the wheels if you have anything to chock them with, keep the hitch on the higher side, and do not leave it unattended on a gradient. If it cannot be secured safely, that raises the urgency of moving it.
After a spill
A caravan that has gone off the road usually needs winching back to firm ground before anything else. Tell us whether it is still on its wheels, whether the hitch and jockey wheel are intact, and how far off it has gone — the answers decide the equipment. See winching recovery for how that works.
What to tell us
- Which has failed — car, caravan, or both.
- Length and rough weight of the caravan or trailer.
- Whether it is still hitched, and whether it rolls.
- Exact location and the access.
- Where each needs to go — they are not always the same place.
Common questions
My car is fine but the caravan is not. What happens?
Then only the caravan needs moving, and the car drives away normally. Say this clearly on the call – it is a different job from recovering both, and describing it as a breakdown when the tow car is healthy sends the wrong vehicle.
What if the car has failed and the caravan is fine?
Both usually need moving, because a caravan cannot be left on a verge or in a lay-by safely or legally for long. Tell us both are involved so the right combination comes out.
What causes most caravan breakdowns?
Tyres, by a distance – and usually age rather than tread. A caravan tyre that sits eleven months a year perishes from the inside while looking perfectly good. Most caravan tyre failures are on tyres with plenty of tread and too many years.
What is snaking and what should I do?
Side-to-side oscillation of the caravan that builds if it is not stopped. Ease off the accelerator gently, hold the steering straight, and do not brake hard or steer against it – both make it worse. Once stopped, check the loading and noseweight before continuing.
Can you recover a caravan that has come off the road?
Usually yes, by winching it back to firm ground first. Tell us whether it is still on its wheels, whether the jockey wheel and hitch are intact, and how far off the road it has gone.
Do I need to be there when it is collected?
Preferable, particularly for the handover and to confirm the destination. If you cannot be, arrange access and let us know where the keys and any security devices are.
Caravan or trailer stopped?
Tell us which one failed. 07867 860723 — 24 hours a day.
