Thread: Never towed/owned a caravan before.. advice

Agree with all above, first and foremost i believe is safety.
hence a brake controller...red arc I have has a simple switch on the dash with the 'works' under the bonnet.....
Changed one of the plugs to a 12 pin which fits nicely behind the bumper cover.
with regard to parking the Van on a hill or in any suburban situation, security would be paramount due to theft and a caravan storage yard would be my preferred solution.
Towing a breeze, enjoy without getting to complicated

Hi
If you've never towed a caravan, I'd strongly recommend getting some good instruction on towing. How to minimise oscillations, etc. Too many accidents caused by people on their first caravan trip. Eg, if it starts to sway, DON"T apply the brake! instead accelerate to pull it straight. If you apply the brake you'll end up off the road, hopefully still right side up. Learn how to pack the van to avoid overloading the towbar and keep your front wheels on the ground, and minimise pendulum effect. Also advice on how to back into parking spaces - so much safer and easier if you get good advice first. Have a safe and great trip
Richard

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Lots of people on here tow with a D4,, I would think all the specific D4 questions would be answered by now,, just need a bit of research

Parking it on a hill??
mines not steep by any means,, and common sense will tell you if its possible.....
Even on a slight incline the first time you do it

I use a chock under all four wheels,(knocked into the tyre, a club hammer is good for this)
leave the chains ON,
disconnect electrics.
use the jockey wheel to lift it off the coupling, (can you guys drop the car?)
cringe,
wait till the van has settled on the chocks,
undo chains, drive off
level the van.
If its staying put for a while I use a chassis stand instead of a jockey wheel.
reversal is easy with two people,, (due to driveshaft handbrake and space between tyres its harder by yourself ,,)

All of the above, but I'll add one more thing to watch out for if you are parking facing downhill. Be very careful to tightly chock all the wheels (never rely on the handbrake) as if it's is not chocked tightly the van will roll forward when taken off the tow ball and most likely put the drawbar through your D4's tailgate. Same applies when parked on the flat and you use a leveling ramp on one side. Always chock properly.

I have a Red Arc brake controller and had the D4 rewired with a 12 pin connector and two Anderson plugs (one for the power and the other the ESC). I coupled this with a Mitch Hitch on the D4 and a DO35 coupler on the van. Best system ever for a larger van.

Lastly, when connecting and disconnecting the 12 pin plug, never wiggle it sideways (only up and down) as sideways closes the pins together and you'll connect one day, drive off and find that you have no brakes. The Red Arc brake controller will glow red/purple and you will need to find the brake pin (on the 12 pin connector) and prize it open a bit to get contact. Easy fix.

Also when you get a Red Arc brake controller fitted ensure that the earth is connected by heavy duty cable directly to the battery, not the chassis, otherwise the controller will go into 'Limp' mode when you least expect it and you will lose the brakes. Yes, experience. 400klm on a hilly, windy road in Central Queensland was a real kangaroo ride without caravan brakes.

After years of total enjoyment of my 2010 D4, bought in the UK and now with me in Aussie, I have succumbed to the ‘pursuasion’ of my missus and ordered a Jurgens Lunagazer for delivery in March ‘18. This is after swearing I’d never tow a van - maybe this has something to do with being a grey nomad. Against this background, this thread is particularly useful so many thanks to all the contributors! Any more useful tips would be greatly appreciated - especially ones born out of seasoned caravanning and not even on the radar screen of a novice like me (despite my research). Looking forward to meeting many of you on the road in time to come. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Also when you get a Red Arc brake controller fitted ensure that the earth is connected by heavy duty cable directly to the battery, not the chassis, otherwise the controller will go into 'Limp' mode when you least expect it and you will lose the brakes. Yes, experience. 400klm on a hilly, windy road in Central Queensland was a real kangaroo ride without caravan brakes.

OP, This last statement I’d take with a pinch of salt. Nothing should be connected directly to the battery’s earth as it messes with the BMS. Everything in this vehicle uses the chassis earth points successfully. I’d suggest Jaybee that maybe your earth connection was poor and a another termination point nearby might have fixed it. Alternatively, if you run it back to the battery, use the chassis earth points nearby.

Never connect anything directly to the neg post of the battery as the ECU(s) uses the neg as a shunt to monitor current flow.
My Tow Pro is connected to an earth stud on the body close to the battery & this has worked fine for 25k km.

Another bit of advice. Once the Tow Pro or whichever controller is mounted, learn to find it without looking so that you can find it & operate it manually in an emergency such as in the unlikely event that the van decides to overtake you.

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

OP, This last statement I’d take with a pinch of salt. Nothing should be connected directly to the battery’s earth as it messes with the BMS. Everything in this vehicle uses the chassis earth points successfully. I’d suggest Jaybee that maybe your earth connection was poor and a another termination point nearby might have fixed it. Alternatively, if you run it back to the battery, use the chassis earth points nearby.

Thanks for the clarification. When I contacted Red Arc with the 'Limp Mode' problem they knew straight away that the problem was incorrect grounding and said that it had to be connected to the batteries ground (negative terminal). This is also outlined in their installation instructions. Perhaps there are vehicles that the specifications are different such as the D4? On inspection by the auto electrician that fixed the problem, it was found that the earth was connected under the dash (by LR dealer who subsequently paid for my auto electric bill) with a light weight wire. So using a heavier weight wire it was connected to the battery ground and it's worked perfectly ever since ( 2 years towing around Australia). Has it affected my Battery Management System, I think maybe not as the battery lasted 5 complete years before needing replacement.

Originally Posted by Lukeis

Hi.

I just bought my first caravan (jayco sterling outback pop top) and have been told it has electric brakes and needs a 12 pin plug.

1) I know the D4's have the plugs but the salesperson asked me to check if I need a brake controller? if so, how much and where should I get this in Sydney?
2) Do our plugs have two 'hot plugs' which apparently is for the fridge etc

also, I live on a steepish street, can you park a van safely on a hill?

any other tips are appreciated as well.

Thanks!

Hi Lukeis,
We have towed caravans/ horse floats etc with several different discos over many years. Have just returned from a 24k trip to the kimberley and places up north towing a 22’ Coromal van behind our D4. They are a great tow platform.
If your van has electric brakes fitted then i think you are required to have them connected. For my money via a Tekonsha prodigy 3 brake controller. It is the best i have used and i also hav one on my defender.
The electric brakes(if adjusted correctly) are like a safety parachute out the back. When operating correctly you should barely notice the van on the back.
As far as the trailer connector goes i have a 12 pin (which will also double as a 7 pin flat connector). The LR supplied connectors supplied are a pain and i dont think std in aust anyway. Our permanently fitted 12 pin does everything with no fuss.
Best of luck. Cheers