Towing limits have been standardised across Australia, putting an end to the differences between regulations in various states.

The new towing regulations allow the owner of a 4WD, ute or car to tow a trailer weighing up to the vehicle maker's recommended maximum.
Unbraked trailers with an all-up weight under 750kg are approved under the new uniform law, but trailers weighing more then 750 kg must be fitted with brakes.

The changes are a result of uniform vehicle standards proposed by the National Road Transport Commission and approved by Federal Parliament.

Also standardised are speed limits for towing vehicles.

In all states except Tasmania and WA, vehicles pulling trailers are allowed to travel at the posted speed limit.

Tasmania is to change its speed restrictions shortly, but at the moment the law restricts vehicles towing a trailer to a posted speed of 90 km/h.
In WA the maximum speed limit is 100 km/h for vehicles towing trailers weighing less than 750 kg and 90 km/h for trailers over 750 kg.

SAFETY TIPS

For anyone towing boats, caravans or trailers for long distances, there are a number of safety tips worth remembering.

Firstly, towing anything heavy greatly increases the stress on the safety limits of any vehicle, so suspension, brakes, steering, tyres and the cooling system need to be in excellent condition.
The braking system is probably the most important consideration, especially for caravans.
the most effective and efficient type are electric brakes that operate when the brake lights in the vehicle go on, and can also be operated separately from inside the vehicle.

When climbing hills, don't wait until the vehicle is struggling before changing down, as the vehicle will only struggle again after the gear change. The same applies to automatic transmissions - change down to second gear to prevent the transmission from hunting up and down from gear to gear.
On steep downgrades, it is important to change down to a lower gear to assist the brakes - it's not unusual for the brakes to overheat during a long descent if the driver neglects to change down a gear.

It's important to remember the extra length of the vehicle and trailer when going around corners. For a left turn, approach a little further out from the side of the road. Always allow the vehicle to continue straight for a few metres - this will prevent the caravan/trailer from coming too close to the side of the road and potentially colliding with a shop front, power pole, etc.

The most dangerous thing that a caravan or heavy trailer can do is develop sway.
Most modern load distribution hitches should be able to eliminate sway when set up correctly with towed load distributed evenly, but sway can still occur in some situations, such as high winds - especially side winds. It can also occur when a large vehicle, such as a semi-trailer, B Double or road train, overtakes your vehicle.

As the larger vehicle begins to overtake, with the accelerator still pulling your rig, gently apply the caravan/trailer brakes only. This will make the caravan pull backwards on the car, with a straightening-out effect on the whole rig.

IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION, CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER
1800 807 176 FOR THE NAME OF YOUR NEAREST OUTLET EXPERIENCED IN THE SUPPLY AND FITTING OF TOWBARS

Copyright © 1998-. All rights reserved.
All content of this Web Site is subject to COPYRIGHT
Team Oztralia Auto Specialists Pty Limited T/A 4wd World
Carscene is part of the www.worldseries.com.au group of websites
Phone: 1800-807-176  5½ Days Only   E-mail: info@carscene.com.au
Site problems E-mail: webmaster@carscene.com.au
~o0o~