YOUR travels will always feel a little more familiar when you go in your caravan, but storing it while you're at home can be an issue.
Here we take a look at the rules surrounding parking a caravan on the road.
Can I be fined for parking a caravan on the road?
Parking a caravan on a residential road is not mentioned in the Highway Code.
The main considerations from a legal point of view are that it doesn’t cause an obstruction and isn’t parked dangerously.
As the GoCompare website explains: "It’s technically legal to park your caravan on a public road as caravan parking isn’t specifically mentioned in the Highway Code, but you still need to make sure you’re not causing an obstruction, that you park in the direction of traffic, and that your caravan’s lit at night.
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"There might be restrictions on your street prohibiting parking caravans and your local council might ask you to move it even if you feel it’s not causing an obstruction, especially if a neighbour complains.
"Your caravan insurance might also have a clause saying it’s not covered while parked on the road and unhitched from your car."
You cannot park any vehicle on the pavement legally, never mind a caravan.
As the Highway Code states: "You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it.
"Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs."
People who violate these conditions could be slapped with an eye-watering fine of hundreds of pounds, or even face a court appearance.
A fixed penalty notice (FPN) or penalty charge notice (PCN) can be issued for parking offences.
FPNs will be £50, £100, £200 or £300 depending on the severity of the offence.
There are two levels of fines for PNCs, either £80 or £130 — most are issued at the higher rate.
Gov.uk explains:
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- How you pay a parking ticket, FPN or PCN depends on what type it is and who issued it.
- You usually have 28 days to pay; in some cases, the fine is reduced if you pay within 14 days.
- If you lose your ticket, contact the ticket issuer to find out how to pay.
- If you do not pay a PCN within 28 days, you’ll get a ‘charge certificate’ and you’ll have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more
- You can get an FPN for parking from the police, local council or Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
- If you do not pay an FPN within 28 days, you’ll have to pay 50% more
- You’ll only get penalty points on your licence for certain types of parking FPN, for example for leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position
What rules are there on towing a caravan?
It is perfectly legal to tow a caravan on the motorway.
However, there are strict rules around caravan towing that will vary from person to person depending on their vehicle, so it is important to check that you are operating within the law.
If you are are found to be in breach of these regulations, you risk getting a costly penalty.
It may seem obvious, but towing a caravan while passengers are still in it is unsafe and illegal.
The maximum speed limit for a car towing a trailer on the motorway also differs to the standard limit — it is 60 mph.
Additionally, it is crucial that you find out the maximum towing capacity of your car.
This can be done by subtracting the gross vehicle weight (GVW) from the gross train weight (GTW); find these on your car's vehicle identification plate.
Towing mirrors are a legal requirement, as are towing bars and trailer lights, so make sure to fit these, too.
Depending on your level of car insurance, your provider should cover you when towing a trailer.
That said, it is still worth checking with your provider to see if your policy covers towing.
It is not compulsory to get dedicated caravan insurance, but it is worth considering as many insurers cover the cost of damage to your car, but not the trailer, with a standard insurance policy.
Do I need to take a special test to tow a caravan or trailer?
You do not need to take a specific test to tow a caravan trailer as long as you have a valid category B (car and small vehicle) driving licence.
However, the weight that you can legally tow depends on the date you originally passed your driving test.
If your licence was issued BEFORE January 1, 1997: You are allowed to drive a combined vehicle and trailer weight of 8,250 kg MAM (maximum authorised mass).
If your license was issued BETWEEN January 1, 1997 and January 19, 2013: You can drive a car or van of up to 3,500 kg MAM towing a caravan of up to 750 kg MAM. You can also tow a trailer over this weight providing that the combined MAM of both vehicles does not exceed 3,500 kg.
If your license was issued AFTER January 19, 2013: You are permitted to tow trailers under 750 kg MAM, or trailers heavier than that if the two vehicles' combined weight is no more than 3,500 kg MAM.
