How to deal with the camper + trailer set?

A few months before the start of the season, many caravanning enthusiasts face a dilemma: buy a powerful motorhome like Knaus Sky and Plus (investing over 60-70 thousand euros), which will meet our requirements (more beds), or decide on a different solution. Every year, more and more people choose a smaller motorhome, which can easily pull a caravan or a tow truck with a small car.

By choosing a small camper - Knaus Sky Wave - and a basic Knaus Sport caravan (as a set) we will save not only a large part of the budget. We will also gain much more usable space and a large number of possible configurations of our holiday "camp". The aforementioned size of the camper will easily cope with towing a trailer , as well as taking equipment and the entire crew on board. What's more - if we don't need more accommodation for the time being, we can successfully go on a trip with a camper alone .

An important choice

When choosing a motorhome and caravan, we must remember about a few important issues, thanks to which we will not spend too much , and we will also make it easier to drive with our leisure set. The first criteria, apart from the purchase price, are the dimensions and curb weight . The permissible total weight of the motorhome below 3.5t will allow the driver with a category B driving license to drive the motorhome alone, but when we add a trailer weighing more than 750kg, we will also need category B96 or E - we wrote more about this here: What permissions to tow a trailer ? In addition, the weight of the trailer is an important issue, because a high one will be a heavy load for the motorhome engine - each hill will be strongly felt. Before the final choice, it is also worth checking the length of the resulting set - too long will make it difficult to squeeze through cities, rural areas or even enter a gas station . Therefore, it is not worth being discouraged by the seemingly small interior of the motorhome and caravan - together they will provide enough space.

It is also worth approaching the topic of furnishing each of the mobile homes rationally. Resigning from many accessories , e.g. in the interior of the caravan, will bring us significant savings - after all, at the campsite we will not use two kitchenettes or multimedia sets at the same time. Without them, the Knaus Sport caravan will be cheaper and lighter.

We're going camping

Before setting off on any route, we should check the condition of the engine, tires and brake systems . While driving, we must take into account the side surface of the caravan and motorhome - we are exposed to strong gusts of side wind , which in extreme cases can even make the caravan skid . When driving such a set, you need to operate the clutch pedal sensitively when moving off, otherwise it will wear out quickly, sometimes causing the wheels to spin. Another important thing is skillful deceleration. The habitual use of the foot brake in mountainous terrain will quickly end up boiling, overheating the brakes . Therefore, regardless of the type of drive unit and gearbox, it is worth braking with the engine. The resistance of the pistons will greatly relieve the braking system .

Driving a motorhome towing a caravan is clearly different from traveling with a motorhome alone, as well as a passenger car with a trailer . The curb weight, side area and length of the set put many challenges and demands on the driver .