This article explains safe caravan and motor home heating using diesel or gas. It explains how it works, what is available and how to safely install it. To ensure safe caravan and motor home heating it must be done correctly. Apart from a build-up of carbon monoxide, there is a risk of oxygen deprivation. For a full technical and medically-referenced explanation see article Gas Risk in Caravans.
CMB
Connecting caravan batteries – there’s no magic way of doing it!
Connecting caravan batteries is often misunderstood. This article explains what’s possible, and why and how to do it successfully.
Ultra-light caravans – they are rare but feasible. Here’s how to do it
Ultra-light caravans and fifth wheelers are rare, but feasible. Here’s how it is be done using hi-tech materials. One, over 9 metres, was under 2000 kg (4400 lb).
How much solar input – here’s how to find out
Knowing how much solar input is coming in like measuring rainfall. It uses units called Peak Sun Hours instead of inches or millimetres. Here’s how and why.
How to Reverse a Caravan
Reversing a caravan is easy, but needs practice. This article will guide you through how to reverse a caravan if used in conjunction with doing it yourself.
Claims for dual-cab ute towing capacity mislead caravan buyers
Claims for dual-cab ute towing capacity mislead caravan buyers. That ute must weigh enough to keep a caravan steady. If not, the caravan tail wags the towing dog.
TV interference from LEDs – here’s what causes it
TV interference from LEDs is an issue worldwide. It is mostly caused by LEDs in the same home (or RV) as the TV. This can be checked by turning them off. Another indicator of TV interference from LEDs is good daytime reception until lights are turned on. In the worst cases, TV reception is unwatchable, or not even obtainable.
RV forum common sense – a rare commodity?
Caravan common sense can be fine but used about things technical it’s likely to be based on misleading opinions that contradict the basic laws of physics. Engineering utilises long proven knowledge. This may be (for example) about voltage drop along an electric cable. It may be about the deflection of a spring under load (Hooke’s Law). Or the forces exerted by a caravan yawing or pitching (Newton) etc. All are based on long proven work and often centuries of proven practice.
Caravan wheel placement
A conventional caravan must always be a compromise. This is because it is towed via hitch at some distance behind the tow vehicle’s rear wheels. If that vehicle sways clockwise, that hitch overhang causes (not just permits) the caravan to sway anti-clockwise. If the caravan sways clockwise, it causes the tow vehicle to sway anticlockwise. is essentially an unstable concept but safe within limits.
Inverters for caravans – and motor homes too
Buying inverters for caravans can confuse. Prices vary for products that may seem identical but are not. Here’s what to buy.
Caravan weight safe to tow – depends on what tows it
The maximum caravan weight safe to tow depends on what tows it. This article by Collyn Rivers explains why – and how to know what it is.
Caravan tare weight issues – some declared weights may not be correct
Caravan Tare Weight issues mainly arise about what’s included and what’s not. Water is not, nor may be optional extras. This article reveals all.
Weight distribution hitch setup – how much correction is needed
Correct weight distribution hitch setting up compensates caravan tow vehicle front end lift but introduces instability if too tight. Here’s why.
Reducing caravan sway – here’s how to minimise the causes
Reducing caravan sway (yaw) necessitates minimising its causes – and only then adding devices promoted as reducing it. This article shows why and how.
What off-road really means
What off-road really means is terrain that necessitates a serious 4WD – but many RV vendors may define it as anything lacking a centre white line. Compounding this, many RV vendors make claims about what can go where that are close to absurd.
Free camp safely in Australia – this article shows how
RV users free camp safely in Australia to avoid often crowded caravans, some 500 km apart. Many self-contained RVs need only a safe space overnight. This article shows how to free camp safely in Australia.
Best Way to RV Around Australia
The best way to drive around Australia is anticlockwise via its 14,000 km coastal road. This enables you to enjoy the seasons and strong prevailing winds. These winds may be a constant 40 km/h plus (25 mph) so travelling clockwise for the typical 17,000 km (10,600 miles) requires surprisingly more fuel.
Do Not Trust Caravan Declared Mass
by Collyn Rivers Declared Mass A 's Tare Mass is legally its weight when 'ready for service' as it leaves its maker. That weight, recorded on a Compliance plate is often incorrect. This article explains why RV Books states: Do Not Trust ...
Fifth wheelers are safer – here’s why they are
Fifth wheel caravans are safer than conventional caravans. They are fundamentally more stable on road and far less likely to overturn. Further, because up to two metres more is usable space, they provide that much more living area. They increasingly challenge caravan and motor home sales.
Driving across Africa – in 1956/60 the very last time it was possible
Driving across Africa is now politically impossible. Our 1960 such two-way expedition across all Africa was the very last known. We started in mid 1959 – and exited the Sahara on 28 April 1960. The track was closed that night. It has never re-opened. Further, Africa’s centre, right down to Zambia, has ever since, been far too dangerous to even consider.