On holiday with a mobile home — safety first

Caravan and camper vacations are especially popular during the pandemic. As the number of these recreational vehicles increases, so do the requirements for their safety. Here are some tips on how to prepare and use them for the most carefree time of the year.

Hazards identified include lighting, braking and exhaust systems, and tires. They are often equipped with reinforced tires (sidewall reinforcement) and C tires (tread reinforcement). These tires behave very differently, so the tires should be the same and the air pressure for tire C should be significantly higher.

Important — The maximum load capacity can be found on the vehicle documents, but unfortunately it is quickly exceeded, especially in smaller models. In general, defects can lead to particularly serious traffic accidents, since this type of vehicle is larger and heavier than conventional cars.

For caravans, particular sources of danger are braking and lighting systems, corrosion, faulty pipelines and trailer equipment, as well as wear, especially of the drawbar and idler wheel, cable breakage and ball coupling. Tires have to be taken into account here: unlike cars, caravans move only a few weeks a year. If the caravan is registered for towing at speeds up to 100 km/h, tires must have a speed index of at least L and be no older than six years. Tire age can be seen by the DOT number.

In motorhomes and caravans, kitchen equipment usually uses an LPG system. At present, gas tests based on G607 must provide the necessary operational safety every two years. However, it is no longer considered an exam provided for the main exam and is no longer required there. However, a new independent test is planned, which is about to be introduced as mandatory. As usual, both the old and future gas system inspections will be carried out by authorized test engineers.

Gas cylinders, gas cylinder boxes and vents must be freely accessible. In the cabin, hoses, pressure regulators and gas cylinder connections (which cannot be more than ten years old) are checked for functionality and tightness. A faulty gas system can also result in loss of insurance coverage. Failure to prove that a gas test was passed in the event of an accident may be considered gross negligence and coverage will no longer apply.

Many campsites will still require proof of passing a gas system test in order to allow access to them for caravans and motorhomes.

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