Hi Tom & Hyde, welcome to caravanning and the forum. Here you'll find a band of merry folk all keen to offer advise and a slice of banter too.
As for your concern about towing I can offer a few words of encouragement.
First of all make sure your caravan is loaded with all the heavey stuff at floor level where practical. Then using an old set of bathroom scales and a piece of 4 x 1 wood to spread the load, place them under the jockey wheel. (don't use "er in doors's" posh scales get a set for a couple of quid from the car boot). With the corner steadys wound up clear of the ground, move the weight round until you get about 70 Kgs of weight showing on the scales, this should give the optimum nose weight for towing which should aid your journey.
As for driving technique, I find it best to think in the same mindset that you would when driving on snow. Thinking twice as far ahead will give you time to think your way out of trouble.
One tip I use when on the motorway is to keep a watchfull eye on the door mirrors. As lorries/coaches approach you in the next lane wanting to overtake, just position yourself to the right of your lane. This forces them to do simlar, then just as they get about 5 yards from the back of the van, move to the far left of your lane. This then maximises the gap between the both of you and you will not get buffeted anywhere near as much.
It's this buffeting coupled with a poor hitch weight that set's off swaying. Should you get a sway, just take a firm grip of the steering wheel and take your foot off the accelerator, thus allowing the outfit to slow down and regain it's composure. Trying to accelerate out of this prob only leaves you a return visit on deceleration, trying to steer to counteract the sway often acsentuates it as reactions are not sharp enough.
I hope I haven't scared you about the swaying bit, it happens rarely and if the outfit is balanced (loaded)right you'll probably never get a serious one.
My father-in-law tow's a 17ft single axle van behind his Laguna without trouble and at 71 years of age. He thinks of the van as his house on the back. You see he is an agrophobic and has panic attacks, but finds caravanning to be his release from being stuck in four walls. He'd only do 40 miles in a car before giving up.
Last year we took him from Herefordshire to Cornwall and the year before he did a 1100 mile tour of Scotland. All just because he had us lot (family)in three other going with, and he had his house on the back. All of which was sway free because of attention to loading and driving.
Have fun and don't be afraid to ask the questions large or small.
All the best, Steve.
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