There's an unspoken sport that happens at every caravan park in this country, and it has nothing to do with horseshoes or two-up. It's watching the bloke three sites down attempt to reverse his van into a spot that, by all reasonable measurements, it should fit into easily. Some pretend they’re not watching, others don’t even try to hide it. Everyone is captivated by the prospect of a caravan calamity. Bonus points are awarded if his partner is out the back giving directions that bear no resemblance to what's actually happening. Nobody wants to be that person. So let's make sure you're not.
Know your Setup Before it's in Reverse
A man checking his caravan
Before you're under pressure with an audience and a tight gap to thread, find an empty car park or paddock and practice. Get a feel for how your specific van or trailer behaves before you ever attempt it for real. Every setup tracks slightly differently, and the only way to learn yours is to put the kilometres in somewhere that doesn't matter.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Use reference points. Pick a tree, post or line and work off it.
The Obvious
The fundamental thing to burn into your brain is that your trailer goes the opposite way to wherever you turn the wheel when you’re reversing. Steer right, trailer goes left. Steer left, trailer goes right. It sounds simple when written down and somehow becomes deeply confusing the moment you're actually doing it, usually with a full suite of spectators watching.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Don't let anyone rush you. The bloke watching with folded arms won't be paying for your repairs.
Reverse to the Right Whenever you can
Ford Ranger 4X4 towing a caravan into a campsite
If you've got the option, reverse to the right rather than the left. You're sitting on the right side of the vehicle, so reversing that direction gives you far better visibility down the rear corner. Reversing to the left from the same seating position means craning around blind spots you simply don't need to fight if you've planned your approach properly.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: If you’re reversing into a site on the left, position your rig toward the right side of the road as you approach. If reversing into a site on the right, position toward the left side. This will give you plenty of swing room.
Walk it Before you Drive it
A man getting into a Ford Ranger 4X4
Just like you'd get out and eyeball a tricky section of track before committing the vehicle to it, do the same before reversing into a tight site. Check the height clearance, where your awning sits, where any slide-outs need room to deploy and where the obstacles actually are. Thirty seconds on foot saves you from a very expensive surprise involving a tree branch and your roof.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: If you can drive, you can reverse a trailer. It’s not witchcraft, it’s just a skill, and like any skill it gets easier with practice.
Get a Decent UHF and Actually use it
A spotter giving clear directions over a UHF is genuinely the difference between a clean reverse and a potential yelling match in front of strangers. Keep a set in the glovebox permanently. You'll be amazed at how often they get used beyond just reversing.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Set yourself up early. The easiest reverse maneuver starts with good positioning before you even chuck it in reverse.
Letting Someone Spot you isn't Admitting Defeat - it’s Smart
There is no shame in having someone stand behind the van and guide you in. None whatsoever. People have been seriously injured by reversing vehicles they couldn't see behind fully, and a caravan creates an enormous blind spot. If you lose communication with your spotter or you're not getting clear direction, stop. Wait. Don't guess. And if you completely botch the angle halfway through, pull forward, straighten up and go again. Nobody is keeping score. Well, except the spectators.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: If things start going pear-shaped, stop. Pull forward, straighten up and reset. Most reversing regrets happen because folks try to recover from a bad line.
My go-to Trick for Reversing Dead Straight
A 4X4 and caravan in the Outback
I picked this up well over a decade ago, reversing a boat and trailer worth more than the tow rig down a ramp that had clearly seen better days, and it's stuck with me ever since. Rest one hand at the top of the steering wheel, twelve o'clock position. As you reverse slowly, just nudge the wheel toward whichever mirror is showing you more of your trailer, then correct back the other way as needed. You'll be making small adjustments constantly, left then right, then left again. It feels fiddly at first, but it locks your trailer onto a straight line faster than anything else you’ll try.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Tough manoeuvres reward patience. Rushed manoeuvres reward panel beaters.
Reversing Around a Corner
This is the manoeuvre that makes people question why they ever bought a caravan in the first place. The trick is to get your trailer pointed onto the correct angle first, then straighten your own wheels and simply follow the trailer's path around the bend, making small corrections as you go. Once you've got the trailer tracking correctly, your job becomes much easier.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Never reverse faster than you'd be comfortable hitting something.
The Must-Have Mod
A Ford Ranger 4X4 towing a caravan
If there's a single upgrade that makes reversing genuinely easier, it's a proper set of extended towing mirrors. Factory mirrors weren't built with a caravan in mind, and you'll spend half your trip guessing at distances you can barely see. A quality set with a true 1:1 reflection gives you an honest read on what's actually behind you, without the warped approximation. Pair that with the techniques above, and you'll be the one placing bets on someone else for a change.
Bonus Reversing Pro Tip: Never reverse further than you have to. Every metre in reverse is one with less visibility and way more risk.
Pack the van and hit the road
But not before getting a quote for insurance that covers you anywhere you can legally go in Australia
