Behind the Scenes
The Caravan Club's Towcar of the Year Competition celebrates its 26th anniversary this year, making it the longest established and most prestigious event of its type.
Since 1998 the testing for the Competition has been carried out at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire where driving judges have use of unrivalled facilities including a high-speed circular track and a demanding hill route.
There is an open invitation for entrants, but to comply with competition rules cars have to have been newly released or significantly altered within the last 12 months. In addition the previous year's overall winner is also invited to return to defend its title.
Judging is carried out by an independent panel featuring representatives from both the caravan and motor vehicle industries, while the 'Caravanability' team is made up of Caravan Club volunteers who boast over 100 years' practical caravanning experience between them.
Before testing can begin every vehicle is scrutineered to check the data provided by the car manufacturers is both full and correct. This will ensure each entrant is treated equally in terms of set-up and load configuration.
The first stage of the testing proper begins with the judging of a vehicle's 'caravanability', where a vehicle is appraised for suitability for caravanning use. Here vehicles are rated on their ability to carry typical holiday equipment, towbar design and access to electrical sockets, as well as breakaway cable attachment.
Once this stage is completed, the car is married up with the relevant Bailey caravan. In line with 'best practice' advice all caravans were loaded to 85% of the cars' kerbweight and noseweights are set at the limit set by the car or caravan manufacturer or 7% of the caravan's running weight - whichever of the three figures is lowest.
Tyre pressures of both car and caravan are checked, wheels torqued and the outfit is ready for the off.
The test circuit begins with a loop of the two-mile-long high-speed bowl. The cars are taken through the gears, as the judges familiarise themselves with the vehicle, up to speeds of 70mph to assess acceleration and high-speed stability. On completion of the loop, and prior to exiting the bowl, an emergency stop braking test is also carried out in a dedicated lane of the track.
The testing then moves onto the infamous Millbrook hill route which includes a number of steep inclines and declines (up to a maximum of 17%) interconnected by a variety of sharp bends to provide the outfits with the most demanding road test conditions. Here judges assess the handling, manoeuvrability and power of the vehicles as well as low-speed braking and acceleration.
In addition the car is asked to perform a 17% hill start on this section of the track to gauge the strength of the handbrake, overall traction and clutch operation. Before returning the outfit to the start point, the judges also give the car a final rating on ease of operation and overall comfort.
During the week-long test over 250 circuits of the Millbrook Proving Ground are completed - which equates to over 1,000 test miles. Only when this has been completed can the winner of The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Competition be decided.
