Setting up a 4WD to tow a caravan isn’t just about fitting a tow bar and hooking up the van.
The weight of the caravan, how much you carry in the vehicle, your suspension, braking, visibility and electrical connections can all affect what your vehicle needs.
And just like any 4WD setup, there isn’t one list of upgrades that suits everybody.
At ARB Rockingham, we look at the vehicle, the caravan and how the combination is going to be used before working out what should be fitted.
If you’re preparing your 4WD for caravan towing, these are some of the main upgrades worth considering.
1. Electric Brake Controller
For many caravan setups, an electric brake controller is one of the first things to consider.
An electric brake controller allows the vehicle to operate the caravan’s electric brakes, helping the vehicle and caravan slow together rather than relying on the vehicle alone.
In WA, trailers with a Gross Trailer Mass over 750kg require brakes. Trailers over 2,000kg GTM require brakes on all wheels, operated from the driver’s seated position, along with a breakaway system.
A brake controller also gives the driver greater control over how the caravan brakes respond in different conditions.
At ARB Rockingham, REDARC Tow-Pro brake controllers are one of the options we can incorporate into a towing setup.
2. Towing Mirrors
Being able to see clearly past your caravan is a simple but important part of towing.
If the caravan is wider than the vehicle, the standard mirrors may not provide enough visibility down both sides and behind the van.
A set of towing mirrors can provide the additional rearward vision needed when changing lanes, reversing and keeping an eye on the caravan while travelling.
Clearview Towing Mirrors are one of the options we regularly fit at ARB Rockingham, with vehicle-specific designs available across a range of popular 4WDs.
3. Airbags and Rear Suspension Support
A heavy caravan places additional load onto the rear of the vehicle through the tow ball.
Depending on the vehicle and setup, this can cause the rear suspension to sit lower and may affect how the vehicle feels while towing.
Airbag helper springs can support the existing rear suspension under load, helping maintain ride height and improve stability when the vehicle is carrying additional weight.
However, there is an important distinction:
Airbags do not increase your vehicle’s GVM, GCM, towing capacity, axle limits or allowable tow ball load.
They are there to support the suspension, not legally increase how much weight the vehicle is allowed to carry or tow.
That’s why airbags need to be considered as part of the complete setup rather than as a solution to an overloaded vehicle.
4. Anderson Plug and 12-Pin Trailer Connections
Depending on your caravan, you may also need additional electrical connections between the caravan and vehicle.
An Anderson plug is commonly used to provide the higher-current connection required to charge caravan batteries from the vehicle while travelling, depending on how the caravan’s electrical system is configured.
Some caravans may also require a 12-pin trailer plug rather than a standard 7-pin connection to operate additional electrical circuits.
Exactly what you need will depend on the caravan.
This is another reason it helps to know what you’ll be towing before setting the vehicle up. If you already have the caravan, knowing its electrical requirements allows the vehicle to be set up accordingly.
5. Suspension and GVM Upgrades
A GVM upgrade isn’t automatically necessary just because you’re towing a caravan.
The first thing to understand is how much the vehicle actually weighs once it is set up for travel.
Your vehicle’s GVM is the maximum weight the vehicle is allowed to weigh when loaded. That includes the vehicle itself along with passengers, fuel, accessories, luggage and the load being placed onto the vehicle through the tow ball.
Things like:
- Bull bars
- Canopies
- Drawers
- Fridges
- Dual battery systems
- Roof racks
- Tools and recovery gear
- Passengers
- Luggage
- Tow ball load
can all contribute to the weight being carried by the vehicle.
Don’t Forget About the Weight Being Removed
This is something that can easily be overlooked when planning a build.
The listed weight of an accessory doesn’t always equal the amount of weight actually being added to the vehicle.
When an accessory replaces a factory component, the weight of that original component needs to be taken into account as well.
For example, on a Ford Super Duty setup, an ARB Summit MKII Bull Bar weighs around 92kg. If the factory bumper being removed weighs around 31kg, the actual increase to the vehicle is approximately 61kg, not the full 92kg.
That can make a significant difference when you’re working out how much payload is actually being used.
It’s why simply taking a list of accessories and adding together all of their advertised weights doesn’t necessarily give you an accurate final vehicle weight.
If the vehicle is approaching or exceeding its allowable GVM once everything is fitted and loaded, an approved GVM upgrade may then be worth considering where one is available for that vehicle.
Old Man Emu suspension and GVM upgrade options are available for selected vehicles and can be incorporated into the build depending on the vehicle, expected loads and how it will be used.
Weigh the Vehicle Before Assuming You Need a GVM Upgrade
One of the biggest mistakes we see is assuming a large GVM upgrade is automatically required simply because a caravan is being added.
Before making that decision, it’s worth knowing what the vehicle actually weighs.
Ideally, weigh the vehicle in the condition it will normally travel in, including accessories, passengers, fuel, luggage and other regular loads.
That gives you an actual figure to work from instead of guessing.
From there, you can look at the vehicle’s available payload and relevant weight limits and work out whether additional capacity is genuinely needed.
The aim isn’t to fit the biggest GVM upgrade possible.
It’s to understand the weights first and build the vehicle accordingly.
The Right Towing Setup Depends on the Whole Combination
A lighter caravan behind a relatively standard vehicle may need a very different setup to a larger caravan behind a fully accessorised touring 4WD.
That’s why we don’t recommend exactly the same towing upgrades to every customer.
Some vehicles may simply need a brake controller, towing mirrors and the correct electrical connections.
Others may benefit from airbags, upgraded suspension or a GVM upgrade depending on the actual weights involved.
The important part is looking at the vehicle and caravan together.
Get Your 4WD Ready for Caravan Towing
At ARB Rockingham, we can help prepare your vehicle around the caravan you’re planning to tow and the way you travel.
That can include REDARC brake controllers, Clearview towing mirrors, suspension, airbags, GVM upgrades, Anderson plugs, trailer wiring and other 4WD accessories that may be needed as part of the setup.
Whether you’ve just bought a caravan or you’re planning upgrades to your existing vehicle, we can help work through what you actually need rather than simply adding accessories for the sake of it.
Visit ARB Rockingham at 57 Dixon Road, Rockingham or book an appointment with the team to discuss getting your 4WD ready for caravan towing.
