Are Passengers Allowed to Ride in a Caravan That is Being Towed?

A question I get asked more frequently than I would like… are passengers allowed to ride in a caravan that is being towed? The simple answer…no!

To me, the answer is quite straightforward, as are the reasons why. To newbies in the caravanning community, it may not necessarily make sense. It’s a caravan, a comfortable caravan with comfortable seats and all the mod cons you need. Surely it makes more sense to travel in it.

The reality is very different though. The principle reason why you cannot travel in the back of a caravan whilst it is being towed is safety.

It can be very dangerous should the caravan turn on its side or gets rear ended. Caravans are not designed to take significant forces or strikes.

Therefore, it is against the law to travel in the back of the caravan. Do not even try, it is not worth the risk.

The other reason is to ensure the stability of the caravan whilst it is moving. If you have somebody moving around in the back of a caravan, they are interfering with the stability of the trailer. The balance is being moved around which makes it unstable. Not a great thing for the driver doing the towing.

You will also NOT be insured. Since it is illegal to travel in the back, doing so will invalidate your car insurance too since you are not travelling legally. Therefore, if you are stopped by the police, you face some real issues.

Can animals travel in the back of a caravan while it is being towed?

The simple answer is yes, it is legal in the UK for animals to travel in the back of a caravan when it is being towed. On a personal level, you may want to think more about this before you do so.

For a small animal such as cats or even small dogs, this is fine, they don’t really affect the balance. For larger animals like big dogs, it might well be more of an issue. Large dogs jumping around a moving caravan is not great for the balance…as well as any ensuing damage.

I never travel with my dog in the caravan, better to have him in the car where he is safe and the caravan is better balanced.

Summary

I hope that the answer to the question is clear as are the reasons why. If you are ever in the position where you are seriously thinking of doing this…don’t. We have all seen videos of caravans turning over and the result of that. It is not a pleasant site. Imagine somebody being in the back whilst that happens.

It is dangerous and illegal so don’t do it. Any experienced caravaner will tell you the same.

Let me know your thoughts on this. There are some people that are adamant that you should be allowed to travel with people in the back as some caravans are a lot safer and better balanced. Alongside the speed limits in place on caravans and better balanced and more stable vehicles, they argue that the legal requirements are outdated.

I obviously don’t subscribe to those views as I have discussed above, but that opinion is out there.

What do you think?…leave a comment below and let the Caravaners decide.