Towing 101: get the basics right
No matter what the salesperson told you, you must expect that the "featherweight, easy to tow" trailer is going to act like an anchor when going off-road. There are several things to consider when towing and this article will cover some of these.
What is right for me?
If one was to choose the main theme around selecting a trailer, it must be to select a trailer that firstly matches your vehicle's towing capabilities and then only fulfil your wish list. This means choosing a trailer with a similar track width as that of the tow vehicle; and that is within the towing mass limitations. Before going further, though: one piece of critical advice is that you should always choose the lightest trailer you can. As long as it is well constructed, you won't be sorry!
Break over angle and jack-knifing
As with any 4x4 vehicle, which has a break over angle under its belly, the vehicle/trailer (or caravan) combination has an additional break over angle between the rear wheels of the tow vehicle and the trailer or caravan’s wheels. The difference is that this break over angle will continuously change when obstacles are negotiated and the trailer/caravan and tow vehicle will twist, turn and bump up and down. Similarly, the trailer/caravan also has a departure angle, which must be considered when off-roading.
The other critical aspect is the fact that the trailer/caravan is hinged to the vehicle. This means that the
