For as long as I can remember, I’ve been into camping, nature, outdoors and especially the bush. There’s something beautiful about this country that just captures your heart. 

I’ve seen this country from cars, 4x4’s, motorbikes and boats. Over the years as we explore our rigs change, though each one holds special memories and a parking spot in our hearts.

I remember my first ‘rig’ was a $30 tent with two poles, a sleeping bag and not much else. It wasn’t much, but I loved that little tent. As life changed and my needs changed so too did my rig. I’ve had every manner of tent, pop-up campers, soft-floor campers, a dual fold camper and a couple of caravans. Many of these of course required towing, sometimes on the freeway, sometimes offroad and sometimes offroad with rigs not really designed for it, but we’d patch them up and plod along on our journey.

Augmenting these camping rigs, I’ve also enjoyed much time on the water, pulling a few boats about the place, towed cars, trailers and all other contraptions that find their way behind a vehicle.

In 2023, my wife and I packed up the Mitsubishi Pajero and Opus Air camper and headed for the red centre. Unfortunately 1/3 of the way into our trip, we sucked in some bad fuel and ended up partially stranded. We limped our way home, parked the Pajero, went inside for a shower and then I drove our other car immediately to the Nissan dealer and signed up for a new Y62 Patrol.

Why? Well, that’s where the story of Tow Mate starts. For a couple of years prior to this, I’d been researching our next rig. Our kids were losing interest in camping and my wife and I were thinking of switching from the Opus to a full-size caravan ready for our next phase of touring. Well, I pictured something smaller, like a Tray-on, but that wasn’t going to happen. Anyway, in doing my research it very quickly became evident that the cars we had in mind simply weren’t up to the task of towing a full-size van. In-fact, finding a vehicle that could, in offroad conditions, while not stressing it to the limits was proving rather difficult. We'd had rigs in the past that really weren't up to the task we were putting them to, and we experienced the problems that come with that. So, we decided we wanted to do it right with the next rig. The more I researched, the more I came to realise there were major holes in how the 4x4 and Caravan industries operate and that the vast majority of customers were not aware. I spoke to fellow campers, experts, retailers and more and coupled with my own very extensive research, I came to realise just how much misinformation, poor education and simple lack of knowledge there is towards safe towing and in particular safe caravaning in Australia.

Coming out of the tail end of COVID, Australians were buying 4x4s and Caravans in droves! Many of these had all the bells and whistles, all the weight (and poor weight distribution) to go with it and often without a well-matched tow-vehicle or the expertise to operate such a rig safely. It then was no surprise that we started seeing a dramatic increase in vans being thrown off the road, people getting hurt, insurance claims being voided, life savings vanishing and dreams of innocent travelling Australians, just like us, being pulled apart. Various authorities jumped in on the action with a range of inspection points and fines too.
It became apparent to me that with a simple weighing service, sharing some education and showing care and compassion, I would be able to help other people just like me to travel this wonderful country safely.

That was the start of Tow-Mate and I’m excited to help.
Today, I operate Tow-Mate as a part-time business. We have state of the art equipment that allow us to weigh vehicles, trailers, pretty much anything really. During these sessions I’m able to provide a range of general advice around 4x4s, weights, weight distribution, towing upgrades, suspension upgrades, towing safety considerations, packing advice and more. Whether you’re looking to get your rig weighed or just looking for some advice, please reach out to us. 

What’s most important to me is that you have the knowledge to travel safely and legally plus the confidence and peace of mind so that you can enjoy the journey, just like we continue to do too.