Benefits of a GPS Trailer Odometer

Almost everyone could tell you the last time their tow vehicle was serviced. They’re fanatical about it because if your tow vehicle breaks down on the road then you’re in a lot of trouble.

What people don’t tend to think about is their caravan or camper. “If an object moves, or even does something simple like emit light or sound, then wear and tear is inevitable.” Writes Scott Heiman for Caravan World, “Now think about your caravan’s tyres spinning at nearly 1000rpm when you’re sitting on 100km/h. Consider too that the wheel hub bearings and brake rotor are spinning at the same rate.”

When you start to realise this, it becomes clear that caravans and camper trailers need to be regularly serviced and without that they can become dangerous for not only you but others on the road.

It’s advised that a caravan or camper service should be done every 10,000km, but whether you’re constantly on the move or only taking it out once or twice a year it can be difficult to know when you’ve covered this distance.

“For most of us usage rates of our rigs vary month to month – and year to year – depending on how far we set our horizons.”

Hummingbird Electronics have created a device to take the guesswork out of calculating how far your trailer has travelled.

The Hummingbird Electronics GPS Trailer Odometer as featured in Caravan World, is an aftermarket device designed to record the distance travelled by any kind of trailer. With customisable intervals of 100km, 500km, 1000km and 10,000km you’ll be alerted by a buzzer when you need a service.

If buzzing isn’t your thing, the Odometer is paired with an easy read display that gives you all the information you need to know, including the number of kilometres travelled and spanner icon which shows up when you reach your designated interval.

Intervals can also be set to date range rather than distance travelled. Another handy setting is the ability to record individual journeys rather than an overall distance.

Able to plug into a 12V or 24V cigarette plug, the Odometer display unit can easily be converted to a Merit plug or be hardwired in. This display is then connected to the antennae which is designed to be mounted directly to your trailer’s roof.

The GPS Trailer Odometer comes with 5m of chord to the antennae and another 2m to the power unit so there is plenty of room to install it in just the right place.

The unit comes with easy to follow instructions and if you do run into trouble technical support is always available at when you contact Hummingbird's head office.

Discover the full range of Hummingbird Electronics' safety and tracking solutions here.