Quote: Originally posted by MrsFreeman on 14/5/2021
Hi , thanks for replying. My husband has a B&E which is good. The Kerbweight of our car is 1452kg the dealer told me and they said the unladen weight of the caravan is about 1259kg because we woukd just be going away for weekends and we travel light we were told it would be ok if we were to load up the car and keep the caravan empty. The maximum weight if the car is 2100kg.
The legalities and practicalities of towing any particular trailer are not quite the same thing!
The legalities work with documented weights, that is the manufacturer stated MAX towing capacity of the car and the caravan MTPLM (MAX load of caravan). The max towing capacity of the car may differ from Kerb Weight (some cars are not even type approved for towing at all!), you will find the figure on one of the car statistic plates/stickers (often on a door frame) or in the V5 registration document. The caravan MTPLM is usually on a plate/sticker near the door. Just to complicate things more, some, and only some, insurers put a max limit on how heavy (percentage ratio wise) your car can tow and remain covered, others are happy up to the legal limit of car - check your insurance details! Your husband would appear to be OK with his B+E licence.
Assuming all legal niceties complied with, the practicalities of what you can tow may well be more in line with what the dealer(s) have advised on weights. Loading the car up, not the caravan is good practice if you are pushing limits. The much quoted '85% rule' of car to van weight ratio is not bad advice but is not a enforceable 'rule' (it's only a guidance figure) and has latitude to be varied, but it's not a bad goal to aim for especially for a novice. Much more important to safe towing is correct loading of the caravan (all heavy items should be low down and over axle - a lot of lighter items total up don't forget! - box/collect them and place over/near axle if necessary!), and correct nose weight (that often involves moving stuff around caravan fore and aft of axle to achieve the correct figure - bit like trying to balance a see-saw). Get it all wrong, it'll tow like it's fighting you, get it right, you will barely know it's there.
As to how well the car tows, that's usually a great 'suck it and see' situation, without getting too technical, the car engine power and torque figures give you a indicator, but the more mystical performance power/torque bands and gear ratios have just as much influence. I tow a 1310Kg MTPLM van with a 1350Kg car with a 1.2l petrol engine and it's a great outfit. If it turns out to be less than ideal, remember you are only towing occasionally and you can probably live with it for those few occasions! If it has a tendency to 'wobble', that can often be improved by how you load caravan and car, driving a little slower and improved driving style (no sharp actions/manoeuvres).
Towcar info is not a British website and they do not calculate the weights correctly, if you look at your actual weights they do not in anyway relate to Towcar info weights, as I have said 85% of your cars kerbweight is 1230kg your caravan works out at 103% so is totally unsuitable, as I have said you need a bigger more powerful car or a lighter caravan.
Tina
Quote: Originally posted by MrsFreeman on 15/5/2021
Hi, thanks for replying, I am trying to upload photos from a site I found from towbar.info that said it was a good match is this also inaccurate? Thanks for your help
Be careful of the weight figures used, sometimes not absolutely correct for UK spec cars/your model. But not a bad source of guidance as to general match.
Hi Monty/Tina, thanks for that. I have also been a bit of an idiot. The Kerbweight of my car is 1545kg that's what's on the V5 and not the 1200kg or whatever I said before. I hope it makes a bit of a difference. I have bought the caravan and bought the brand new car so I can't chnage it. Thanks for all your help though guys x
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