If the max tow weight of the car is 1300kgs you cannot tow a caravan that has a max weight 1350kg even if you do not fully use it's max capacity. As far as I can tell the authorities will just look at the plates on the car and caravan looking at the max weights and will the advise it is too heavy for the max of the car and then therefor illegal.
I regularly tow a trailer with a max. gross weight of 3500kgs. Tow limit of the car is 1800kgs. Am I breaking the law? NO!
The unladen weight of the trailer is 870kgs, so unless I put more than 930 kgs in it I am perfectly legal (TBH its usually empty, and never has anything heavy in it anyway).
You can`t be prosecuted for towing a trailer with a MTPLM greater than the towing vehicles max towing weight as long as you don`t exceed the stated towing limit. You can be prosecuted for towing more than the towing vehicles max towing weight.
Its a bit like saying that you can be prosecuted for speeding because your car will do 130mph, even though you are stood still.
Having said that, if you are looking to tow a caravan with a MTPLM of 1350kgs with a car capable of towing 1300kgs you need to be looking elsewhere.
If the car states max tow weight of 1300kg then that is the weight it is legally allowed to tow. You would not get nicked for overweight unless car/caravan had been weighed on a weighbridge & found to be overweight, the only concern is the actual weight of car/caravan, if gross train weight is exceeded you are nicked. The usual scenario is that that VOSA use a portable axle weigher when in a vehicle check on motorway services etc.
That is the legal position but however you also need to consider the position with your insurance. In the case of a bad accident they may decide that as you were towing a caravan that could have exceeded your car's legal towing weight, they may not pay out for damage. So for this reason it would be unwise to tow said caravan with said car.
I have a swift corniche i used to tow it with a ford focus zetec estate with no problem towing. now i have just changed the car to a bmw 316 ie touring but cant seem to get any info on a towing match just wondering if you guys could help
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Topic: MIRO or MTPLM for car max tow weight
