Hi, I'm trying to get my head round all this kerbweight stuff before buying a caravan. We'll need a new car so I'm looking at a Mazda 6, Petrol. In the brouchure it says kerbweight ( +75kg for a driver) is 1461kg, with the deisel being 1578. But when I try to match it to something on towinfo, it says the kerbweight is 1375kg. Its very hard to find a 4 berth caravan under 85% of 1375, so which is right ? Is it the drivers 75Kg making the difference. The Mazda won petrol tow car of the year 2014, yet 1375kg is so low half the caravans are too heavy for it. Am I calculating it wrong ?
I would trust the manufacturers figures over everyone elses.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
Manufacturers figures usually include the driver with an estimated weight of 75kg and 3/4 tank of fuel and all other fluids topped to the max.
For the petrol models 2013 onwards the max tow weight appears to be 1300kg. Quite low for the size of the car but there must be a reason. Weak drivetrain?
They test it on a steep incline to see at what weight the vehicle can still pull away with that weight.
Maybe 1st gear is really tall and struggles? Maybe its a reliability issue. Too many hill starts above that weight and the gearbox doesnt last as long as it should?
Lots of variables. But dont exceed the max stated weights.
SO the 85% rule is kerbweight including a 75kg driver and fuel? (my beer belly will more than cover the weight of less fuel)
The desiels have a 1600kg limit but cost over 2k more and I do not do enough miles to justify it.
TBH a 1300kg limit is enough for me as I'm too nervous to tow anything much bigger so I'll just get a light avondale or something.
At leat with 1461kg kerb weight I have some choice of caravan.
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Topic: Is tow info wrong for Mazda 6?
