I will be flying to England next week and plan on towing my caravan from the UK to Greece.
My first idea was to buy a cheap 4x4 like a Mitsi Shogun, unfortunately i've not been abler to find a good one, so it's kinda shot that plan in the foot.
Plan B: is to throw a bit more money into the pot then sell my car in Greece.
As i really really don't fancy driving a Shogun daily around Athens it means i'm looking for something smaller.
I really like the BMW 335d's, nice car to drive, huge amount of torque and less soul crushing to drive daily compared to a Shogun.
Problem is my caravan is a 2008 Sterling Elite Searcher with a MTPLM of 1815kg and a MRO of 1523kg.
The 335d has a tow capacity of 1800kg, so it's cutting it a bit fine.
As torque is not going to be a problem i'd appreciate some real world experience on what problems i'm likely to expect with cutting the tow ratings so fine please.
Driving sensibly is the key. Taking it slow down hills and not braking suddenly and everything should be OK. Traction may be a problem when starting on a steep hill with a wet road. I don't know how light the BMW s though.
Be very tempted to put the van on a weigh bridge and check the actual weights before deciding, plated figures don't always reflect reality.
Ditto for the car if you can , some of the figures given on Vin plates etc are for a very basic model not even available in the UK and without lots of things you think of as standard.
Unfortunately very few owners ever see the Certificate of Conformity which is where the actual weight is given
As long as you don't put anything in the caravan, according to your figures the caravan will be below your kerb weight so should be ok.
The only problem I can see is that empty caravans tend to be a bit skittish and need a bit of ballast for a smooth drive and getting the nose weight correct could be a problem
Towing a heavy caravan with a smallish, light car means you will have to drive slower as there is a risk of the caravan snaking. In particular you must slow down before going down hills.
You will have to concentrate more to keep your speed down and anticipate problems ahead so you can brake early. No doubt cruise control will keep speed constant.
Driving from UK to Greece is a long way at slower speed and high level of concentration.
I thought diesel cars were not allowed in Athens and only allowed to certain people like farmers in the provinces.
I weighed my coachman with a Reich measuring system that weighs each wheel and the jockey wheel then totalises, It has a motor-mover and most of the cooking things, TVs and gas bottles were in. I was a little dismayed to see I was just over the MLPM by a few kg! I never carry the awning in the caravan but if I did I would be way over. Things like the oven, fridge, leisure battery are included in the pay load not the MRO.
------------- First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara
Ended up buying a 335d, car was absolutely fantastic, we did everything from twisty Swiss mountain roads through to motorway slogs and the car was great.
First couple of days i emptied the caravan as much as possible and transferred as much weight into the car as i could.
Found i really couldn't tell any difference so didn't bother after that.
Found it helped on downhills if i dabbed the brakes before a bend (while the caravan/car was straight) i then eased off the brakes and let the caravan brake for me as much as possible.
Made for really smooth enjoyable progress.
We parked next to a police car a few times, in France and Italy, non batted an eyelid.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Tow capacities v the reality
