Hi I’m seriously thinking about getting a caravan but before I go all out and replace my car to get a reasonable van, I thought I might get a cheap caravan to see if it’s for me.
I currently own a mk4 golf gti and was wondering if there are any 4 berths caravans this will tow? Any advice will be greatly appreciated thanks.
If you are buying a second hand caravan, invest in a damp meter.
or better still contact MCEA
in order to get someone to accompany you when inspecting.
Hi and welcome. You have started well research and seeking advice. The advice already posted is good. 1)Find out what your car can tow. 2) match a caravan to your cars ability and you requirements. 3) Beds and budget input onto caravanfinder will provide a choice of makes and models. 4) Take time and note any that you like then if possible go and view them dealers have plenty of choice. Test the Seats & bed comfort. Space,layout and facilities for cooking cooling and ablutions all need to meet your needs. 5) Having settled possible make and model ask on this forum for owner reviews the good the bad etc. 6) When ready to buy check out the many posts on this forum on buying a used caravan. 7)Then when you have your caravan don't be afraid to try it out close to home or even on your own drive or garden any hi cups or missing items will come to light. Hope you get the caravanning bug and all goes well.
Do you have a 'B' or 'B+E' driving licence? that will also limit your choice of car and caravan. With a 'B' licence the plated GVW of the car and mtplm of caravan should not exceed 3,500kg.
Example: my Skoda Octavia Estate 4x4 has a GVW of 2,095kg, caravan mtplm 1,318kg (2 berth) = 3,413kg so OK with a B, (I do have a B+E). Kerbweight of the Octavia 1,495kg with a tow ratio of 88%, the Golf will have a lot lighter kerbweight. It has 2.0TDi engine with a torque of 136nm at 1,750 - 2,500rpm so it pulls well.
You could look out for a Sprite Alpine 4 around year 2006 / 2007, they have a mtplm of 1,230kg, what is the kerbweight of the Golf? or look at Bailey Rangers of around the same year.
1990s Elddis models are worth looking at too. I have a 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT and it's only around 1000kg. The 450CT and 450EB are 4 berth. Newer caravans tend to be heavier.
Look also at the max towing weight of your car, as that must not be exceeded. The 85% ratio is only advisory, but the max towing weight is a legal limit.
Welcome to the fold.
You may have already seen this but I was just looking through the free ads on here and noticed a van for sale that may just do for you. Avondale Dart 5 berth these were very light weight this one has a max weight of 1250kg I think this will suit your Golf well. Avondale are no longer produced unfortunately but in their day they were lovely caravans. I am sure many owners will confirm this for you, they towed well too because the gas bottles were in the side over or near the axle keeping the nose weight down and the spare wheel was stored under the floor. I think this one could well be worth a look
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
Its only too heavy if loaded to its max, unladen is only 1030kg, so load as much as possible into the car and travel as light as possible i.e don't take what you don't need such as full awning and enough food for a week buy the shopping once on site.The car will be absoloutly stable and fine this way the biggest problem I can see with the Golf is the nosewight which is probably around 65kg which is another reason why the Avondale is a good choice having the gas bottles stored nearer the axle instead of the front locker like most older vans do. Load carefulfully drive sensibly and keep van and car well maintained and outfit will be stable, a heavy tug like a Land Rover with a small light caravan poorly maintained and poorly loaded will give you more problems
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
We own an Avondale Dart and love it. Whilst it's true that Avondale ceased trading in 2008, the chassis, fridge, toilet, heating system, gas and electrics are all made by other third party manufacturers and are exactly the same in most other caravans so servicing, maintenance and spares really aren't major issues.
The more I read into the widely-recommended '85% ratio' the less convinced I become. This is recommended only for 'novice' caravanners by the main caravanning clubs. The same guidance advises that 'experienced' caravanners can safely tow up to 100% of the car's kerb weight. Define 'experienced'? That's a genuine challenge, because nobody else has.
As far as I can tell, the 85% recommendation was based on very limited research carried out by Bath University several decades ago and they didn't really compare it to other weight ratios. Whilst I agree entirely that it's good simple common sense for the caravan to weigh less than the towing vehicle, it's certainly not the case that 84% is fine but that problems are inevitable at 86%, or even 90% or higher. Given that the car will weigh several hundred kg more than its kerb weight when loaded up for a holiday, you have to wonder how relevant kerb weight really is. It's not "manipulating" the figures so much as real life.
Your biggest issue might just be the petrol engine in your Golf GTI. Cars such as these are designed to deliver their maximum power at high engine speeds (so you can rev them hard and enjoy the performance). That's great when you're on your own on your favourite back road, but not so great when you have a big box weighing a tonne or more behind the car - put simply, you'll be spending more time than is enjoyable in lower gears with the engine revving its nuts off.
How much of a problem this is for you really depends on how often you'll be towing - if it's just a few times a year for short or short-ish distances to local sites, you can probably live with it. But if you plan to do longer journeys across the country and beyond, you might just want a heavier car with a powerful diesel engine.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
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Topic: New to caravans
via mobile 30/5/2019 at 2:50pm
