Another site shows your car to have a kerb weight of 1365kgs and a towing limit of 1300kgs, which if correct is the maximum you can tow.
If you`re new to the game, sticking to 85% of the kerb weight is a sensible (advisory) target, which would mean you could tow 1160kgs.
Tuning for more doesn`t NOT mean you can tow anything heavier, the towing limit is based on many factors, not just BHP.
You`ll find more two berths fall within your weight limit, condition is more important than age. Look at as many as you can before you buy, preferably take someone who knows what they`re looking at and watch out for damp - it`s the killer.
You will usually get more for your money buying privately, and can sometimes get awnings, gas bottles, water containers etc thrown in if you can find someone that is giving up - but remember caveat emptor (buyer beware) as you have little comeback if you buy a lemon. Dealers will be more expensive but you may have legal redress if the van isn`t as described.
Even crappy vans seem to be fetching (or at least being advertised at) "optimistic" prices, so don`t rush in.
That should be fine I don't know the law but have read there are limitations if you got it after 97 and for certain weights a test may be needed. Regarding towbars they are specific to the make of car also
there are fixed ones and detachable ones Gooseneck types and the better they are in quality the more they cost. I paid £600+ for my detachable one fitted and specific wiring done because if you have rear sensors the onboard system management need to be done properly so that it switches them off when you are in transit.
Quote: Originally posted by RC1407 on 25/6/2021
Where would I find if I need to take another test??
You won`t need to take a test unless you are changing the car, as the gross weight of the car is listed as 1780kgs, and with your caravan you will still be below 3 tonnes. Your current licence allows you a total weight not exceeding 3500 kgs.
It may well be worth getting a suitable van, get used to it and make sure it is for you before splashing out on something you may not need.
Hi. I am not really sure on the law regarding licence and towing weights but I am sure someone will be able to answer your question. Hope this helps.
Google says.
What can I tow without a trailer licence? If you passed your test before 1 January 1997: Combined weight of car and caravan outfit up to 8,250kg. If you passed your test after 1 January 1997: Combined weight of car and caravan outfit up to 3,500kg.
Legally, what matters is the car's towing limit, which is set by the manufacturer and you can get from the car's VIN plate (which will be either inside the engine bay or inside one of the door pillars). The first weight given is the maximum permissible weight of the car when fully loaded, the second is the maximum permissible weight of the car and a trailer combined. Get the towing limit by subtracting the first figure from the second.
It makes no difference if various websites, the car's V5 or even the manufacturer give different figures: legally, the VIN plate takes precedence.
Bear in mind though that cars' towing limits are often - but not always - well in excess of the weight of the cars themselves. This is because the towing limits are determined largely based on the weight that the car can move from a standstill on repeated hill starts, and not what they can comfortably cope with on the open road. Caravans are longer, high-sided and inherently less stable than most other types of trailer, as well as tending to be towed for longer distances and at higher speeds. For this reason, the caravanning industry advises that the actual weight of a caravan - note: not necessarily the maximum permissible weight - should not be more than the car's mass in service (or 'kerb weight' - the two terms tend to be used interchangeably). The mass in service should be on the V5.
For those new to towing, the recommendation is that the weight of the caravan should not be more than about 85% of the car's kerb weight. However, this is crude at best and a few tens of kg either way will make little if any difference. It's also important to note that this recommendation is advisory only and has no basis in law.
Regarding your licence, the legal position is simple. The maximum permissible weight of a car and trailer combined cannot be more than 3500kg. Actual weights are irrelevant this time and it really is that black and white - even 3501kg would be illegal.
You can certainly buy an inhabitable and serviceable caravan for £4-£5k. Our 2002 Avondale cost us £3k back in October 2015 and we still have it now, having been to France, Switzerland, Ireland and pretty much all over the UK with it. However, caravans are in particularly high demand this year due to more people wanting staycations, and as a result prices are higher than they really should be. If you can wait until towards the end of this year or early next, there should be more available at more sensible prices.
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Quote: Originally posted by SamandRose on 29/6/2021
Hi RC
Dealing with what the car can tow first.
Legally, what matters is the car's towing limit, which is set by the manufacturer and you can get from the car's VIN plate (which will be either inside the engine bay or inside one of the door pillars). The first weight given is the maximum permissible weight of the car when fully loaded, the second is the maximum permissible weight of the car and a trailer combined. Get the towing limit by subtracting the first figure from the second.
There is no actual legislation covering car's towing weight which is set by the manufacturer, it is the train weight that is covered by legalities and the law and exceeding that can lead to prosecution.
Strictly speaking, the law does allow you to 'weight shift', i.e. you could tow a trailer heavier than 1300kg provided that you took some weight out of the car to compensate, as long as the combined weight of 3080kg was not exceeded. However, this is rarely sensible, not least because how will you know the weights that accurately? It's particularly bad practice with caravans given the increased likelihood of instability issues.
My suggestion would be to look for a caravan with an MTPLM (that's 'maximum technically permissible laden mass') of not more than 1200kg, which will ensure that your caravan does not weigh more than your car's kerb weight / mass in service, in keeping with the industry's recommendations.
The good news is that with a maximum permissible gross train weight of 3080kg, you won't need a B+E licence.
Post last edited on 30/06/2021 12:31:19
Post last edited on 30/06/2021 12:32:21
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