Apologies for posting what may be an obvious answer to most of you but I'm really struggling to get my head round towing capacity etc,
I'm looking to buy a new car to tow a caravan and most of the information I read says that the caravan should be 85% of the kerbweight of the vehicle taking me up into the very large SUV or pick up range around 2000kg kerbweight however some information states for example a mid sized suv around 1700 kg kerbweight is able to tow up to 2400kg??
I'm going round in circles dont know if I'm being daft or just overthinking it can someone help please??
Quote: Originally posted by Sm88 on 06/6/2023
Apologies for posting what may be an obvious answer to most of you but I'm really struggling to get my head round towing capacity etc,
I'm looking to buy a new car to tow a caravan and most of the information I read says that the caravan should be 85% of the kerbweight of the vehicle taking me up into the very large SUV or pick up range around 2000kg kerbweight however some information states for example a mid sized suv around 1700 kg kerbweight is able to tow up to 2400kg??
I'm going round in circles dont know if I'm being daft or just overthinking it can someone help please??
It would be helpful if you were able to tell us the MTPLM of the caravan that you have bought as many cars can legally tow up 2000kg. The 85% is only a guideline and is now probably outdated with newer cars if you use common sense.
Just be aware that some caravan insurance companies will not pay out if 95% is exceeded even if it is legal for the vehicle however that has never been proven in court.
Thanks for the reply, Cars im interested in buying are the mid size SUV ie; VW Tiguan, Skoda kodiac, Volvo xc40 or 60 which are all around the 1700kg kerbweight mark.
I've towed plenty times before a builder but that was in a pick up towing 1 ton max so ive not had to worry about weight ratio previously
Towing capacity is the weight of a trailer that the car is able to physically move on a repeated standing hill start.
The '85% of kerb weight' guidance is based on stability, and more specifically, how likely you will be able to take corrective action if the caravan becomes unstable. However, this is a recommendation only, has no legal basis and should be considered if, and only if the towing capacity of the car is not exceeded.
The guidance is given by the caravanning industry in recognition that, compared to most other types of trailer, caravans are taller, probably longer, have a higher centre of gravity and are inherently less stable. They also tend to be towed for longer distances and at higher speeds.
Put simply, a car with a kerb weight of 1700kg and a reasonably powerful engine may well be able to move a caravan weighing 2400kg from a hill start, but this does not mean that the caravan won't become unstable at 60mph or that it won't lead to a 'tail wagging the dog' scenario before the driver can do anything about it.
The industry guidance also states that "experienced" caravanners may tow up to 100% of their car's kerb weight, provided that this is legally permissible., but makes no attempt to define "experienced". However, other things to bear in mind are that the distribution of weight inside the caravan makes a difference - broadly speaking, you want most of the heavy stuff above, or just in front of the axle, not too much right at the front and bearing down on your car's tow bar and as little as reasonably possible at the back - as does the fact that, when loaded for a holiday, the actual weight of your car will be several hundred kg more than its kerb weight.
The main points here are:
- Just because a limit is legal, going right up to it may not be sensible
- Other guidance available is generic and simplistic, but it's given for a reason
- Going beyond the generic guidance may be legal and indeed perfectly safe. However, this is a matter for judgement by the driver based on his/her experience.
Hope this helps.
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Topic: Towing capacities
via mobile 06/6/2023 at 8:20am
