Hello,
i have been reading lots of info about towing on a b licence which has helped lots but what i wanted to know is; does the weight of what you put in the car matter when calculating the overall weight of car + caravan. i have only a B licence and want to tow a caravan, does the weight of passengers, boot contents, roof rack contents etc matter?? We are a family of 2 adults and 3 children. Also i am going to buy a new car and caravan(4/5 berth) and need to be under 3.5 tonnes can anybody recommend a suitable combination please? cheap used car and caravan to be under £6000 for both!
Hope someone can help it's all very confusing for a newby caravanner! Thanks :-)
Hi uno1, welcome.
It's not the actual weight of the car that's important, it's the maximum permitted weight, which is on a plate affixed to the car.
Similarly, it's the gross maximum weight of the caravan you need to use, not the actual weight.
So if you were to buy an outfit with the MPM of the car and the MGW of the van coming to over 3.5t, then you're illegal, even if you have taken only a minimum of passengers, luggage, and accessories to lighten the load. It may actually weigh under 3.5t, but it will be illegal.
Hi, I would echo Alec, my actual car and caravan weights would have been under the 3.5 ton, but the capability was more and this is the figure to look at. If I'd had a ford mondeo instead of a seat Alhambra I'd have been fine, both cars could have towed my old caravan.
I decided to take my B+E test and I'm so glad I did as we then could have the pick of caravans that suited us as a family rather than what suited the government restraints. Yes it did cost £500, but the way I look at it is that I probably would have bought a different caravan, not been happy, then took the test anyway and changed caravan again. Therefore, losing money on the first van.
If you are looking at buying both car and caravan, I would look at what caravan set up you want, layout etc and see what fully laden weight it comes in at, then look at suitable cars to go with your shortlist of caravans.
If it was me, I'd definitely spend £500 less on a car and take the test. You then have the freedom to look at more. We are also a family of 5, we bought a 6 berth Adria caravan and love it. I also love my car, the thought of having to compromise drastically on either of these due to government restraints actually upsets me if you can afford it, do the test, you will find it gives you so much more choice
Thanks for the replies. Alec i am still a bit confused by what you mean when you say it may actually weigh under 3.5 but it would still be illegal.? Am i correct in thinking that the maximum laden weight of the caravan has to be less than the unladen weight of the car? So for example if the maximum laden weight of the caravan was 1000kg and the unladen weight of the car was 1600kg then would this not be legal? I have seen lightweight caravans such as a 1995 Abi Marauder 400-(Mass in Running Order (Kg)-761 Maximum Allowable/Authorised Weight (Kg)- 1000)
I just want to know if it is possible to tow a caravan legally on a b licence??
Oh and we have been camping in a 5 man tent for the last 10 years so a smallish caravan will be a big upgrade for us! :-)
Thanks for the help and advice :-)
Ok, might be a bit confusing but here goes.......
For example, my seat Alhambra............
Gross weight ( maximum permissable weight) 2430kg
Kerb weight 1808kg
Maximum towing weight 2000kg
Our old caravan was an Elddis vogue centime 4 berth fully laden weight 1200kg
The actual weight would have been1200kg, plus 1808kg kerb weight ( fuel, driver etc... )this comes to 3008 kg. plus a bit of luggage and the other people in car, no more than 300kg.......... Total ACTUAL weight 3308kg.
Therefore under the 3500kg limit BUT THE GROSS WEIGHT of the car is 2430kg, add this to the 1200kg of the fully laden van is 3630kg. Consequently putting the weights over the legal threshold. It's the gross weight of the car that counts.
Unladen weight not relevant.
It is the maximum allowable weight as defined on the Identity plate that is what the regs go by. Doesn't matter what the car weighs, doesn't matter what its unladen weight is - it is its maximum permitted mass as per i.d. plate. Also the van - it is its maximum permitted gross weight.
In your example - the weight of the caravan is OK, but you need to know the MGW of the car, not its unladen weight or its actual weight.
Another example
Ford mondeo gross weight 2190kg
Kerbweight 1592kg
Caravan, for eg, 1300kg fully laden
Gross weight plus fully laden caravan 2190kg plus 1300kg equals 3490kg, putting it in the legal limits for a basic driving licence without taking the test.
Like I say, our caravan is 6 berth and 1300kg fully laden, so if we had a ford mondeo I would have been fine. I will still stand by my previous comment about getting a van big enough for you all. We were tent campers and I can understand what you are saying about an "upgrade". I thought our two older children could sleep in the awning but it was going to be far too cold at the beginning and at the end of the season, awnings are colder than tents. My children are 12, 11 and 2. Look in to all your options and research it well, there are lots of people on the forum who will be on hand to help. The world is your oyster if you are armed with enough information
Btw, I put kerb weight on as this is to do with the recommended towing percentages. It is advised that you stay within 85%, the ford example tows at 84%, the seat example tows at 71%. Play around with whattowcar website when you start looking at certain cars and caravans.
At Alec, my example uses the maximum gross weight/maximum permissable weight/maximum allowed weight, whatever term you wish to use. I added the actual weights in my example to answer OP question on how outfit can weigh less than 3500kg but still be illegal. Hope I got the info right, wouldn't want to lead anyone into a false calculation!
Thanks i understand now! Well lots to think about and look into. You have been very helpful. I'm sure I'll be seeking advice on the forum again soon :-)
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Topic: 1st caravan-advice on cheap lightweight
if you can afford it, do the test, you will find it gives you so much more choice 
keep us all posted about how you get on!
