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Quote: Originally posted by Triaxle on 03/8/2020

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Quite correct Colin. They are a little more wised up on trailers now, and we have been pulled for a random check a few times. We have found that if you pass the at attitude test”, they are actually quite helpful. And as you say, although they have thE legal remit to check caravans, I have never heard of them doing so.
Our units are iveco daily vans pulling ifor Williams trailers... 1.2 tonne payload on the vans plus about 2.5 tonnes on the trailers.
Always amazes me the people who nay say about penalties etc but have never actually had any dealings with DVsa about anything at all.

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Quote: Originally posted by Rob2020 on 03/8/2020

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Hi Sam and Rose,
Just a little confused; my car says Max permissible mass 2340 and a Mass in service of 1700. If I used the MPTLM at 85% this would give me 1445, but it limits my choice of van. But some dealers have said I would be fine going up to 1800. Have to say I am a bit nervous and confused about that, but have seen a nice Coachman at 1705 would I be OK to pull that?
Cheers Rob

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Quote: Originally posted by Triaxle on 04/8/2020

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So Jim tell me of a real life example where someone’s insurance refused to pay out because they were 5kg overweight. I’ll even accept an example of someone’s car and caravan even being weighed after an accident...

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Quote: Originally posted by SamandRose on 04/8/2020

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I'm not entirely comfortable with the way this conversation is going, so will add some of my comments that I had previously omitted.

Firstly, I am no insurance expert but haven't seen any policies that probibit towing any trailer that weighs more than the mass in service of the car. If it did I would challenge it, because the insurers would have absolutely no legal basis for including such a clause.

Secondly, this thread appears to have become another case of the so-called (and incorrectly called) '85% rule' being given far more credence than it really deserves. It has no legal basis at all and is given only as a recommendation for 'novice' towers if, and only if, the driver's licence and the towing limit of the car permit it. The same guidance says that 'experienced' caravanners may tow up to 100% of the car's mass in service - but it makes no attempt to define 'experienced' in this context.

With regard to the driver's licence, I'm going to assume that Rob has either a pre-1997 licence or a Category B+E extension. Please advise if this is not the case.

With regard to the towing limit, as stated previously, this needs to be confirmed because the ACTUAL weight of a trailer (note: not necessarily the MTPLM) cannot legally be more than this. The towing limit may be well in excess of the car's mass in service or it may be less than 85% of it, depending on various factors including the car's engine, chassis and suspension.

The problem is that the towing limits of cars are (a) set using commercial trailers, which behave very differently to caravans and (b) determined according to the weight that the car can physically move from a standing hill start and not what it can comfortably cope with at motorway speeds. The caravanning industry recognises this, and also that caravans are often towed for longer distances and at higher speeds than most other types of trailer. Hence its recommendations.

Summary and conclusion - Rob can of course look for a lighter caravan with an MTPLM of around 1450kg if he wishes. But this may mean excluding some caravans that his car is more than capable of towing. Provided - I'll say this again - that his licence and the car's towing limit permit it - he would not be contravening any legal requirements or safety guidance by looking at caravans with MTPLMs of up to around 1700kg (5kg is frankly neither here nor there). He should however gain some towing experience before loading it to that amount. A few weekends away with the caravan lightly loaded so that he can get used to how it handles should do it.

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