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Quote: Originally posted by neil and lena on 09/3/2008

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however you cannot argue the fact that in the event of loss of control a caravan weighing 85% of the towing vehicle,the driver has a significantly greater chance of recovering it than if it is at 100% irrespective of whether it is loaded correctly the laws of physics determine that

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It is also true that you are morely likely to lose control with a heavier caravan. 

I well remember the first outfit I had - a Peugeot 405 petrol saloon, towing a Lunar Saturn.   The van was nearly 100% of the Peugeot's kerbweight.  The outfit was twitchy, even with a stabiliser, for the whole of the time I had the Peugeot.   Several years later, I towed the same van with an Isuzu Trooper which was more than twice as heavy.  The outfit was supremely stable without a stabiliser.

The weight of the towcar makes a massive difference to the stability and safety of the combination.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.  Folks who push the limits on matching are a danger to themselves and others. 

Cheers
Andrew

Quote: Originally posted by AndrewK on 14/3/2008

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 It is also true that you are morely likely to lose control with a heavier caravan. 

 The weight of the towcar makes a massive difference to the stability and safety of the combination.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.  Folks who push the limits on matching are a danger to themselves and others. 

Cheers
Andrew

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I agree. 85% may be a guideline, but it's a figure that has come about for good reasons, and whilst I would not disagree that exceeding the 85% does not necessarily make an outfit unstable, personally I would never exceed it by more than a few Kgs.

Best advice I ever received "Get the heaviest most powerful car you can afford to run, and the lightest smallest caravan you can live with".

Quote: Originally posted by bordercaz on 14/3/2008

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I agree. 85% may be a guideline, but it's a figure that has come about for good reasons, and whilst I would not disagree that exceeding the 85% does not necessarily make an outfit unstable, personally I would never exceed it by more than a few Kgs.

Best advice I ever received "Get the heaviest most powerful car you can afford to run, and the lightest smallest caravan you can live with".

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If you read all the towing guidelines from the reputable bodies that produce them, they all suggest that 85% is a good starting point, none of them say that 85% is the be all and end all of the subject. I would agree with the advice you were given.

On a lighter note I remember in the 70`s my dad driving a Vauxhall Viva with a 5 berth van behind it. I was only 8 or 9 but it was my job to look out the back and shout to him when a lorry was passing us on the motorway. He then gripped the wheel as tightly as he could an sweated a lot as the caravan twitched all over the place. The following week he bought a Volvo estate.

Being a novice i`m happy to stick to the guidelines of 85% and I think I always will, just for my peice of mind.