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hiya,

please dont shout at me, i am a serious newbie and am only dreaming at the moment of being a caravan owner

anyhoo - we have a 1.6 8v astra 1999 - i have read that the max they can tow is 1100kg (laden) - sooo - how small a caravan are we looking at here?

please help - i know i will irritate some with this novice question - sorry

Well that linky thingy from Gazza is really helpful, I love it!

I had an idea somewhere in my pea brain that Bailey's have some lighterweight vans on the market at the mo, so did a squiz at their site and if you're only after a 2 berth, then this one might interest you coz it's MTPLM thingy is under 1,000kg! Seems to cost just under £10,500 on their website but you can get great deals on end of season models with most dealers around now so worth a shufty perhaps?

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/product-range/new-caravans/ranger/layouts/viewLayout.php?LayoutID=71

When we were buying our last new tin tent in 2005, we were originally looking at Lunar's because they were lighterweight at the time but even they seem to have had a substantial increase in their weight. Seems like you need a 4x4 to tow most new ones nowadays!

But the older models are DEFO w-a-y lighter coz it's all the modern additions, (don't even LOOK at fixed bed ones coz they're like elephants to lug now), that add to the basic weights.

We used to tow our old Esprit Flair very satisfactorily with a Cavalier 1600cc years back but when we upgraded our car to a 2L Vectra we sure did notice a difference

Well worth looking into slightly older models, especially if this is your first forray into caravanning, the worst thing you could do would be to spend loads of hard earned cash on a new 'toy' only to find it's not for you. Our first ever one was a secondhand one even though hubby and I knew we loved caravanning having borrowed my Dad's tourer to introduce hubby to them, we didn't know if the kids would enjoy them as much as us....they did....we got a brand new the following season

Good luck with your search, I just know there's the right tin tent out there with your name on it somewhere.

Only EIGHT more sleeps till Mevagissey. Whey hey

Your question isn't irritating, in fact it is very sensible. The irritating people are the ones who go out and buy a caravan that is way over the capacity of their car without realising, and cause havoc on the roads when the inevitable happens.

Realistically, even most caravans from the early 1990s would be too heavy for your car. Options might be either to look at buying a heavier car, or if that is not a possibility, perhaps think about a folding camper rather than a caravan. These tend to give you most of the comforts of a caravan, but with a bit less weight. The main drawback is that whereas you can use most modern caravans pretty much year round, folding campers are perhaps only suitable for use from about April to October.

We have owned both caravans and campers over the years and have loved both. Whatever you do, just carry on camping!

what you need to find out is the astras kerbweight, might be in the handbook or weigh the thing on a weighbridge, the kerbweight is the car plus a tankful of fuel plus a driver then take 85% of that and unless that figure is higher than your max tow that is what you should tow

older vans were lighter

sprite alpine up to 95 1000kg gross
avondale perle orcestres
fleetwood garland 2 berth 1050 gross up to 1997
avondale wren
compass lynx

have a look on fleabay for those vans

have a look at

http://www.whattowcar.com/

its not only the caravan its what you put in it as well plus how many of you travel in the car. you need something that can pull we have a mondeo they are very good but on hills we could still do with something more powerfull.

Welcome,

Dont worry nobody on here is going to shout at your newbie question, we all have to start somewhere, and take it from me this place is a great fountain of knowledge full of very freindly helpful people, and as said before I would rather answer what may appear to you as a simple question, than have to post my regrets that you have had a nasty incident with a very badly matched car and van.

Anyway back to your question, depending on the model of your astra the results may vary, but not by a lot I should think, based on a 1.6i 8v astra hatchback the kerbwieght is 1108kg, so with the 85% rule your max towing weight would be 941kg, thats 1108 devided by 100 Times 85, there are some older vans out there that you could get away with, I havve an 1991 avondale perle which is very lightweight, approx 780kg to 800kg unladen, not sure of true weight as I have rebuilt it and added some extra weight while beefing up front end and floor, but fully loaded with all the bits and peices still only comes in at around 950kg.

if you can find something really light you should be ok but may struggle uphill especially if going into wales etc, overall probably a little on the light side for me would prefere to change car before getting van, but thats my personal opinion.

Hope some of this is useful as I am no expert as this time last year I was in your posistion as a complete caravan newbie, there will be others along with better more informative post soon I am sure.

if youre going to look at TT then have a look at some of the folding campers which are around - you might be pleasantly suprised - all the facilities of the caravan with the easier/lighter to tow apects. they dont take as long to erect as TT (generally speaking) and can be used without the awnings for short trips as all the facilities are in main body - you can generally get more beds in folding campers for same size towing as well as the beds are permantly fixed at two ends when up.

check them out on conway owners site /pennine site/ dandy owners site etc. you may be converted!!!

Nina x

you could always look at a van from the late 80's early 90,s i have a late 80's twin axle, that is only 1100kgs and sleep 5, i know its to big for your car but we used to have a 83 marauder which was a 5 berth and only 750kg max.

mike

Plenty of older vans out there that would suit, but it does really depend on what you are looking for size wise. How many berths?

Late 80s early 90s CI Sprite - we had an 89 Major 5 berth and later on a 92 Musketeer 4 berth which would be light enough for you.

If you only need a 2 berth then there are many you could consider. I had a Compass Shadow which I towed with a Honda Civic 1.4 petrol (in fact the 4 berth wasn't much heavier). My current van is a 94 Bailey Oakmere (based on a Beachcomber 350/2) and would be fine - I tow it with a Seat Ibiza 1.4 Tdi.

Look at the freedom range of caravans. They are from Poland, made of fibreglass and very good. I had one and towed it with a mini metro weighing a lot less than your astra. MTPLM 780kg.

Mine was a 1992, 4 berth 10' long at 660kg.