Good points about the kerbweight. I see the bhp question hasn't been answered, so I'll just put my bit in. Bhp is not as important in caravanning as getting the weights right.
However, more is always better. The car will be "on top of the job" and will not be undergoing a lot of stress and strain. Things like the clutch will be bigger to cope with the increased power. How many people have said on this forum that their clutch is smelling (and, of course, slowly being destroyed) when reversing?
I do remember about 40 years ago towing a caravan with about 60 bhp, but I wouldn't like to do that now. Of course, caravans are heavier, as indeed are cars. My Jeeps have been steadily growing heavier each time I buy one. Things like air conditioning and extra rollover protection are very heavy items.
It depends on your caravan of course. Mine is heavy, and I have 215 bhp. You could probably tow it quite comfortably with a lot less, maybe 130bhp. With a smaller caravan, you could probably go down to 90bhp, but you wouldn't get very good performance.
Don't be fooled by mpg. People always look at what fuel is costing them, and some buy a smaller car just for that reason. What they don't take into account is the wear and tear on the engine, clutch, transmission and other things.
The question is always "Can I tow this big caravan with my little car?" In many cases you can do so legally, but it will cost you far more than the extra fuel consumption of a larger car.
Much better to get a tow car that will pull your chosen caravan easily.
Jim
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Topic: kerb weight or kerb weight plus
