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I really wouldn't attempt to tow that combination if it's your first time.  You don't say when you got your licence, but unless you've had it since before 1997, it would be illegal anyway.

Jim

check out  the   what tow car   website  you can put your car and your van details in and the site computes the outfit    i did a quick check for you and you come out at about 90% for weights which is probably ok for an old stager but may not be so for a new boy   it also tells yopu what towing performance can be like  on motorways  uphill   etc        do your homework    but you will need to put your exact details of the car and van in and only you know what they are

if the dealer sold you the van he should have checked all the details for you before selling it      legality is at a premium as well as safety  you can not compromise on either

check and check again

Hi henrydog.

1.9 CDti (120) tips the scales at exactly the same MTPLM as your van'. Not ideal for a beginner. Also a bit close to limit if your a newer licence holder & you do happen to load the caravan fully. If you can pack lightly, & stick as much kit as you can in the car it will be ok.

Usual advice though, noseweight...try & get it to the Vectra's 78kg mark. With the legs up, drop the jockey wheel on a set of bathroom scales for a rough idea. Vectra's got a huge boot so use it. I'd try & squash water/waste containers in there, also the hook-up lead as they are quite heavy. Make sure the hot water tank is drained. Unless you need the battery charging, maybe even unplug the grey socket as the car will be working a bit harder to power the fridge. Perhaps invest in a roof box also, we stick all our sleeping bags, pillows & clothes in ours. Just helps to err more on the safety side with heavier car - lighter van'. Car tyre pressures...should ideally be those for a fully loaded car, ref your manual. Van tyres even more important, check & check again. We tend to tow with a pretty much empty van, takes about 10 mins to grab stuff from car & into van.  

Take it nice & steady, car will work considerably less at 50-55 than trying to stick with the gung-ho hero towers at 60-70+. If its any concellation, we followed a Vectra along the A470 for 30 miles from Wales the other weekend, not sure what van it was but wasnt a small one, was doing a fine job of towing though, looked nice & steady.

Your Vectra is only a bit lighter than our Mondeo. We tow a 1500MTPLM van', but as said above van is usually practically empty & we only take the essentials. We're legal, as cars kerbweight is more than the caravans MTPLM, and my licence pre-dates 1997 by a good few years anyway. Ours is a lovely stable outfit to drive. The Wife even has a go. thats how well it tows. Planning to get a Ford Galaxy soon though. Happy with the Mondeo but its our second car & seems daft setting off in a £1.5k Mondeo & leaving a £7k Verso on the drive, so will change it for something that will pull the van' with a bit more margin.

Be sure to post an update with how you got on. Some really really top people on here always willing to offer advice.

Quote: Originally posted by ldpdmp on 13/5/2010

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check out  the   what tow car   website  you can put your car and your van details in and the site computes the outfit    i did a quick check for you and you come out at about 90% for weights which is probably ok for an old stager but may not be so for a new boy   it also tells yopu what towing performance can be like  on motorways  uphill   etc        do your homework    but you will need to put your exact details of the car and van in and only you know what they are

if the dealer sold you the van he should have checked all the details for you before selling it      legality is at a premium as well as safety  you can not compromise on either

check and check again

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