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Hello

This is my first post and I'm very new to this :)

I hope to get a caravan over the coming months but am a little confused about safe towing weights.

I understand that as a beginner it is best to not go over 85% of the cars kerbweight.  However my cars maximum towing weight on the V5 is much less than this anyway.  My confusion is whether it is okay to tow 100% of the maximum towable weight stated on the V5 or would this be unsafe?

Any advice would be much appreicated

Sorry i havent explained myself very well!!!

I dont mean is it okay to tow above the maximum towing weight, I was wondering whether it is actually safe to tow to the limit of the maxmium towing weight or not (my cars V5 states 1050kg).  Just wondered how advisable it is as a complete novice or whether I should be restricting myself to say 950kg.

Safe towing is a mixture of factors. It can be quite safe to tow at the maximum towing weight....if you are an experienced tower. have loaded correctly, the noseweight is no greater than it should be, there are no strong winds, you drive within the speed limits, you slow down when tall sided vehicles pass at speed, tyre pressures are set correctly, etc.

The advice to beginners is to start at (what is knwn as) the 85% rule and work out what is 85% of the cars kerb weight. Then check your car manual to see what its maximum towing weight is. If that is higher than the 85% figure then stick at the 85% weight. If it is less, then you can tow no more than that lower weight. That lower weight will mean that you need a new car if the kind of van you want will exceed that lower figure.

Then you have to consider the maximum weight that any tow ball can take for your model of car. Your car will indicate the max weight that it can take on the tow ball. The two bar you fit should be calibrated for that weight. If the type of van you are after has a noseweight in excess of that figure then, even with careful loading, moving gear to the rear of the van to lighten the noseweight, that may create an unsafe towing scenario. Tail wagging the dog effect, possibly.

So it may not just be a 950Kg van.

Then just think about an uphill start when they are doing road works and you have to stop at lights. The closer the weight of caravan to car the harder it is to move away.

Phil

Thanks guys for your replies.

My kerbweight is 1505kg (its a Zafira)

The actual max towing weight is 1050kg

I am only looking for a 2 berth so I suppose the lighter the better really

Thanks for the info on the tow ball, will have a look into that

Hi Tentz

Yes its a 2 litre diesel.  Rushed into buying it really and at the time was looking for something that I could fit all my camping gear in (which it did perfectly!!!).

Check how your car is matched by using www.whattowcar.com this will give a good indication of which caravan is suitable

look at going caravans these are very light.

http://www.jcleisure.com/GoingUK.htm

Be aware there is a law that the gross weight on a braked trailer / caraven cannot exceed the towing capacity of the tow vehicle I have never heard of any one being fined for this. I am a fabricator and have travelled late at night or in the early hrs of the morning with structural beams on a trailer. this has resulted in me been pulled over many times with 3500kg trailers behind vans with a towing capacity of 2000kg I have been accused of been over weight but I have either managed to convince the person that has pulled me over that the current weight of the trailer and its load is below 2000kg and they have not weighed me and the only time I was weighed I was ok. No body has mentioned this law this does include 1 police vehicle inspector and 2 vosa officials

The gross weight of your caravan / trailer should be on a plate near the coupling. you may buy a caravan that weighs 1000kg standard but has a gross weight of 1300kg or even 1500kg, to allow you to put your own possessions in this would not be legal behind a car with a tow vehicle with 1050kg towing capacity even if it has none of your own possessions in and only weighs 1000kg. You can get around this by going to the manufacture of the caravan and getting a new plate made up with 1050kg as a gross weight.

I think this is a stupid law and it does not apply to unbraked trailers.

For more information please visit the national towing and trailer association site.

Web address http://ntta.co.uk/law/preparing/preparing.aspx 

Pete