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If you are thinking of passengers and kerb weight then ignore them. The kerb weight is what the book says. You do not increase it by adding passengers etc. For your car/caravan weight ratios you use the MTPLM and the kerb weight.

As regards loading its suck it and see till you get the optimum requirements for your kind of caravanning. Follow Tentz guidance expecially about weighing stuff. Also weigh the cars contents inc people as the car has a maximum weight it can carry as well. Any weight reductions necessary and you can always put the OH on a diet!

We tried all ways to load and finally settled on the inside stuff in the van when going out and outside stuff in the car. We reversed it coming home. Idea is that wife sorts out the inside on site whilst I do the outside. All my stuff is in the car so I don't interfere with what she is doing. Its just a whole lot easier that way when there are only two of you.

Phil 

Donna, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I am afraid that is what I have.

 Taking the weights posted on here already, the car has a payload of 480kg.

This has to include the noseweight of the caravan (I will assume 70kg for arguements sake).

A 20 stone person is about 127kg. Assuming the other 3 people are 75kg.

Even if the kerb weight quoted includes 75kg for driver, that allows 555kg of stuff that can go into the car.

By my rough calculations including the nose weight you have 549kg before you load any luggage in.  Sorry, to my mind the load you are talking about is just not possible. It is not even borderline.  There is still clothes for 5 people, all the caravan bits & bobs plus an awning with 2 bedrooms!!!

I recommend you take two cars to spread the people & weight about.

Quote: Originally posted by Domino666 on 18/3/2011

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OMG, well Zafiral it seems like I have a problem then as I am the only adult of the five with a driving licence, my OH, his retired parents and his 41 year old brother never saw the need to pass their tests (sore subject which I get very frustrated about on a daily basis as I am the family taxi firm). So if the car can only carry us 5 and the nose therefore the 200kgs user payload in the van is all I have to play with.
PS Macaw, I passed in 1998 so I am subject to the new regs to top my luck off completely.

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Just a thought. Tell your retired family + this, and ask them to pay to rent a bigger car for the holidays that way you get to keep your car without the worry of weights for it. Please do not tell me they cannot as my Bob and I are retired without that much coming in, we just save up to ge the best we can. But you probably need your car after for work. It is called consideration for your family without demand or expecting of them.But then you only have to lay these facts that your being helped with before them and see.They go or do not go that is the question. We would not dream of putting on our son this way, & your the in-law daughter. Bah Humbug!!!

Best of luck, hope you make it and can get through with the technical stuff.

I have a similar problem with little weight capacity left with my outfit after putting my Mobility scooter in the boot of the car, and the luggage for 4 adults plus the porch awning, my caravan payload is about 200kg, son-in-law is 21st and 6ft4ins tall, so he has to sit in the front of the car to give him enough leg room, hubby is about 11st, im 18st, and daughter is 16st, and whilst we tow easily when theres just the two of us, the one and only time we tried to take us all away together ended in a slow and tireing creep in 4th gear for the hours drive to the site.

Now I have done likewise, I will take their luggage for them, but this pair of fit and healthy 20somethings can catch the train and we will collect them later in the day from the nearby station at our destination. the rest of the week transport for them is not a problem as we havent got the weight of the caravan on the back to worry about, then we reverse the process to come home. I think you need to be firm with your inlaws, simply tell them that your not prepared to be their taxi service, especially with the fuel costs involved, if i let my lot get away with it i would be driving a minibus by now, we have already got arguments going on about who gets a lift and who doesnt when out two daughters get married later this year. Owning a car of their own doesnt seem to stop them. when they refuse to drive it on the grounds that they want to be able to have a good drinking session!  

Julia  

Donna

The Mazda 6 is a great towcar for your caravan, but you are using both of them in exceptional circumstances.

I do hope you get this all sorted as you have an excellent setup for the two of you!