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   Caravans and Caravanning -  Caravan Towcars and Towing Advice 		Share   Post on X / Twitter  Share on Facebook  Email  Printer Friendly Version Print
Subject Topic: Thinking of buying caravan - towing Post Reply Post New Topic
Personangelpond
29/8/2013 at 3:11pm
 Location: Lancashire
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I have a Kia Venga 1.4 diesel and the manual says 1300kgs is the maximum trailer weight (with brake system).
A I presume this figure = caravan plus load?
B Does it also take into account the load in the car?


Personmichael
29/8/2013 at 3:43pm
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caravan weight needs to be 85% of your cars kerb weight to be safe on tow.

-------------
the only silly question is the one you do not ask.


PersonFrancais
29/8/2013 at 7:25pm
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Like Michael says, go of the kerb weight of the vehicle the 85% rule is only advisory, in this modern age cars can cope closer to there limit, I would argue 90% is probably a good max these days.

The figure in your handbook is quite optimistic, although for a flatt braked trailer is your max, towing a 2.5m high slab sided caravan brings different factors in to play.

As an example my 1.6 TDi Golf is rated to 1500kg, but for caravan towing a 1120kg van would put me at 85% and a 1200gk van would be 91%. these weights are for a fully laden van and based on a kerbeeight of 1318kg for my specific car, so I am looking at vans with an unladen weight of 1050kg or so, which in the world of caravans is quite light, but there are plenty about.


Persontakisawa
29/8/2013 at 9:40pm
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"caravan weight needs to be 85% of your cars kerb weight to be safe on tow."

Weight distribution, tyre pressures, driving style etc etc, all more important than the much lauded 85% rule

A 1.4 diesel lugging 1300kg will be hard work though.


PersonGrampian91
29/8/2013 at 9:45pm
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1.4 diesel with less than 90bhp. 1300kg sounds like a LOT.

I think it may struggle pulling away on hills.

I wouldnt try pulling anything that heavy. Under 1000kg. If it were me.

The 1300kg figure is the caravans gross loaded weight yes.

You also need to check the cars gross train weight.

With my car i can tow 1800kg, But thats not a fully loaded car.

If i load my car to its limit which is about 2150kg my max tow is reduced.


Max tow 1800 + max car weight = 2150kg = 3950kg. But my gross train weight is 3720kg.

So i would need to lose 230kg somewhere.


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Personangelpond
30/8/2013 at 6:13pm
 Location: Lancashire
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So (another question!!).
We have spoken to our car dealership.
Our maximum fully laden tow weight is 1300kg.
The kerb weight of the car is 1445kg.
The max nose weight is 75kg.

If the caravan we are looking at is 900kg (unladen) then we should be able to pull it - is that correct??

Thanks in advance guys.
Cath


PersonGrampian91
30/8/2013 at 6:37pm
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I would double check those figures.. 1445kg for an unladen kerbweight.

Not according to the figures i have. Half of them dont even weigh 1300kg.

So you will be towing at over 100%.

900kg unladen is meaningless without knowing the fully laden weight.

It may weigh a fair bit more than the unladen weight also. Caravan manufacturing is not quite an exact science.
Natural materials (wood mainly) have a tendancy to weigh different depending on moisture content and density.

Rather you than me. Its underpowered and underweight.



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