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Topic: Max tow weight question

Neil63

11/2/2015 at 1:24pm
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I understand that one should limit the caravans max weight to approx. 85% of the cars towing capability but someone mentioned to me the other day that if my cars max towing capability is say 1500kgs that this figure already has the 85% factor figured in. I thought my car having 1500kgs max meant my van had to be no more that 1275kgs max. What do you guys say.

Neil

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andyd71

11/2/2015 at 1:40pm
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legally you can tow up to the 1500 =100% but when experienced etc

but for safety reasons 85 % is a recommendation

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navver

11/2/2015 at 1:50pm
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The 85% applies to the ratio of the caravan weight to the cars kerb weight not to its towing ability. This is to ensure a stable tow without snaking.

Your cars maximum towing weight for a braked trailer should be equal to or more than the caravans loaded weight. This is to ensure it can pull away on a hill without damage to the cars transmission.

There will also be a Gross Train Weight listed for your car. This is the maximum weight of the loaded car and loaded caravan and must not be exceeded. This again is to ensure it can pull away on a hill without damage to the cars transmission. This will probably reduce the cars maximum towing weight if the car is also carrying a heavy load.

The car will also have a maximum nose weight which should not be exceeded. This is to ensure the car suspension etc is not overloaded. To some extent, the noseweight of the caravan can be adjusted by where you carry things inside the caravan.

Neil63

11/2/2015 at 2:12pm
Location: Lincoln
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Thanks for the replies, as I thought 1500kgs is 100% so 85% of 1500kgs is advisable.
I've had a look for my gross train weight but I cant find it but is it not just the kerb weight plus the max towing (braked) limit?

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LlaniDavis

11/2/2015 at 2:19pm
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Neil.
Somewhere on your vehicle will be a plate with 4 weights on it. Sometimes at the bottom of the drivers B post, sometimes on the engine bulkhead or the bonnet slam panel. They should also be in the Owners handbook.
The weights will be:
Kerb weight
Gross train weight
Max front axle weight
Max rear axle weight.

millermicm

11/2/2015 at 4:05pm
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think you are still getting bogged down a little. Don't know which CRV you have but for example an 07-2012 CRV 2.2i Dtec weighs 1713 ex factory. 85% of this is 1456kg. You maximum sensible caravan weight. This is well within the manufacturer's recommended braked tow of 2000kg for this vehicle so you would be safe AND legal.

Your train weight is also below 3500kg so you will also be legal on a post 97 licence.

In reality your vehicle will weigh a little more the ex factory weight due to fuel, towbar etc.

You need to find the correct figure for your model of a CRV.

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ROG.

11/2/2015 at 4:27pm
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Quote: Originally posted by LlaniDavis on 11/2/2015
Neil.
Somewhere on your vehicle will be a plate with 4 weights on it. Sometimes at the bottom of the drivers B post, sometimes on the engine bulkhead or the bonnet slam panel. They should also be in the Owners handbook.
The weights will be:
Kerb weight
Gross train weight
Max front axle weight
Max rear axle weight.

Not quite
No kerb weight on that plate

GVW
GTW
F axle
R axle

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ROG.

11/2/2015 at 4:29pm
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Quote: Originally posted by millermicm on 11/2/2015

Your train weight is also below 3500kg so you will also be legal on a post 97 licence.

That is not quite correct as train weight refers to actual weight

3500 total plated weight is max for B towing

That is the car GVW added to the caravan MTPLM

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janus

11/2/2015 at 4:37pm
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Quote: Originally posted by millermicm on 11/2/2015
think you are still getting bogged down a little. Don't know which CRV you have but for example an 07-2012 CRV 2.2i Dtec weighs 1713 ex factory. 85% of this is 1456kg. You maximum sensible caravan weight. This is well within the manufacturer's recommended braked tow of 2000kg for this vehicle so you would be safe AND legal.

Your train weight is also below 3500kg so you will also be legal on a post 97 licence.

In reality your vehicle will weigh a little more the ex factory weight due to fuel, towbar etc.

You need to find the correct figure for your model of a CRV.

I think you have things a little confused. For a licence dated before 1997 the op gas no problems. For a licence dated after 01/01/1997 he is likely to be illegal with a CRV and a caravan weighing 1500kg. The condition he has to satisfy is that the the max gross weight ( either on the V5 or on the cars weight plate ) added to the caravans max laden n weight ( found on the caravans weight plate ) must give a result that is not greater than 3500kg. The actual train weight is not considered in this calculation.

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Bill

For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013

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Neil63

12/2/2015 at 4:23am
Location: Lincoln
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Thanks everyone for the advise. My CRV is a 2006 petrol auto, Max towing of 1500kgs, my vans MTPLM is 1100kgs and I've had my license for a long time before '97. I know I can safely tow this van, my original question was only to find out if the cars towing limit of 1500kgs was the 100% figure (meaning 85% of this being 1275kgs) or 1500kgs was in fact 85% of the cars limit.

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wongers

12/2/2015 at 8:06am
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as i believe said above,the 1500kg is the max tow limit.the 85% guide is to do with the kerb weight of the car,and has nothing to do with the tow limit set by the manufacturer.

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ROG.

12/2/2015 at 9:02am
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You have a B+E so no need to concern yourself with the B towing rules

You are not going to be towing an actual weight over 1500 so the towing capacity is ok

You now come to the 85% guidance for towing caravans which advises that the actual weight of the caravan should not be more than 85% of the actual weight of the towing vehicle

The advice uses the worse case scenario figures which is an empty vehicle (kerb weight) and a fully loaded caravan (MTPLM)

The realistic view is that a worse case scenario is very unlikely to occur but to get a true weight figure for both would need a trip to a weighbridge or some very clever working out

As you can see the towing capacity has no impact on the balance weight between the two

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Neil63

12/2/2015 at 11:53am
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Thanks ROG. That helps and actually my kerb weight is 1575kgs so All's well me thinks.

Thanks everyone for the much appreciated help.

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ROG.

12/2/2015 at 3:18pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Neil63 on 12/2/2015
Thanks ROG. That helps and actually my kerb weight is 1575kgs so All's well me thinks.

Thanks everyone for the much appreciated help.

Easily within 85% even in worse case scenario

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EX LGV & B+E instructor

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