So we currently have a pennine pathfinder which has been great but we're thinking of changing for a caravan for a bit more comfort with the kids. My question is I passed my test in 2000 so only have the standard towing allowance and we have a chevrolet captivia 2008. What's the maximum weight I could get away with on a van? Is the 3500 combined weight inc luggage and passengers etc? I have read and read on this and always come up with different answers so would appreciate some feed back from people that are in same position or know the exact rules on this! Thanks in advance guys, mark.
Hi
It's the maximum caravan wieght + maximum car wieght fully loaded this must not exceed the 3500kgs
So if for instance your car is 2000kgs fully loaded then you can have a van of 1500kgs fully loaded.
Just check the wieght plate on your car to get the max tow wieght.
We swapped from a pathfinder last year and never looked back caravans are so much easier and can be used all year round.
Hey, thanks for the info! In this case I'm alread over as the cars 2505kg and the pennine is 1000kg :-(. Looks like I best get my towing licence booked up asap! Lol. Let's hope it's not to hard to pass lol.
Look on the V5 or on the cars weight plate and find the cars max gross weight, it sounds like your 2505 is that figure. Subtract this figure from 3500. This means that when you look for a caravan then the MTPLM on the plate of the caravan must not be greater than your answer, so if your car has a limit of 2505kg then your trailer must not exceed 995kg.
This figure is black and white, actual weights do not come into it there is no way around this conundrum. To tow a heavier caravan you must swap your car for something lighter, it is the unforeseen consequence of the 1997 legislation.
------------- 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
The 3500 kg limit is not the actual weight limit but the total MAM weight limit which is the total of the plated weights
Vehicle GVW added to caravan MTPLM must not total more than 3500 kg for B licence towing
Caravan MTPLM is usually on a plate near the door
Vehicle GVW is on the V5 keepers form listed as max permissible weight OR its the top of the four figures on the weight plate usually hidden under the bonnet or in a door frame
------------- EX Advanced driving observer (IAM)
EX LGV & B+E instructor
Quote: Originally posted by sparky5260 on 22/3/2015Hey, thanks for the info! In this case I'm alread over as the cars 2505kg and the pennine is 1000kg :-(. Looks like I best get my towing licence booked up asap! Lol. Let's hope it's not to hard to pass lol.
All you have to do is to contact the caravan manufacturer and get the MTPLM reduced from 1000 to 995 if the car is 2505 GVW and the caravan is 1000 MTPLM
------------- EX Advanced driving observer (IAM)
EX LGV & B+E instructor