I have a 2014 vauxhall vivaro van LWB. I''ve been trying to read through all the information regarding towing weights etc but I just cannot figure out how much my van can tow. I'm hoping to go and look at caravans this week end and obviously I don't want to buy one thats going to be too heavy. I have a full towing licence so don't need to worry about that but can anyone guide me as to what the maximum weight of caravan I should be looking for
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The weights may be on the V5, the kerbweight will be shown as "mass in service" and a max tow weight should also be listed. Ideally you want a caravan with a max weight(MTPLM) no more than 85% of the kerbweight of your van.
The max weights should also be shown on a plate usually fitted just inside the van door. Post the weights here and we can work it out for you.
If it’s a van there might be no max tow listed only gross train weight which is the max allowed combined weight of van & trailer together. It will be a fairly high number over 3tonnes. What sort of weight would you like to tow?
Be careful if checking weights online. There is a model change in 2014 and the engines used are different, the 2014 onwards model uses 4 different versions of the same engine so it's worth checking the V5 and the plate on the van.
weight your van to find out kerb weight, that will give you a figure to work from. most vans can tow way over kerb weight. ok with a low trailer but not with a large caravan that the wind can catch
Just incase you are not aware some campsites wont take panel type vans, although I am sure there are plenty who do, to be on the safe side it may be wise to inform the site at the time of booking to avoid any disappointment
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Thanks for the advice up to now. I can't find my v5. I did find a plate with a list of weights inside the driver's door but no writing next to each one so I don't know what each one is, other than I think from memory the top one is the weight of the van. If anyone has any ideas what the others are I'd be greater up. List is 3030kg, 5030kg, 1-1629kg, 2-1650kg
We don't have any particular weight in mind to tow. We do want a 4 birth van but our budget is limited so we are going to have to buy privately. Obviously if we see a van we like I just want to be sure it's a suitable weight for us to tow.
Van on site isn't an issue. All our camping is done at agility shows where the majority of people use vans.
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The 3030 is the max weight of the van, 5030 is the max gross train weight so the max trailer weight is 5030-3030=2000kg. However you still need to know the kerbweight to make sure that the van is heavier than the caravan.
Which model is your van? Is it the model which finished in 2014 or the model that was launched in 2014? Which engine does it have? If you can give us the details we may be able to find the details for you.
I expect your kerbweight is just under 2000 so that will give you plenty of choice of caravans.
It looks like your kerbweight is around 1800kg so an 85% weight of about 1500kg. This would give you a huge choice of caravans but I would still go for a fairly lightweight van for all those times you may need to move it manually such as in a tight storage area.