Quote: Originally posted by SamandRose on 06/8/2019
Hi Gail. I'm probably spouting a load of stuff you already know but indulge me.
The ratio of car kerb weight to caravan weight is only one variable, and in my humble opinion far too much emphasis is placed on it at the expense of all else.
The single most important consideration is the car's maximum towing limit, because it's illegal to exceed this irrespective of weight ratios. Bear in mind too that this is the maximum weight that you can tow (in the same way that 60mph is the maximum speed that you can legally drive at on a derestricted single carriageway road). It doesn't always follow that you should.
Assuming that the maximum towing limit is not exceeded in either case, you should also consider your car's engine performance. For example, the 1.0 petrol version of the VW Golf probably weighs about the same as the turbodiesel GTD, but the latter will tow much more comfortably.
I'm guessing that you have reasonable experience of your car both driven solo and towing your old caravan, and therefore you can probably judge better than we can about how well it performed and how much more weight you think it can cope with. But to answer your initial question (and as others have said), provided that you think that your car is capable I wouldn't be too worried about towing at 94%, not least because this is closer to a theoretical worst case scenario than reality.
I don't think it is illegal to exceed the car's maximum towing weight as on many cars this information is not available. However it is illegal to exceed the towing vehicles maximum gross towing weight.
Also the maximum speed when towing on a single carriageway is 50mph or lower if the signs indicate it is a lower zone however I assume you meant when not towing.
Iank01 - you are technically correct on both counts and I will admit that I just couldn't be bothered to go into that level of detail. The weight that cannot be exceeded is the 'maximum gross train weight', which is the maximum permissible weight of the car and trailer combined. In theory therefore, you can tow more than the car's towing limit provided that the car itself weighs less than its full capacity by the same amount. However, common sense says that it would be lunacy to do this.
And yes, I meant when not towing - however it was just an illustrative example
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Gailboney I haven’t read all the post and I don’t know what car your buying, but it’s often the case that the published kerbweights are lower that what the cars actually weigh on a weigh bridge. My car is a good 100kgs over its published kerbweight, remember the higher the spec the heavier the car
Quote: Originally posted by bessie500 on 07/8/2019
Gailboney I haven’t read all the post and I don’t know what car your buying, but it’s often the case that the published kerbweights are lower that what the cars actually weigh on a weigh bridge. My car is a good 100kgs over its published kerbweight, remember the higher the spec the heavier the car
Hope this helps
Bessie
Maybe if you had read the rest of the post, you'd realise that it isn't a car that they're buying!!!
Quote: Originally posted by bessie500 on 07/8/2019
Gailboney I haven’t read all the post and I don’t know what car your buying, but it’s often the case that the published kerbweights are lower that what the cars actually weigh on a weigh bridge. My car is a good 100kgs over its published kerbweight, remember the higher the spec the heavier the car
Hope this helps
Bessie
You are quite correct Bessie, my Mondeo kerbweight is published as 1572kg but is actually 1700kg as per my local weigh bridge