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 Topic: Volvo C30 1.6 DRIVe R Design
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29/6/2021 at 4:02pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: 2019 VW Arteon + 2002 Avondale Dart
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Hi RC
Dealing with what the car can tow first.
Legally, what matters is the car's towing limit, which is set by the manufacturer and you can get from the car's VIN plate (which will be either inside the engine bay or inside one of the door pillars). The first weight given is the maximum permissible weight of the car when fully loaded, the second is the maximum permissible weight of the car and a trailer combined. Get the towing limit by subtracting the first figure from the second.
It makes no difference if various websites, the car's V5 or even the manufacturer give different figures: legally, the VIN plate takes precedence.
Bear in mind though that cars' towing limits are often - but not always - well in excess of the weight of the cars themselves. This is because the towing limits are determined largely based on the weight that the car can move from a standstill on repeated hill starts, and not what they can comfortably cope with on the open road. Caravans are longer, high-sided and inherently less stable than most other types of trailer, as well as tending to be towed for longer distances and at higher speeds. For this reason, the caravanning industry advises that the actual weight of a caravan - note: not necessarily the maximum permissible weight - should not be more than the car's mass in service (or 'kerb weight' - the two terms tend to be used interchangeably). The mass in service should be on the V5.
For those new to towing, the recommendation is that the weight of the caravan should not be more than about 85% of the car's kerb weight. However, this is crude at best and a few tens of kg either way will make little if any difference. It's also important to note that this recommendation is advisory only and has no basis in law.
Regarding your licence, the legal position is simple. The maximum permissible weight of a car and trailer combined cannot be more than 3500kg. Actual weights are irrelevant this time and it really is that black and white - even 3501kg would be illegal.
You can certainly buy an inhabitable and serviceable caravan for £4-£5k. Our 2002 Avondale cost us £3k back in October 2015 and we still have it now, having been to France, Switzerland, Ireland and pretty much all over the UK with it. However, caravans are in particularly high demand this year due to more people wanting staycations, and as a result prices are higher than they really should be. If you can wait until towards the end of this year or early next, there should be more available at more sensible prices.
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"Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
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via mobile 25/6/2021 at 1:25pm
