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 Topic: Which car to use to tow caravan?
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23/3/2024 at 1:36pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Joined: 17/9/2015 Diamond Member 
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Determining the towing capacity can be more complicated than simply looking at the quoted max towing capacity! Many cars, mine included (think I have to down-rate towing capacity by 300kg with a fully laden car!), have a "load transfer within the GTW limit" to be taken into account! This is basically offsetting some of the solo cars carrying capacity to enable a heavier trailer whilst staying within the GTW. Put another way, you may not be able to legally fully load your car AND tow a trailer at the max stated tow weight. You need to check your owners handbook for your specific car, and verify what figures apply.
There is also the consideration that some insurance companies refuse to cover trailers at the full towing capacity, insisting that cover only applies at a lesser percentage, that percentage seems to vary from company to company, something to check with your insurer. Don't forget to inform your insurance company you have a tow bar fitted - it's ALWAYS considered to be a modification to the vehicle, it doesn't necessarily increase your premiums though, but can void your cover in a claim if undeclared.
Whilst the aforementioned 85% 'rule' is in no way enforceable, and perhaps antiquated with regard to experienced drivers and modern caravans with features like damped couplings and Active Trailer Control (ATC) systems, there is NO DOUBT that towing safely is an acquired skill only learnt over time and experience. With experience you will have learnt to read the road and traffic ahead to anticipate risks better, you will also learn when problems such as 'snaking' are a risk or beginning to develop BEFORE they become a serious issue, so I'm not so eager to just dismiss the advantages of keeping the trailer weight down until experience gained. A lighter trailer has less influence on the tow car and makes regaining control when things go wrong easier. It's not cast in stone at 85%, up to say 88% is unlikely to make a lot of difference.
Another reason for keeping the trailer weight down is that coupling any given car to any given trailer is a complete unknown on handling - there is no guaranty they make a good pairing! Some outfits with all the numbers 'right', tow like pigs! Others with the numbers looking marginal (as is my outfit) tow like a dream. I've towed the same trailer behind different cars and the variation in handling is like chalk and cheese - it's far more than just matching numbers, if you have a lighter trailer it makes a bad match more tolerable and inevitably safer.
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23/3/2024 at 2:21pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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On thing I have always found is that wind can have just as big an influence on a caravan outfit as the weight of the caravan, perhaps even more so. I have towed all manner of different trailers. Small box trailers, large van trailers, car transporter trailers, flat bed trailers, boat trailers, and of course caravans. Wind can have a big influence over a caravan, probably more than any other type of trailer, from head-winds that cause drag to side winds that can cause instability. Head-winds are one of the reasons why I always like to have plenty of power in reserve. The frontal area of even a relatively small caravan like mine is as large as the biggest twin-axle one, and that is very noticeable if you encounter strong head-winds with a car that is towing on its limit.
For stability loading is critical too. I always try and get the maximum allowable weight on my tow-ball. Don't go over it though! I won't forget going to fetch my current caravan from the dealers. Obviously it was completely empty and I just hitched it up and drove off without bothering to check nose-weight as there was little I could do about it. The journey home was only about 10 - 15 miles, and I was glad it was as it wasn't a great tow. Cross-winds, passing vehicles etc caused more sway than I had been used to with my previous caravan. However, once loaded with all my usual stuff and the nose-weight adjusted properly, it towed like a dream. I barely noticed it on the back. As for pulling power, the manual gearbox version of my car is rated to tow more than twice the weight of my caravan and it has the same engine. Only the auto-box down-rates it a bit. I much prefer automatics though, particularly for towing and when in traffic.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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