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Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 16/5/2016

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Quote: Originally posted by Packidge on 16/5/2016

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I'm not really following the logic here, Grampian. Maybe I am missing something? All those caravans I mentioned are plated at 1350kg or less. The car is plated at 2150kg. Even using the unladen weight of the car (1610kg) I think I will be below 85%.

I have a French licence so the rules are slightly different but, in any case, I don't want to exceed 3.5T.

Post last edited on 16/05/2016 07:53:52

Post last edited on 16/05/2016 08:25:00

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I had a quick look at the Burstner top 460 and its 1500kg with a 1600/1700kg option.

Just looked at the caravelair and thats 1300 - 1500kg.

LM490 1300kg - 1800kg.

Are you looking at the max laden weights or the unladen or MIRO weights?

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Quote: Originally posted by Kelper on 16/5/2016

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All you youngsters!
I bought my first caravan two months ago ... I'm 73.
Much like you, Packidge, my wife was a teacher and when I had a folding camper, I used to drive to far off places (we stored the FC near Angers), and she'd fly out ... I'd pick her up at nearby airport and everything was already set up at the first campsite ... same in reverse at the end of the holiday ... it worked very well as she got full value and didn't have to waste all the initial and final travel to and from beginning and end of holiday.
Also ... like your 'top of the list', we bought a Sterckeman Alize Concept 480 CP ... we've had two weeks in it (last month), and will have a proper hol over the summer. It's a great piece of 'kit' and has many clever design features ... especially the giant drawer fridge.
Very easy to tow, though, of course, somewhat chunkier than the FC was, and Class 2 on the motorways.
Go for it!

Post last edited on 16/05/2016 22:22:59

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Quote: Originally posted by Kelper on 17/5/2016

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The Sterckeman was my wife's idea!
We stopped to browse at a caravan dealer in France last summer, and saw it ... and immediately liked the styling/decor and looks ... so different from most UK vans, which had never really 'floated our boat' ...
Actually, I had never intended to be a caravan owner .... 'over my dead body', was the quote.
But the steady increase in gear we carried with the FC meant increasingly long pitching and striking times. Watching caravans arrive and depart with about twenty minutes up and down times was the final arbiter.
We have had a Fiamma roll out canopy fitted to the side of the van, so won't have the extra time an awning would require ... frankly, for continental summer touring, an awning is usually unnecessary ... unless you need to keep a lot of things 'private'.
We're also fitting a motor mover to facilitate pitch positioning (having got stuck in the mud last month after heavy rain! ... the car, not the van!)
Most camping couples I've met are both equally keen on the lifestyle .... my wife was dubious when I first introduced her, but is now an avid fan ... it's all about finding your own rhythm and way of doing things ... everyone is slightly different (just read on this forum!!!).
I love the freedom of camping ... ability to 'move on' or not, at will ... chase the weather, if necessary, and go with your mood.
Booking an hotel, gite, apartment etc nails you to the one place, irrespective of whether you like it or not ... and, irrespective of whatever the weather is doing.
Re the flying ... now that my wife has retired, she prefers, usually, to do the initial and final treks with me ... but in the days when her holidays were numbered, it made sense to maximise her enjoyment ... for instance, the year we started off in Bavaria ... It took me four days from home (North Coast of Ireland) ... driving the length of the country for the Rosslare/Cherbourg overnight ferry .... then down to west of Nantes to collect the camper ... then to Angers for overnighter at Formule1 ... then Strasbourg for F1 second overnighter ... then Bavaria ... By the time I was properly pitched, that was four days, and I collected wife and daughter from Munich airport on day five ... they arrived at campsite with everything ready ... just had to be seated and open the bottle of wine! It did make things an awful lot more enjoyable for her ... and the long drives easier for me as stops were regulated just by my needs/requirements.
However, if she wants to do the 'whole thing' with you ... then great ... the major plus of the caravan (to us) is the ability to stop for one nighters en route to your final destination ... in the FC that was just possible, but a hassle, and meant climbing over serried ranks of packed gear to get to beds, and not having any kitchen etc facilities available without taking everything out.
We did look at other manufacturers ... including the more expensive Burstner, which, though a slightly more robust finish, is also a bit heavier for the comparably sized model. We'll know, after a couple of years, whether we've made the right decision ... but, without kids bashing around in it, I think the Sterckeman was a no-brainer ... added to which, I got a really good deal on one I sourced in Germany ... saved us about 3K.
Anyway ... best of luck with your decision making process!
By the way ... this post will be mostly men ... we tend to do all/most of the driving ... and weights etc are more a 'male domain'.
If you go to the 'Camping Abroad' section you'll see many more women posting!

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Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 17/5/2016

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If you get pulled for weight check they use a portable axle weigher so each axle of car & caravan is weighed separately as you drive slowly over weigher. Axle weight for caravan is as mtplm/ptac & axle weights for car will be indicated on plate under bonnet.

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Quote: Originally posted by JohnMW on 19/5/2016

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Hi Patridge
The annoying thing about the 3.5 tonne element is that my Peugeot is rated at 3.65 tonne just above the requirement to display 80/90 stickers and observe the limit but if I had a car rated at 3.5 tonne I could do 130 kph but the combination would not be as safe. Since I too drive with speed limiter and cruise control I can relax and concentrate on the driving. The other point is that I believe that 90 kph is about the safest speed to be towing a van and I have a class 1 licence to drive 44 tonnes artics but these by far more stable than a caravan combination and easier to drive.

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