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 Topic: new to caravanning
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23/1/2017 at 1:32am
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011
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Joined: 10/9/2005 Platinum Member 
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To answer your current questions:
Towcar: Assuming you have a car, you will have to choose a van to suit that - if not, van first then car to suit. Rear wheel drive is better for reasons of grip.
B Licence: Check the car handbook for its max braked trailer weight, and the caravan plate by the door for its maximum weight (ie MTPLM). These two together must not exceed 3500Kgs. You have to work with these even if the van is virtually empty.
Apart from the book suggested, the caravan club website has a technical section, with articles that will probably answer most questions. Also, here are some keywords to search: noseweight, damp, tyres, kerbweight, 13 pin - that should keep you going for a bit!
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24/1/2017 at 1:46pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: 2019 VW Arteon + 2002 Avondale Dart
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Hi Bexxyab, good that your thinking of taking the plunge!
To answer your question fully would probably involve writing a book but here's a few things you need to consider (they're less daunting than they sound)!
- If you obtained your full driving licence after 1997, this restricts the maximum gross weight (i.e. loaded to max. capacity) of the car and caravan/trailer combined to 3500kg. You can take a further test to obtain a 'B+E' licence that allows you to tow heavier weights (sorry but I don't know what that entails, I'm too old to need it)!
- You also need to check the kerb weight and the manufacturer's towing limit of the car you intend to tow with (these should be on the V5 document). It's illegal to tow a heavier weight than the latter. The towing limit varies enormously depending on the car and its engine and in many cases is well in excess of the kerb weight but may also be significantly less, particularly for smaller cars or less powerful petrol engines.
- Assuming that the car's towing limit permits, conventional (albeit crude) safety guidance is to limit the actual towed weight to somewhere in the region of 85% of the car's kerb weight.
So if you don't have the car yet, a good choice is to get something with a kerb weight of around 1500-1600kg (that's VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, Skoda Superb or similar). Go for the most powerful diesel engine you can afford. The car's maximum gross weight will be around 600kg more than this (say 2200kg) which means you can look for a caravan with a 'maximum technically permissible laden mass' (or MTPLM) of up to 1300kg and tow in accordance with the safety guidance, and more importantly remain within the constraints of your licence.
With weights in mind, choose the caravan by going and looking at as many as possible until you find an interior layout that you like. Shows are good for this as you get to see a lot of different caravans next to each other, but failing that just look round new and second hand dealerships in your area.
The question of whether to buy new or second-hand and what to look for could be the subject of a whole new forum post in itself and has a lot to do with personal preference and budget. However if you're considering second-hand go for the dealer searches until you've found one or two preferred models, then don't discount private sales on ebay, preloved etc as you can find ones that are very well cared for and have a lot of the accessories thrown in.
Finally, don't be afraid to ask pretty much anyone you meet for advice - it does seem that most people with caravans are friendly!
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