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Quote: Originally posted by Demogorgan on 22/8/2022

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Hi,

I will check in the owners manual as to what the kerb weight is - but if that is correct that opens the options more, which is great!

So when I see vans advertised as 1150kg for instance would this be the maximum amount it weighs / can weigh or is it the weight of the van as standard so if I was to put anything in then it could potentially be over the weight if that makes sense ?

Thanks again


Demo

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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 22/8/2022

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Your V5 reg document, the VIN plate and/or other plates on the vehicle, and hand book are the go to places for critical figures, as the figures DO vary between models depending on a number of things including trim spec, engine outputs etc. etc., and published figures off the internet and other sources may NOT relate to YOUR car.

As far as the caravan is concerned, the critical figure is it's MPTLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass) regardless of whether it's loaded to that figure or not, it's the figure used to check against tow vehicle for its suitability. It is the MAXIMUM weight that the caravan can weigh with all contents.

You will also see MIRO (Mass in Running Order) figures quoted, they are a rather theoretical figure of what a rather 'bare bones' van should have weighed when it left the factory, ignore it, they are often inaccurate on new vans, and even more so on older vans that have had a few mods/repairs done over the years, and have no useful or legal purpose beyond a little guidance as to payload potential (Theoretically, MTPLM-MIRO=Payload, but likely not accurate, and MTPLM must NOT be exceeded!)

There is a guidance figure for power required to tow comfortably/safely, and you really do need sufficient power to be able to accelerate into moving traffic safely, pull away from a standstill in a reasonable time, and pull uphill at a reasonable pace, and that figure is a minimum of 40bhp per tonne Gross Train Weight (GTW) (that's the combined weight of tow car and trailer), now at a caravan MTPLM of 1200Kg you are absolutely on that lower recommended limit with your car and I believe it's 104bhp! That rather meagre power will also likely result in some pretty grim fuel consumption figures, as you'll have your foot hard down to maintain reasonable road speed and possibly not in top gear either, and flat to the floor in lower gears to cope with hills! It's perfectly possible to tow, just not ideal, but it'll be quite hard work, with likely plenty of gear changing, thirsty gas guzzling, and slowish progress, there is a risk it will put you off the experience of towing a caravan, which would be a shame, as with a better power to weight ratio, it's no great challenge and most of us don't find it that much of a chore. I'm certainly not trying to scare you off towing with the numbers, just a little dose of reality, that you are rattling around on the border line and not going to have the best towing experience.

I tow with 49bhp/tonne GTW which is 22% more power, and that is no great challenge, acceleration is adequate but no more, cruising and hills are not a problem, and fuel consumption is excellent, so you don't have to have a monster tow car to make it possible.

1200Kg MTPLM is not a very high figure for a 4 berth van, more easily achievable for a 2 berth van, but in a way your budget works in your favour on that count, as you'll likely only find mid 1980s and earlier vans in that price bracket (that are worth buying! BEWARE of the 'bargain'!), and older vans tend to be quite a lot lighter than more modern vans!

Depends how old your kids are, but an oft used solution to limited caravan berths is an awning with inner bedroom pods, that gives you scope for a 2 berth van and still having 4 berths in total. Whether the kids go in the awning, in the van, or you split adults/kids between both depends on your family set up and preferences.

A good way of finding what's in the market place is a web site called Caravan Finder, you can set 'filters' to condition results for budget, berths, max MTPLM etc. Got to say when I looked really not a lot of choice within your constraints, if something has to budge to improve results, then budget is the one to tweek, it's the asking price, not necessarily the price you'd pay, but your berths and max MTPLM are rather cast in stone.

https://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/caravan_search_results.html

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Quote: Originally posted by Demogorgan on 23/8/2022

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Hi,

Thank you all for your comments - after reading and then digesting what you are saying I feel I will have to leave it for now, I do not have the budget for a different car that has more power currently & I certainly don't want something that will potentially be unsafe / an issue due to being slow which would cause arguments etc.

I thought this would be an easy and cheap way for regular weekends away but that is clearly not the case & I will need to go back to the drawing board.

Thank you again for your time and maybe in the future when funds allow I can revisit this.

Cheers
Demo

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