rysz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,554
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 22:19:42 GMT
|
|
Hi there,
I have been toying with the possibilities of towing a small caravan to the gathering this year - about the 400KG mark...
Now after scouring the net, I can't find a towing weight for my car (The Shuttle) but the weight of the car is 890KG (From the original handbook).
If I got a towbar fitted to the car, would it be legal to toe the small caravan being less than 50% of the towcars mass?
Many thanks!
Rysz.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
squonk
Part of things
Posts: 859
Member is Online
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 22:25:02 GMT
|
|
Yes it is legal, the bigger issue is when you tow something approaching or exceeding the weight of the tow car. The Caravan Club recommend a maximum caravan weight of 80% of the tow cars weight (in your case that would be 712 kg). If experienced at towing this can be pushed to 100% of the tow cars weight. The car manufacturers maximum towing weight is usually not much help as it is often based on the vehicles ability to re-start on a set gradient. This means that the maximum towing weight often exceeds the tow cars weight by a substantial amount!! Not a great idea.
Does your licence cover you to tow though?
|
| |
Last Edit: Feb 24, 2013 22:26:01 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71
2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet
1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon
1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump)
1992 Toyota HiLux Surf
1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty)
1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty)
2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager
2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
|
|
rysz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,554
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 22:33:13 GMT
|
|
I passed after 1997 so I should be able to tow up to 750KG!
I am new to this concept though so would appreciate any advise!
Thanks.
Rysz.
|
| |
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 23:04:47 GMT
|
|
Somewhere on the car there should be a plate showing the weights. There's usually 4 figures on it, 2 will be quite low, which are the maximum allowed weight for each individual axle. One will be the maximum loaded weight of the car, probably very roughly 1.5x the cars weight in your case. And one will be higher than that, which is the maximum combined weight of car and trailer, so basically, what the manufacturers say you can tow is the difference between the 2 highest numbers.
As said, it's not always a sensible amount (my Scirocco's plated to 1200kg, and weighed 890 from the factory, No way you'd catch me trying that!). But in your case, 400kg is likely to be fine legally and in terms of safety and common sense, and as you say, not an issue license wise.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think most of us stick to the 80% rule, whats just as important is getting a decent nose weight on the caravan, don't be tempted to have a light nose weight to stop  end of your car going down, it will be a real pig to tow. You will notice hills that you could have sworn wern't there before, but once you get the hand of it, caravaning is brilliant! Enjoy |
| |
|
|
|
|
rysz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,554
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for that, I will check the car tonight for a plate to see if it is at all do-able!
Grazi.
Rysz.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A lot of J imports don't have towing weights, handy come VOSA stoppages  |
| |
Resident Toyota Geek Current Fleet: HDJ81 Landcruiser, GZ20 Soarer, JZX81 Cresta
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 25, 2013 10:01:34 GMT
|
Try not to tow the 'van with the water tanks full up and without overloading it try to keep plenty of weight in the car itself, heavy objects in the van should be stored low down if possible and just take it easy. make sure you have a spare tyre for the van and that its road tyres are ok, its easy to let them get really old and perished and an out of shape tire will make towing "exciting". Uphills can be slow, but its the long downhill gradients on the motorways you have to watch, with the van trying to push the car and a lorry or coach going past at 60mph and its slipstream trying to grab the van and pull it sideways that's where the trouble will come if there's going to be any so keep alert, you have a caravan so if you get tired pull over for a cuppa!  |
| |
Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
or try a folder rapido,esterel etc.
well pre 80 owners are guna be upset as they don't have wieght plates. no wieght plt meens the feds have to work for the new notch on thier truncheon.
|
| |
theres more to life than mpg & to much power is just enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 13:26:14 GMT
|
i have been looking into towing etc aswell, if you passed after 97 you have to take towing licence to tow any size or weight trailer. which sucks  |
| |
|
|
cavman
Part of things
feeling inspired :)
Posts: 233
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 14:03:01 GMT
|
I have been looking into towing etc aswell, if you passed after 97 you have to take towing licence to tow any size or weight trailer. which sucks I'm happy to tell you this isn't true! see here: www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/driving-licence-rules-and-what-you-can-tow Licences held from 1 January 1997 If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either: a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total) or a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen or ‘kerb’ weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total) The rules (and weight allowances) changed again on the 13th Jan 2013. See the same website on the link above for more details. Jim |
| |
Last Edit: Feb 27, 2013 14:05:10 GMT by cavman
'78 Mk1 Cavalier Coupe - I wish I had a pound for every time someone told me "my dad used to have one of those"!!
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 14:41:58 GMT
|
|
ohhhh thats some good news then i can actually tow the trailer I'm building, just got watch the weight
|
| |
|
|
bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 20:22:23 GMT
|
|
Yep ive used that clause a few times now. Tow with a good sized 4x4 and you can pull a fairly usefull weight.
From what I gather the same rules apply to towing a car with a solid bar.
|
| |
Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44
1974 VW Beetle 1303s
1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
1988 VW LT45 Beavertail
1998 Volvo V70 2.5
1959 Fordson Dexta
|
|
RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 21:12:37 GMT
|
Yep ive used that clause a few times now. Tow with a good sized 4x4 and you can pull a fairly usefull weight. From what I gather the same rules apply to towing a car with a solid bar. No, if you tow with a good sized 4x4 then your gross train weight reaches 3.5 tons pretty quickly. About the best you can do is something like a Mondeo/Passat/Volvo estate or saloon. A lot have a gross weight of ~2000kg, and curb weight of ~1500kg, and are rated to tow over what they weigh, meaning you can legaly tow ~1500kg behind the right one, and 1400kg is pretty easily achievable. Even a fairly small 4x4 like a short wheelbase shogun has a gross vehicle weight of ~2500kg, meaning you're only left with 1000kg before you exceed the maximum gross train weight of 3500kg, and being short wheelbase they're not necessarily a great tow car. Personally unless towing on soft ground I'd rather a long/low estate. This was fully legal on my licence (passed in 2007, no trailer test since) towed beautifully too, all I could have asked for would have been more power, it was perfectly stable and nice to drive, did ~360 miles with it including an hour or so weaving around North London, not mega mileage I know, but enough to get a feel for it:  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 27, 2013 22:04:36 GMT
|
|
Volvo 940 estate weighs 1480kgs and is built for towing, many have self levelling dampers on the back and a tow bar from the factory. Group 14 insurance I think for the 2.3 turbo which can be a fun car in its own right with the boost turned up. A decent one is about 500 quid and rwd is better for towing good chioce of tow car if you can put up with the dodgy mpg.
|
| |
Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rysz,
I put The Shuttle into Google, kinda guess you are not talking about the thing with the huge rockets strapped to it (doubt if you would worry about towing weights if it is LOL). On the assumption you are talking about the honda, it should be a pretty reasonable small towcar with its short overhang at the back. In general I have opted for the 85% kerb weight guidelines of the Caravan club BUT as I found out when I looked at a BMW Cooper S Diesel, don't assume capability. The BMW Mini can only pull 750 Kg and thats way below a modern 2 berth 'van. Google your car details - the info should be out there. That is the good news......
Sorry, but I would move away from folders, they tend to be as heavy and usually more than a standard build van. If you are prepared to do some refurb, and can see beyond the existing decor of an 80's van, look for a van in the secondhand sections of dealers/small ads. Something about 3.5 m long, 2-4 berth from ABI or similar. My classic '89 ABI Marauder is 4m 4 berth and all up weighs 850kg. If you want modern then it will be a Teardrop (either built or self build depending on budget). Hope this helps
Ian
|
| |
|
|
kenb
Part of things
Posts: 604
|
|
|
|
|
I don't know how modern you intend to get with your tow vehicle, but if you have one that is post 2003/4 ish the type approved towing weight capacity will be on the log book(red ones). To exceed the stated towing capacity would effectively be overloaded in the legal eyes.
|
| |
|
|
Ryannn
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,421
|
|
|
|
|
What's the law around not having a plated weight? Both of my cars are too old to be plated and I'm on one of the silly newer licences.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
