tugger needs advice on weight (1 Viewer)

swifty640

Free Member
Jul 20, 2008
4
0
Kent
Funster No
3,373
MH
coach built
Exp
3years
Hi all CAN YOU HELP?
we are away in our MH and friends have had their caravan stolen, they need some advice on towing weights their car is a ford focus 1.6 auto 2002 details in handbook are kerbweight 1189-1276 payload 339-426 permissible gross weight 1615. anyone know what is the max weight they can tow???
thanks for any help
chris
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,205
48,800
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
caravan club recommend no more than 85% of the cars max weight as a general guide and definately no more than the gross weight of the car. ie: the cars weight must always be equal to or greater than the trailer

so a 1375kg (max weight) caravan is technically the max but there may be restrictions imposed by the car manufacturer.

im surprised they dont give a train weight.
 
Last edited:

moandick

Free Member
Jul 28, 2007
1,312
112
Landrake, Cornwall
Funster No
24
MH
Euro-shed
Exp
40 +
Hi Chris

Assuming your friend has the relevant licence to tow something over ¾ton of caravan and the KERB weight of his car is 1276ibs - the Caravan Club advises that the caravan should not exceed 85% of the towing vehicle KERB weight.

1276 divided by 100 - multiplied by 85 = 1084lbs

I would suggest that you friend looks for something NO heavier than 1100lbs absolute maximum.

From the Caravan Club Handbook 2009/2010, page 635: The actual laden weight of the Caravan should be kept as low as possible and should never normally exceed the KERB weight of the towing vehicle.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,205
48,800
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
found this website which gives you all the info you need,

there are manufacturers resrictions.

study the lists carefully as there are year, model, body type, engine and how many doors to consider.

could be anywhere between 800kg and 1200kg model dependant.

Link Removed
 

moandick

Free Member
Jul 28, 2007
1,312
112
Landrake, Cornwall
Funster No
24
MH
Euro-shed
Exp
40 +
found this website which gives you all the info you need,

there are manufacturers resrictions.

study the lists carefully as there are year, model, body type, engine and how many doors to consider.

could be anywhere between 800kg and 1200kg model dependant.

Link Removed

Good link, Pappajohn - well found!
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,205
48,800
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
Hi Chris

Assuming your friend has the relevant licence to tow something over ¾ton of caravan and the KERB weight of his car is 1276ibs - the Caravan Club advises that the caravan should not exceed 85% of the towing vehicle KERB weight.

1276 divided by 100 - multiplied by 85 = 1084lbs

I would suggest that you friend looks for something NO heavier than 1100lbs absolute maximum.

From the Caravan Club Handbook 2009/2010, page 635: The actual laden weight of the Caravan should be kept as low as possible and should never normally exceed the KERB weight of the towing vehicle.

My apologies swifty......i was working on the cars GROSS weight and as mo said it should be KERB weight.:Blush:

but the link will make up for the mistake...:thumb::winky:

never normally, i thought that was a legal requirement.
 
Last edited:

45eEver

Free Member
Apr 15, 2009
267
1
Funster No
6,298
If your vehicle handbook doesn't tell you the maximum weight of trailer you can tow,
you can work it out by taking the GVW from the GTW.

The GVW and GTW are written on your car's data plate.
The trouble is, different manufacturers use different names for the same thing.

If you take the second largest weight from the largest weight on that plate, that's the max you can tow.

Failing that, ask you local Traffic Police.
They have the data readily to hand, for obvious reasons.
They always work by the manufacturer's statement on max towing weight.
 

45eEver

Free Member
Apr 15, 2009
267
1
Funster No
6,298
Swifty, from punters answers to the same question, it looks like a Ford Focus can tow a maximum of 1200Kg.
The handbook and/or the data plate are the best proof.

This means that the caravan you tow must have a grow weight of 1200Kg or less.
The caravan's gross weight must be shown on a data plate near the front of it's A-Frame.
Unless the caravan is an anitque.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

New Rover

Free Member
Aug 31, 2007
250
0
Funster No
196
Recommended towing weights:-

1100lbs and 1200kgs no much difference there then??????
 

moandick

Free Member
Jul 28, 2007
1,312
112
Landrake, Cornwall
Funster No
24
MH
Euro-shed
Exp
40 +
Bring back hanging, that's what I say - all this messing about with proper Pounds, Shilling and Pence will end in tears! :Angry:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

45eEver

Free Member
Apr 15, 2009
267
1
Funster No
6,298
Trailer weight

. . . towed weight must include everything in the caravan including gas barrels clothes food awnings etc. . .

The trailer weight is what is written on the data plate as maximum gross weight.
Or whatever words were flavour of the month for maximum gross weight when the plate was printed.
It's owt to do with the kerb weight of the trailer.

A Transit, with a max tow bar pull of 2000Kg, for instance, can't legally tow an empty 2.5 ton (2500Kg) gross weight trailer that actually weighs half a ton (500Kg).
 

moandick

Free Member
Jul 28, 2007
1,312
112
Landrake, Cornwall
Funster No
24
MH
Euro-shed
Exp
40 +
(Quote) A Transit, with a max tow bar pull of 2000Kg, for instance, can't legally tow an empty 2.5 ton (2500Kg) gross weight trailer that actually weighs half a ton (500Kg).

That is not what the DirectGov Rules state - assuming that you have the correct licence (the E 'towing' licence):
  • a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
Whereas
  • the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
Anyway, this is all getting a bit silly now, the original poster asked for advice on towing weights and that question has been answered to his satisfaction.
 

45eEver

Free Member
Apr 15, 2009
267
1
Funster No
6,298
That's another set of rules you are not supposed to break Dick.
There's one about nose weight you are supposed to keep.
Another about individual axle weights.

The statement is relevant because it's what's written on the data plate that counts.
Not the kerb weight of the trailer.

Whilst the trailer may only weigh 1200Kg, if the weight written on the data plate is 1250Kg and the towing weight written on the car's data plate is 1200Kg, the rig ain't legal.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top