Help on weights and towbar - yes a newbee - lol

Hi campbell91.  I have a 2015 Mondeo Titanium. The kerb weight, ie the mass in service as shown on the V5C, is 1650kg with a gross vehicle weight of 2330kg giving a loading capacity of 680kg. The towbar loading is 90kg which obviously has to come off the total car loading capacity + the weight of the towbar itself. Mine is 20kg. (Early spec sheets for the 'All New Modeo' as Ford call it, showed the towbar loading, in error, as only 75 kg). The 85% guide would be 1402kg although the maximum trailer weight shown on the V5C is 2000kg giving a total maximum permissible train weight of 4330kg.

I've had three Mondeos in recent years, a manual and two autos, and have never had a problem pulling a 1350kg caravan anywhere in the UK or in France. 

Hi thanks John, it cleared things up with those figures, picked up this morning and towed very well, straight line on motorway with no wobble, just got to keep the missus under control with things she want to put in caravan.......think I might leave her behind.....lol, tow bar and electrics work perfectly total cost £249 no problem with rear sensor they switch of when I place into reverse only when caravan attached, thanks you everyone for your advice, tips........

Don't trust the figures in the books or quoted by companies.  It's worth while taking both the car and the caravan to a weighbridge and getting them both weighed, ideally seperately.

The 85% guideline is the empty car against the full caravan.  The "Full" caravan should not weigh more than 85% the empty car.

By weighing the empty caravan, means you can then spend time weighing the contents, and getting ahead of the game when it comes to weights.  Remember that the plated weight of the caravan does not include the noseweight, as this counts against the rear axle of the car.   It's still not a good idea to fill everything up to maximum.

Also don't forget that people count against the gross train weight, so make sure to leave room in the car for the people (easily missed)

Remember that the plated weight of the caravan does not include the noseweight, as this counts against the rear axle of the car.

Correction. The plated weight of the caravan does include the noseweight. It is not, however, included in the weight that the car is towing but is part of the car's payload. Therefore, allowance must be made for the noseweight in the car's plated gross vehicle weiight.

Thanks all, as I said knowledge of Hgv but comes to caravan completly clueless, but have checked plating on car with handbook as follows....

gross vehicle weight.         2170kg

gross train weight.              3970kg

maximum front axle weight.    1140

maximum rear axle weight.     1075

maybe this would clear up my figures I gave at start and make more sense, but do I use 85% of GVW to give ideal caravan weight as these are the only figures on car plate, as can be seen I got confused with figures, I far better with a 44 ton vehicle...lol, was told nose weight of 110 but think I stick about 90-100, 

glad to hear swan neck ok for alko as being fitting soon

thanks again all

Same rules apply to both car&van and HGV from your figures your car can tow 1800kg but in your car hand book or on the body plate it should give you the tow limit the manufacturer recommends

Paul

Don't trust the figures in the books or quoted by companies.  It's worth while taking both the car and the caravan to a weighbridge and getting them both weighed, ideally seperately.

The 85% guideline is the empty car against the full caravan.  The "Full" caravan should not weigh more than 85% the empty car.

By weighing the empty caravan, means you can then spend time weighing the contents, and getting ahead of the game when it comes to weights.  Remember that the plated weight of the caravan does not include the noseweight, as this counts against the rear axle of the car.   It's still not a good idea to fill everything up to maximum.

Also don't forget that people count against the gross train weight, so make sure to leave room in the car for the people (easily missed)

The 85% is a recommendation aimed at novice drivers, as long as you dont breach train and permissable weights you can tow upto 100%

The 85% is a recommendation aimed at novice drivers, as long as you dont breach train and permissable weights you can tow upto 100%

Actually, you can tow over 100% if the plated limits allow. Whether it's advisable to is, however, another story.