How much weight goes in the caravan?

Hoyler replied on 23/09/2016 12:53

Posted on 23/09/2016 12:53

Hi, 

I am returning to caravanning after a few years and am looking to puchase a TA Swift Charisma 650 6 berth.  From what i can find, the MRO of the Swift is 1440kg.  I will be towing with a Chrysler Grand Voyager with a towing capcaity of 1600kg.  My first question is it realistic to restrict the additional weight in the caravan to 150kg (awning, aquaroll, crockery etc etc). I have been on the towsafe website and the match with 150kg is very good but my concern is that if 150kg is unrealistic then I will exceed the 1600kg capacity for my car.

My second question is my towbar limit on the car is 80kg.  Again is is realistic to keep the nose weight of this model of caravan to 80kg as the optimum weight I can see from spec etc is 85kg. 

We will eventually put the van on a seasonal pitch but for the first year or two we will be touring a few sites within about 150 miles of home 

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

cyberyacht replied on 24/09/2016 18:10

Posted on 24/09/2016 18:10

Bear in mind part of that 150Kg will be swallowed up by a battery and motormover, however many socks and shirts you put in the car.

tigerfish replied on 24/09/2016 19:31

Posted on 24/09/2016 19:31

And for future considerations the plated weight that you should be working to is the MTPLM, effectively the max gross of the caravan fully loaded & ready to go.  The MRO or lower weight is not the one that will be a reliable guide figure.

The Kerb weight of your car is also subject to some varaiation as different manufacturers apper to calculate it in different ways, mainly in respect of how much fuel the tank has in it. Some record with a full tank and others with less. Some with a driver & some not.  But in my case I always put the heaviest kit such as awnings etc in the car & not in the caravan.

Load the caravan carefully, - there is loads of advice available on that, but it is important to get the nose weight as close to the maximum permited for your car & van as possible.  Too much weight aft and a light nose weight = Instability!

TF

Wildwood replied on 25/09/2016 21:54

Posted on 25/09/2016 21:54

The club provide advice on towing weights that you will find at the bottom of the page. Basically it is illegal to exceed the towing limit of the car and the advice is never exceed the kerb weight and for beginners try to get the caravan MTPLM down to about 85% of the cars kerb weight. If learning to tow I would stay at under 90% to begin with and I would not exceed 95%at all.

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