Car weight for towing
Just wanted to ask if any experienced tower made a decision to tow heavier than the 85% novice recommendation after years of towing within it?
I've just bought a slightly bigger caravan and need to change my tow car for other reasons. My wife does not want to drive a "big car" as this will be her daily drive.
So I'm just trying to keep the size of car down a bit but most tow weights I look at are coming in at 90 - 95%.
I've driven tens of thousands of miles towing but by happy chance all at about 80 - 84%.
Would I really notice any difference at 90%? I fully understand the equation with all its nuances.
Thanks all.
Comments
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I am sure that you will not feel any difference in towing due to the change from 85% to 90% or 100%.
Many people believe that the 85% recommendation is very out of date due to the development of caravan stability devices and modern tow cars.
In my opinion, any differences noticed when towing will be down to the dynamics between your new caravan and towcar and not the increase in ratio.
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I've towed the same Coachman Laser 575 (MTPLM 1800kg) with a 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport (nominally 88%) and a 2024 Defender 110 (nominally 72%). Both cars had about 100kg load in the boot (awning, bottles, hitch lock etc). Conclusion the Discovery Sport was just as stable as the Defender. As Simon 100 says the vehicle dynamics are important. You may need to experiment with rear tyre pressures for the best towing experience.
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I’d challenge anyone to be able to tell the difference between 85% and 90%, all other conditions remaining unchanged. The change needs to be more than that to become noticeable. There’s no sudden breakpoint above which an otherwise docile outfit becomes unmanageable. It’s a sliding scale.
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