Towing capacity ok and kerbweight near limit
hello all. This is my first post on here but I have been towing a little over 3 years.
just looking to purchase a new van with a total weight of 1571kg. My car is a 2007 crv 2.2cdti which has a towing capacity of 2000kgs however when I check on here and other tow sites it states there maybe issues due to it being close to my kerbweight.
which figure do I go off, towing capacity or kerbweight? What is the point of having a towing capacity if it is limited by kerbweight?
really like new van I saw so hopefully positive answers but I won't purchase if dangerous.
thanks in advance
steve
Comments
-
The towing limit ie 2000kg is what the manufacturer says your car will tow,not what is a safe tow, it is recomended to tow about 85% of your kerb weight,but if experianced up to 100% of your kerb weight,if the weight of the trailer exceeds the kerb weight of the car ,you can end up in some conditions of the tail wagging the dog
0 -
I agree with JVB66 that you need to keep around the 80--85% ratio weight figures. If you can get it less then all the better. You are well up to your limit at 93%, and considering this could be a new van on only 3 yrs driving experience. It does not give
you much room for error. It has been mentioned before on various topics that we have to be careful as to not go over what the car manufactuer say,s is the total towing weight for your car model. Your insurance could be nul & void. You might have to re-think
the new van model??0 -
I have been towing over 90% now for 5 years with out any issue, and wouldn't hesitate to tow higher with my towcar.
In fact i fully intend to tow at a higher % with my next caravan.
1600kg should be no problem for a CRV. But i would prefer more power and torque than a CRV provides.
0 -
For a beginner 93% is a bit too high. I would suggest keep under 90% and the hearer to 85 the better. That may limit your choice a bit more but your safety has to be the first priority. I would never go over 95% even when experienced as there is far too
much chance of the caravan taking over and causing an accident.The makers towing capacity is nothing more than the cars ability to restart five times on a 12% hill. It is feasible if towing a broken down car round town at low speed but a large light trailer with slab sides is entirely different and is far more susceptible
to cross winds and overtaking lorries.Xtrailman might have been towing at 95% for five years or more but the problem is that he may simply not have met that sequence of events that might cause the problem.
If you wonder where my position on this stems from I was involved in accident investigation for many years and have dealt with the people who towed excessive weight and perhaps understand the dangers more than most.
The other point not mentioned here is your licence. You need to add the manufacturers full loaded weight for the car and the MTPLM of the caravan. If the total exceeds 3,500 kg you need to have passed your test before 1997 or have a B+E licence. Look in
the clubs Advice and Training section below for full information on this.0 -
Having never heard of an 85% recommendation before, I started my caravanning career with an outfit at just under 100% and towed like that for the first 10 years, so one can't say that it's an absolute
Having never heard of an 85% recommendation before, I started my caravanning career with an outfit at just under 100% and towed like that for the first 10 years, so one can't say that it's an absolute no-no.
There is no right or wrong figure for the maximum weight you can tow as each combination will vary. Basically the best thing is to err on the side of caution and I can never advise anyone to go past 95%. Some people may be able to get away with it but you
cannot tell who they are.0 -
Have a look at Towsure website car and van matching. It will answer your question with a huge amount of data.I have done a more comprehensive post on this but am still dotting the i s and crossing the t s. hope to finish it in next few days.
Please be aware that it is up to you whether youn take the info as gospel.
0 -
We take delivery of our first van next week it gives us a 86% match which I presume is good. I have in the past drove alot of heavy goods and trailers of all types but never a caravan. Hopefully things will come back to me after a couple of trips.
0 -
We take delivery of our first van next week it gives us a 86% match which I presume is good. I have in the past drove alot of heavy goods and trailers of all types but never a caravan. Hopefully things will come back to me after a couple of trips.
Tbe difference between 85 and 86% is negligible. I would not worry.
0 -
We take delivery of our first van next week it gives us a 86% match which I presume is good. I have in the past drove alot of heavy goods and trailers of all types but never a caravan. Hopefully things will come back to me after a couple of trips.
I have yet to come across a database that gives details of kerbweights which don't err on the conservative side. Besides, kerbweight is specific to each and every car so any published data can only be a rough guide anyway. Chances are that you will actually
be well under 85%.0 -
I have just weighed my CR-V EX 2014 with a full tank and it was 1781Kg which with the top Kerbweight of 1731Kg specified by Honda (1653 to 1731Kg) the difference would be the weight of the towbar?
Add to that figure my wife and I (no sylph like figures) this gives an actual kerbweight of 1975Kg without any other luggage and is well within the 2200Kg max. Therefore I can legally tow a 1800Kg twin axle at 91% with this configuation.
The club and everyone else says my kerbweight is 1653Kg the lowest given by Honda, it does not make any sense and may well stop people towing a van that they reasonably can. Practical weights must surely be a more accurate method than abitary figures.
0 -
Hi all
just as a follow up from my original post.
thanks to everyone for the replies and all advice has been noted.
i have now purchased a new but different van, a Sprite major 6td which has total weight of 1479kg which brings my figures down to an acceptable limit, for me at least.
pick it up around beginning of March so looking forward to it
0 -
Hi all
just as a follow up from my original post.
thanks to everyone for the replies and all advice has been noted.
i have now purchased a new but different van, a Sprite major 6td which has total weight of 1479kg which brings my figures down to an acceptable limit, for me at least.
pick it up around beginning of March so looking forward to it
Hope all goes well.
0 -
l agree with Lutz, this recommendation was back in the seventies when we had drum brakes no servo asisst no atc, cars today are way adavanced than then. l still aim to be under 93% if possible but have towed l am sure back in the eighties nearer the 96%
mark and had no problems. l will probibly be taken to task on this post0
