How much weight goes in the caravan?

Hoyler
Hoyler Forum Participant Posts: 5
edited September 2016 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

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

Comments

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #2

    What is the MTPLM that will give a weight that can be put in the van,can you put some things in the car

  • Hoyler
    Hoyler Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited September 2016 #3

    MTPLM is 1710kg.  Can put a fair bit in the car 

  • Settermum
    Settermum Forum Participant Posts: 127
    First Comment
    edited September 2016 #4

    Not an expert by any means, but, with figures like that I would say this caravan isn't a good match for your car. Sorry to be negative. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #5

    Given those weights I would give serios thought about the match ,sorryFrown

  • Hoyler
    Hoyler Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited September 2016 #6

    Thanks - So is 150kg unrealistic for weight of items to go in the caravan?

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #7

    150kg is not unrealistic in the van.  The problem is that the plated MPTLM of the caravan is greater than the maximum towing capacity of the car.

    I'd look for a van that has an MPTLM of 1500kgs - there are quite a few out there

     

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #8

    . . . or a replacement car!

  • Hoyler
    Hoyler Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited September 2016 #9

    Thanks everyone so far for the feedback - All pretty much as I thought that a new car maybe in order.  This is where my ignorance kicks in though! If the MRO is 1440kg and I restruct the additional weight to 150kg then this keeps it under the 1600kg limit
    of the current car.  I understand the MPTLM is above the cars limit but if I am not going to get the van up to that weight does it matter.  Am I being ignorant!

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #10

    Thanks everyone so far for the feedback - All pretty much as I thought that a new car maybe in order.  This is where my ignorance kicks in though! If the MRO is 1440kg and I restruct the additional weight to 150kg then this keeps it under the 1600kg limit
    of the current car.  I understand the MPTLM is above the cars limit but if I am not going to get the van up to that weight does it matter.  Am I being ignorant!

    Write your comments here...Possibly partially. The police and vehicle inspectors do stop checks on caravan outfits and they would only consider what the kerb weight is for the car and what the permissible MTPLM is and not what the actual weight is, (unless
    it is over the MTPLM and that is a different issue). The MTPLM of the caravan should never be more than the kerb weight of the car, ie 100%

  • Hoyler
    Hoyler Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited September 2016 #11

    Thanks John - The Kerbweight of my car is not an issue i think as it is over 2000kg.  It is the towing capacity of only 1600kg that seems to be the issue.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #12

    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
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #13

    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
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments Photogenic
    edited September 2016 #14

    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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