Help on weights and towbar - yes a newbee - lol

I'd have thought swan neck is capable of of being seen by reverse sensors, but just not as much as a 2 bolt flange. And yes, you're OK with an Alko hitch on it without if fouling.

I'd contest the weight of your car though https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ford+mondeo+titanium&rlz=1C1DVCA_enGB361GB379&oq=ford+mondeo+titanium&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 this gives the weight as somewhere between 1485 and 1703. My 4x4 is 'only' 2300kg so I'd doubt that your car is nearly as much.

You've lost me with your figures, but as your caravan gross weight is 1450 and the lowest possible weight of a Mondeo is 1485, then at the very worst you'll be towing at a little under 100% so given you tow somewhat more when at work, I'd say you were experienced enough to tow your new caravan. 

Quite a while since we towed with our last Mondeo
campbell91 - it was a '56 plated 130 bhp tdci and it towed our 1450kg Bailey brilliantly so you've got a great tow mobile. We only moved onto the Kuga as it was 4x4. Enjoy your touring.

Sounds as though you've confused unladen weight with max. GVW and laden weight with gross train weight,
campbell91.

I think that, with driver and 90% fuel your mondeo will be arounf 1650 kerb weight.

About 88% which sounds fine. I tow at 87%

Try here

http://www.towcar.info 

No not still up. Fell asleep in other room in armchair and just off to bed 

Just found info in handbook, 

"overall height at EC kerb weight including roof bars".       1502-1548, so going by this figure yes I'm close to 100% but yet this is height and not weight as there is no mention of weights within handbook, but as with any vehicle weights you check plate
so looking at GVW I'm now close to 85%, now going to sleep even more confused by my own figures, just hope I get weights correct at work tomorrow...lol

You've looked at heights there instead of kerbweight. Kerbweight is specific to each and every car so you won't find a documented weight for your car anywhere unless the Certificate of Conformity supplied with the car quotes a figure under item 13.2. (The
certificate for my BMW does, but my understanding is that most don't). The closest you will find to the actual kerbweight will be the mass in running order in your V5c certificate. That figure will, however, almost certainly be conservative as far as calculating
weight ratio as it applies to the base vehicle only, without most factory fitted options.

No kerbweight on my  V5c certificate 

The V5c will never show kerbweight, but Item G should quote a mass in service.

Totally lost now, trying to find kerb weight when not listed anywhere lol, did go on tow car but in a space of 2 days different figures first saying not a match then 2 days later saying is a match, might end up getting motor home less confusion lol, as far
as I can work out I'm ok on weight issue just gotta be a bit more careful than a lighter caravan, and mondeo's are good at pulling but no good on hills.......bang goes my trip to Swiss alps.....lol, well buying the caravan 2morrow the children looking forward
to it but havnt told them yet they pushing up the hills.......thanks all

If kerbweight is important to you they have the car weighed on a weighbridge. At least you'll know what's included in the weight then.

To maybe put your mind at ease a little, Swiss roads have fewer steep gradients than you might expect. There are probably only a handful of major mountain passes that one would describe as steep.

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. 

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)

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

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.