As posted on Facebook - New UK towing limits

[Donna D.]

I belong to an international trailer group on Facebook. This was just posted. I'm hoping the information is of value to those that QUOTE over weight towing on the otherside of the pond. Andrew... can you weigh in PLEASE!

Okay, some bad news/kind of good news. Thanks to some crazy a$$ new legislation here in the UK, your caravan's maximum weight (fully loaded weight) must be a lower figure than your cars' kerbweight (empty with nothing in it - not even fuel or passengers). How crazy is this?! Since when do you ever tow with an empty car and a full caravan? Anyway, the bad news for me is that my caravan's maximum weight is 950kgs and my car's kerbweight is 900kgs, so the caravan is, in theory heavier. Except it isn't because I never tow with the caravan full (I weighed it in at just less than 870kgs a few weeks back) and the car is always loaded up to capacity (around 1200kgs). Still, I could get into trouble for towing with this outfit because the figures on paper don't add up. Anyway, the good news is I'm now on the look out for a lighter second caravan! I don't want to say too much at this point in case the deal doesn't come off, but watch this space!

[carlkeigley]

Forrest Gump pegged politicians right off........

STUPID is as STUPID does.

[David B.]

Donna, based on your desired lighter trailer weight, it sounds like your dream 15' Escape is in your future.
Dave & Paula

[Brian B-P]

Just to put this in context...

Originally Posted by Donna D.

... your caravan's maximum weight (fully loaded weight) must be a lower figure than your cars' kerbweight...

... my caravan's maximum weight is 950kgs and my car's kerbweight is 900kgs

This writer is upset because under the new rule limits his car, which is much lighter than any vehicle used for towing by any member of this forum, can now tow only 1980 lbs... heavier than the average well-equipped 13' egg. Whatever this 900 kg tow vehicle might be, it is not much heavier than a Smart fortwo.

My Sienna has a trailer weight rating (for North America, the only place it is sold) of 3500 pounds. There is no current Euro rating because it is not available there, but this UK rule would limit it to about 4400 pounds... still substantially higher than the North American limit.

This all, of course, assumes that the information provided in that other forum is even close to correct... which I don't believe is a safe assumption. I would be more confident with a reference to the specific UK rule, or at least a more authoritative source.

[Bob Miller]

I just happened to have finished a cruze through eBay.co.uk's caravan listings (Looking for a Fahti/I.B.O.D.) and was impressed by the relative light weights given in the specifications for any number of caravans. On the other hand, I have seen an accident involving a German built trailer, and it folded up as if it was made of card stock.

Sounds like a good rule of thumb to moi.....

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by David B.

Donna, based on your desired lighter trailer weight, it sounds like your dream 15' Escape is in your future.
Dave & Paula

Except my dream trailer is an Escape 5.0. You've got the rest of it right

[Robin G]

I too had seen that Donna. Made me laugh, cause we always hear the excuse that European vehicles are rated to tow more, hence they should be rated to tow more here in the good ole USofA But now their legislation is getting involved. Hmmmmm..............

[Thomas G.]

I'm hoping that this will kick up sales of Ford F450s to Europe for the caravan market.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

...
This all, of course, assumes that the information provided in that other forum is even close to correct... which I don't believe is a safe assumption. I would be more confident with a reference to the specific UK rule, or at least a more authoritative source.

That's exactly why I asked Andrew to chime in, if he sees the post. Andrew stays up on stuff like this: Fiberglass RV - View Profile: Andrew Gibbens

[Andrew Gibbens]

I think this guy's "crazy new legislation" is just formalising what has been UK practice for some time. Yurpeen tow ratings are often higher than the tow vehicle's kerbweight* (yes, that's the same thing as the curbweight!) and all the advice given to travel trailer towers was that novices should not tow trailers above 85% of the tow vehicle's kerbweight. Experienced towers could go up to 100%, but that might still be below the vehicle manufacturer's tow rating.

The change in the legislation is that this position has now been made law for drivers who got their driving licence in the last 10-20 years. Old farts such as myself who had a licence before that can still tow trailers up to the vehicle manufacturer's limit, or 3500kg (7700 pounds) - trailers above that weight count as commercial vehicles and need a commercial licence.

So if you want to tow a Scamp 13 over ehre, you'll need a tow vehicle with a kerbweight of maybe 2000 pounds - oh, wait, that's every vehicle on the market today, including the current Fiat 500.

I like how this guy reckons that because he loads up his car to near its full capacity, it is therefore safer for him to tow a heavier trailer....

* The tow rating for many North American trucks is often significantly more than their kerbweight, so this isn't as wild as some may want to suggest.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gibbens

............
* The tow rating for many North American trucks is often significantly more than their kerbweight, so this isn't as wild as some may want to suggest.

Aw, c'mon, don't ruin all the scarey fun.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Aw, c'mon, don't ruin all the scarey fun.

Those were my thoughts but didn't want to be the one to say it. LOL

[honda03842]

I follow European tow ratings and every site I go to suggests that the trailer's loaded weight should not exceed 85% of the tow vehicles weight.

We tow at about 60-70% of the tow vehicles weight without issue and never feel pushed around or unstable.

I number of people write about small vehicles not having the ability to tow on hills, referencing one of Brian P's posts, it's important to operate the engine, particularly small 4 cylinders, at their torque/power peaks. Our Honda is most happy and most fuel efficient operating between 3,000 and 3,500 RPM.

We are in as hilly (and windy) a province, NL, as you will find and never have an issue while acheiving very good mpg figures.

[Jared J]

I would like to see what vehicles this applies to. I think it's still liberal for cars, (some) pickups are another story, although rarer there.

My pickup is rated well over its weight for towing.