So this video is about a mistake or oversight I made when researching the caravan we purchased. I assumed my 1.5 diesel would pull it, however it was a bit more technical than that.
It can be a nightmare as you don't know what you don't know as the saying goes. There are models of cars out there that look identical but particular versions have no type approval for towing at all, but you can still get towbars fitted! It's not until you look at the weight plate that all is revealed. My advice is once you start accumulating kit and settle on what you are carrying in the caravan and car is to take your outfit to a weighbridge for peace of mind.
My advice is to get a yeti. Green line. With a tow on already. You will never look back. And. Stop worrying about everything. It will all work out eventually. Good luck with your new project. And. See if the spare tyre. Is. Ok.
A good dealer would have checked the suitability of your towing vehicle before selling you the caravan, they would also demonstrate how everything works and how to hitch it up. I think you have been badly let down by a very poor dealership who should be avoided.
For future reference, all this McGuffin about transmissions, emissions and red boxes is smoke and mirrors. The LEGAL towing capacity of any vehicle can be calculated from the information on the VIN plate, and constitutes difference between the Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight and Maximum Train Weight. There is, over and above this, a long standing rule-of-thumb recommendation that for stability the MTPLM of your caravan should not exceed 85% of the car's Kerb Weight. This is potentially good advice for novices, but carries no legal weight whatsoever and plenty of people tow at well above this ratio with no difficulties. See Dan Trudgian's comprehensive explanation on weights here: th-cam.com/video/aRONnIXuSt4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QG5DJtLhcHK4AWtN
So this video is about a mistake or oversight I made when researching the caravan we purchased. I assumed my 1.5 diesel would pull it, however it was a bit more technical than that.
It can be a nightmare as you don't know what you don't know as the saying goes. There are models of cars out there that look identical but particular versions have no type approval for towing at all, but you can still get towbars fitted! It's not until you look at the weight plate that all is revealed.
My advice is once you start accumulating kit and settle on what you are carrying in the caravan and car is to take your outfit to a weighbridge for peace of mind.
Yes I agree, to the newbie without the right advice it’s difficult.
My advice is to get a yeti. Green line. With a tow on already. You will never look back. And. Stop worrying about everything. It will all work out eventually. Good luck with your new project. And. See if the spare tyre. Is. Ok.
Thanks for the tips!
Normally dealers run your Registration through their system before recommending /selling a caravan 😮
Yes, it was done on the signing day, when we purchased ours we were at a caravan show, the caravan had to be built etc.
A good dealer would have checked the suitability of your towing vehicle before selling you the caravan, they would also demonstrate how everything works and how to hitch it up. I think you have been badly let down by a very poor dealership who should be avoided.
We like you are newbies it’s a minefield experience comes at a price 😮
Thank you, we got a bit excited and it was a shock to hear off the dealer, sorry you can’t tow. Lesson learnt 👍
In our next video will
Do a tour round the Swift Basecamp 2 2025
For future reference, all this McGuffin about transmissions, emissions and red boxes is smoke and mirrors. The LEGAL towing capacity of any vehicle can be calculated from the information on the VIN plate, and constitutes difference between the Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight and Maximum Train Weight.
There is, over and above this, a long standing rule-of-thumb recommendation that for stability the MTPLM of your caravan should not exceed 85% of the car's Kerb Weight. This is potentially good advice for novices, but carries no legal weight whatsoever and plenty of people tow at well above this ratio with no difficulties.
See Dan Trudgian's comprehensive explanation on weights here:
th-cam.com/video/aRONnIXuSt4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QG5DJtLhcHK4AWtN
Thank you