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We're looking at getting a caravan for the first time, and the whole weights system seems as clear as mud. I have a BMW X1, which has a kerb weight of 1540kgs. It seemingly has a 'braked towing capacity of 1800kg', yet all i seem to read about is 85% and 95% towing weight capacities. Can anyone advise which is the actual figure i should be using as a guide when looking for a caravan please? This then brings me onto the next question....do i go by the MIRO or MTPLM? The plan is to take bikes etc with us, so is there a limit i can pile into the car...ie the weight of people and luggage....in addition to whatever the caravan weighs? How do i know what any such limit might be?..is this figure the 1800kgs i have seen - is that the entire mass of the caravan plus occupants plus all the associated gubbins that we will also cart around, or something totally different?
It's complicated:
When did you pass your test? That will also make a difference to what you can tow (and consider the same question for your other half if you might ever want her to move the van).
weights on the plate (Manual) are what matter from a legal perspective. 85% of kerb weight is a good rule of thumb for practical/comfortable rather than legal.
1800kg is the legal max, but when you are towing a big wobbly box the towing percentages are a good guide. If you are towing a horsebox or a trailer, the weight is generally close to the axle so they tend to be more stable and therefore you can load up to the cars maximum legal weight.
If you are not sufficiently geeky enough to work out your nose/toe weight then you need to consider if sock and sandals are for you...
Lots of different numbers that all mean slightly different things and count towards different rules.
It is illegal to tow a trailer with that car that actually weighs more than 1800 kg. Actual weight, nothing on any plate or book. That number is based on actually getting the car to move and defines the structural limits for things like the tow ball.
Caravan club recommends, because caravans are daft things to tow and misbehave massively more than just about any other load, that the MTPLM (maximum total permitted laden mass, aka Maximum Authorised Mass aka Maximum Gross Weight) of your caravan don't exceed 85% of the kerb weight of the vehicle. So your caravan should be less than 1309 kg to keep within that guideline. Exceeding 100% (1540 kg) is for the experienced, fearless, stupid, or suicidal. This is a guideline only, not law. But it makes for sensible towing of an awkward load and flipping your caravan on the motorway might get you in bother.
The difference between MIRO (mass in running order) and MTPLM is your payload. The amount of stuff you can put in the caravan. The less you put in, the better. The difference between your cars kerb weight and the Max Gross Weight is the payload of the car (typically about 500kg, but the driver and tank of fuel are already built into the kerb weight). See
The Max Gross Weight of your car is around 2000 kg (max 2205 from what I found). If you passed your B test in 1997 or after, then unless you pass your BE test (which isn't hard but will cost you a few hundred) then your gross train weight must not exceed 3500 kg. So 1500 kg would be the maximum MTPLM you can tow, could be less depending on which model of X1 you have. Pass your BE (or have passed your car test before 1997) and you can tow anything that is legally towable by a car.
That isn't a great tow car. Caravans are sucky loads. Play around on> https://towcar.info/GB/
For the purposes of caravanning, ignore the max braked towing weight, and go with 85-100% of kerb weight. But you must not exceed the max train weight which is also quoted somewhere.
Nose weight also important. Your car has a max nose weight and that should be 5-7% of the van's weight. Get a nose weight gauge.
The caravan dealer will also advise. I was told by one that modern cars and vans tow better so you can exceed 85%, when you have tech like ESP and the Alko ant snake electronic braking thing on the van.
"The caravan dealer will also advise. I was told by one that modern cars and vans tow better so you can exceed 85%, "
Was he trying to sell you a bigger van per chance
We happily tow a van with a mtplm of 1598 kg with out Galaxy, gives circa 90% match. Pretty much the same match with the Freelander we had was terrible. Car didn’t feel at all in control despite a similar weight match.
From a legal point of view total possible weight of caravan and car shouldn’t exceed 3500kg if you don’t have b+e on your license. That’s MAM not kerb weight & MTPLM. That’s where people get caught out as the clubs always use kerb weight when talking about percentages
A caravan is a very different beast to other towing loads as it’s usually quite big and brick shakes for its mass. I’ve towed 2000kg plus loads on flatbed trailers that were far better behaved than a much lighter caravan simply due to the shape and weight distribution.
wheelbase of the tow vehicle makes a huge difference which is probably what your experiancing with the galaxy vs freelander.
my 90 and my old frontera SWB with a load on the trailer - you know your towing , the trailer really lets it self be known when it hits bumps and wants to have a wobble.
stick a load on the back of the van at 7m .... dont even know its there in terms of it affecting how the van handles other than the extra weight.,
only need to worry about b+e limits if you passed post 97.
Did my trailer test in november there - cost 320 quid for a half days tuition and the test in their vehicle and trailer. Most of the training was reminding me how to drive to test standards(its the same test you sit for your driving a car test these days - not the whizz round a carpark reverse into the space it used to be) - hands in the right places , changing gears at the right time and approaching junctions as if you had a horse in a box in the back.
X1 being 2tonne give or take you would be limited to about 1500 plated weight if your post 97