Matching Your Car to Your Caravan

Before purchasing a caravan (or a new car) you need to ensure that the car is suitable to tow the caravan. To do this you will need to look at your car handbook to find the kerbweight of your car and then multiply it by 85/100.

From this you will have the all-important 85% figure. Next, you will have to refer back to the car handbook to check the towing limit of the car. If it is higher than the 85% figure you can look for a caravan up to the 85% limit. If not you are restricted to the lower towing limit.

You can then measure this against the weight of the caravan by looking for the Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) figure which will be quoted with most caravans.

In theory, you can tow up to 100% of your car’s kerbweight as long as you don’t exceed the towing limit.

It is also important to take into consideration the restrictions of your driving license, alongside your experience with towing. You don’t want to risk pulling anything too big if you are a beginner!

Once you have purchased your caravan, don’t forget to get it insured! To find out more about caravan insurance or to get a quote, call us at Coast for free on 0800 614 849 or visit us online at www.coastinsurance.co.uk.