Outfit Matching is the term used to
describe whether a particular car and caravan are suitable for use
together. Many of the principles involved are described in more
detail in our range of Information
Leaflets, but an overview is provided here. For definitions of
the specialist terminology used, see our Glossary of
Caravanning Terms.
1. Outfit weight ratio
2. Car manufacturer's towing limit
3. Gross train weight
4. Noseweight
5. Engine characteristics
6. Outfit matching telephone helpline
As a general rule, you need to ensure that the car is
significantly heavier than the caravan, in order to minimise the
risk of caravan instability at higher speeds. The Club recommends
that the loaded weight of the caravan should ideally not exceed 85%
of the car's kerbweight.
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While in principle you can tow a caravan up to this limit, you
should bear in mind that in many cases this figure is based
primarily on a fairly modest hill start test, and is not therefore
an indication of acceptable (or even necessarily safe) performance
under other towing conditions, such as motorway driving.
Note also that if you are towing a small trailer tent (for
instance) which doesn't have brakes of its own, then you need to
comply with the unbraked towing limit, not the braked limit, which
will apply for most caravans. Watch out too for limits which vary
depending on how many passengers are in the car, or how steep a
hill you expect to drive up.
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A legally-significant limit, which should be stated by the car
manufacturer for newer cars (from 1998). Some manufacturers make
this an easy assessment, by defining it as being the sum of the
car's Gross Vehicle Weight and Towing Limit. Others, especially
those selling MPVs, sometimes set the figure lower than this,
meaning that you may not be able to load the car to its full
capacity if you need to use the full extent of the Towing Limit, or
may find you have a reduced Towing Limit if the car is
significantly loaded.
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The Club recommends you aim for a noseweight load which is 7% of
the caravan's actual weight when loaded, but manufacturers'
limitations may make this difficult for some combinations. Watch
out for cars with low noseweight limits or for caravans with a
distinct forward weight bias. Make sure that the limits of the tow
bar (usually marked on it) and the caravan hitch (usually either
75kg or 100kg) are not exceeded. If there is a difference between
these various noseweight limits, then whichever is the lowest
applies.
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More power is generally good, but for hill starts and
maintaining a steady speed in varying terrain, a good torque
characteristic is equally important. A healthy maximum output, at
as low engine revs as possible, is the optimum for towing - one of
the reasons why many of the recent Towcar of the Year winners have
been turbo diesels.
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You should find the relevant figures to make these assessments
in the manufacturers' handbooks, or on identification plates
attached to the vehicle. If you're assessing a car or caravan that
you don't already own, query your dealer for these details, or try
to find a relevant road test article in one
of our magazine issues.
However, Club members can also contact us for help and advice
concerning outfit matching. We use a computer database of car and
caravan technical details, plus extensive archives of
manufacturers' information and test reports, to provide detailed
information very quickly.
Due to the complex nature of outfit matching advice, however, we
find it preferable to deal with these enquiries by telephone,
rather than by letter or email. This lets us ask questions to fully
understand your needs and priorities, and ensures you get the best
possible advice.
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Please have the following details of the car and caravan you
want compared to hand:
Car
|
Caravan
|
| Make |
Make |
| Model |
Range |
| Body style |
Model |
| Derivative / Trim style |
No. of berths |
| Engine size and type |
Year of manufacture |
| Year or registration number |
The Outfit Matching Service is available principally to Club
members, via the number given at the link below. You will need to
be logged into the website before viewing the Outfit
Matching telephone number.
If you are not a Club member, but are a novice just taking up
caravanning, contact the Outfit Matching Service via The Club's
main switchboard number (01342 326 944), and we
will offer basic outfit matching advice if our Information Officers
are not dealing with Club member enquiries.
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