First time buyers

Sorry to here about your troubles and hope all goes well.

The place to start is with the car. You will need to check the weight and towing limit for this which should be in the handbook and to a lesser extent on the registration document.The caravan weight when loaded must be no higher than the maximum towing limit given by the maker. This weight for the caravan may be shown as the MTPLM.

Both clubs and the NCC subscribe to the towing code which says that for beginners the weight of the loaded caravan should not exceed 85% of the cars kerb weight including 75kg for the driver. This may not be easily achieved with modern cars and is based on old research but you should keep as near to this as possible but exceeding 85% by a small margin should not be a problem.

You also need to look at your driving licence. If you passed your test before 1997 you should have B+E towing allowance but if not unless you have passed an additional test you will be limited to a GTW of 3.500 kg. Basically this means the legal limit of the gross weight of the car and the MTPL when added together must not exceed the 3,500 limit. 

Once that is sorted you need to find a caravan. This is a very personal thing and the best start is to visit local dealers and see what they have and what you feel will suit you. If you buy from a dealer you have better rights if things go wrong and it is a safer option if you do not have an experienced caravanner to help you. 

Always pay for at least part of the price on a credit card if buying from a dealer, to get further rights if there are problems, as the bank is also jointly responsible with the dealer.

If you need more help please post further and you should get it here.

No idea what car, make model year etc you have but you could, in addition to looking at plated weights and data on the car etc as suggested by Wildwood, use this link. for matching

https://towcar.info/GB/

A 6 berth twin axle won't be light and if by chance your existing tow car cannot manage a 6 berth twin axle you could always consider something lighter .e.g. a single axle 4 berth and buy a couple of pup tents for the kids. An awning with or without a bedroom annex will also give you additional space.

peedee