I'm confused about towing limits

I am going to try and give the OP some information to help him decide if his outfit is legal and complies with CAMC advice. I just hope I’ve got this right but I’m sure Lutz and Tinwheeler will let me know if I’m wrong. 😀

I will use the mathematical operator <= to mean ‘less than or equal to”.

1. Inspect the identification label on your car (usually at the bottom of a door frame or maybe under the bonnet.)

2. The 4th line of the label will state the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and the 5th line will state the Gross Train Weight (GTW) both measured in Kgs.

3. Inspect the weight plate on your caravan which will state the MTPLM in Kgs.

4. Make sure that GVW + MTPLM <= GTW. That’s the legal bit.

5. Inspect your vehicle handbook and determine the Kerb Weight (KW) of your vehicle and Towing Limit (TL) (both in Kgs)

6. If you want to stick strictly to CAMC advice then make sure that MTPLM <= 0.85 x KW. Alternatively, you could effectively keep to the 85% towing limit by restricting what you load in the caravan so that the actual weight of the caravan when ready for towing AW <= 0.85 x KW.

7. If you are prepared to exceed CAMC advice (not recommended) then at least ensure that AW <= TL.

8. The only other legal bit is to always ensure that AW <= MTPLM.

I hope that helps among all this confusion.

Crystal, GB👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

(In my opinion)

Thanks for your input on this Tinwheeler. I like your opinion.

😀😎

GeordieBiker has got everything right except Items 4 and 6 in his reply.

GVW + MTPLM is not equal to the Gross Train Weight because both the GVW and the MTPLM include the noseweight, so by adding the two together, you'd be counting the noseweight twice.

Furthermore, if the trailer is not fully loaded to its MTPLM the sum of the two actual loads could be less than the gross train weight limit, which would be perfectly legal. So long as that condition is fulfilled, the sum of the plated GVW of the car and the MTPLM of the trailer can be well in excess of the plated gross train weight.

By convention, weight ratios are always based on the MTPLM of the caravan, not its actual weight.

One must also not forget that none of the axle load limits must be exceeded.

This is a reply from vosa regarding the same query which might clarify things.

Karen I refer to your mail of 20 June to VOSA Enquiries on the above subject which has been passed to me to answer.There is no technical problem with the gross vehicle weight of the trailer exceeding a car's towing capability providing its actual weight does not exceed the towing capability, or if the car also has a stated train weight on its manufacturers plate and the weight of the car, trailer and load does not exceed that train weight . It is entirely normal for vehicles totow trailers which have a GVW exceeding the towing or GTW capability. Most HGV artic combinations are like this. I hope this answers your question adequately. Steve Whitehart Heavy Vehicle Process Manager Testing and Support Services Customer Service CentreVOSA Swansea

 ..... 😯 my head hurts ..... 

I would say that as long as  the car and caravan outfit are within the cars gross train weight. Regardless of either vehicles maximum gross weight and provided that neither the car or caravan are overloaded, then you are legal. You will not have overloaded the car or caravan and not exceeded the cars gross train weight.

In response to Lutz conversation regarding driving licences, these are based on plated weights on a vehicle not actual weights. Ie if the car has a GVW of 2000kg and the caravan has a plated MTPLM of 1499 this is less than 3500 kg so fine to drive on cat B. The other part of weight or mass is actual weight/ mass ie the readings given at a weighbridge., where there are two types of bridge, static and dynamic. If you put the car and caravan on a static weighbridge the reading must be equal to or less than the gross train weight figure on the car vin plate. A dynamic weighbridge is one you drive the three axles over the small plate one axle at a time and the weighbridge will calculate the weight or total mass of the car and caravan . FYI you are verbally warned at running up to 5% overweight. over 10% you be prohibited from driving off until you get the weight down to the legal limit, you could also be fined. The weight mass you don’t want to be is over 25% this will get you points on your licence for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition. You will go to court potentially and be obviously prohibited from leaving the weighbridge.Towing limits may come into play if you are involved in a serious collision when the authorities may prosecute for a towing vehicle not suitable for the purpose it had just been doing.