7 meters plus caravan lengths

[GilesG202]

Just wondered what cars/4×4/vans people are using to tow caravans that are longer than 7m, weight not important.

Reason I'm asking is that I heard about somone who damaged their caravan severely whilst towing. Weights were all well within guidelines but the insurance company will not pay out as their caravan was longer than 7m and should therefore have been towed by a vehicle weighing more than 3.5tons as required by law on the dvla website.

 

[Damian]

The legal limit for towing caravans on an ordinary licence is a BODY length maximum of 7 mtrs.
The A frame is NOT included,
When booking sea crossings they ask for Shipping Length, which is the overall length INCLUDING the A frame (and any rear mounted bike racks)

**** NOTE: with reference to the word "ordinary" above that is a combination not exceeding 3500 Kg, the kind of licence held by most motorists.

A caravan with a body length longer than 7 mtrs would require a towing vehicle with a GVW of at least 3501Kg

 

[JTQ]

The legal limit for towing caravans on an ordinary licence is a BODY length maximum of 7 mtrs.
The A frame is NOT included,
When booking sea crossings they ask for Shipping Length, which is the overall length INCLUDING the A frame (and any rear mounted bike racks)

**** NOTE: with reference to the word "ordinary" above that is a combination not exceeding 3500 Kg, the kind of licence held by most motorists.

A caravan with a body length longer than 7 mtrs would require a towing vehicle with a GVW of at least 3501Kg

It might help clarify the situation here on the combined weights by reading the following link, as when a licence was obtained greatly alters the situation.

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/driving-licence-rules-and-what-you-can-tow
The insurers not covering the first party damages with the over 7 metre van seems to be because the outfit was illegal, so not a risk underwritten.

 

[GilesG202]

The way i read and interpret it, this has nothing to do with when you passed your test or weights you are allowed to pull, combined or otherwise, (i may be wrong).
If your trailer/caravan is greater than 7m excluding A frame your pulling vehicle must weigh more than 3.5 ton. What family vehicle weighs more than 3.5 ton?

 

[ProfJohnL]

The way i read and interpret it, this has nothing to do with when you passed your test or weights you are allowed to pull, combined or otherwise, (i may be wrong).
If your trailer/caravan is greater than 7m excluding A frame your pulling vehicle must weigh more than 3.5 ton. What family vehicle weighs more than 3.5 ton?

Hello Giles,

You are correct that the length of the trailer is not directly related to the weight and therefore the variations in towing weights in Cat B, BUT, as a general rule longer caravans will weigh more than shorter ones, and there is a greater chance that the weight limits set out in the licence regulations may come into play . So its something you may need to consider.

But back to the length of the caravan, as has already been stated, the law tells us that if the body length of a trailer exceeds 7M, then it must be towed by a vehicle with adn ULM that exceeds 3500kg. By definition that means the tow vehicle cannot be a Cat B vehicle. The vehicle will fall into one of the other classes determined by its usage or weight.

In the UK it is most common to see such large caravans towed by large commercial vans. And as they are more frequently used for permanent living on unauthorised sites the subject of suitable tow vehicles does not arise in this forum very often.