85% recommendation and max.towing weight.

[GeorgeandAde]

Just wanted to put my "5 pence worth in" having read a number of threads/discussions on here regarding the above.

I may be wrong(and im sure someone will correct me if i am) but the maximum permitted towing weight of a vehicle,does not specify what sort of item you are going to be towing.

I understand my mondeos maximum towing limit is given as 1800kgs.

I feel that this is fine if its a trailer such as the type you transport cars etc..on,but what happens when you add 2 sides,a front and rear panel,then a roof.

This would obviously render the 1800kg trailer unstable in certain conditions.(Passing lorries,strong gusts of wind,downhill stretches)

This is why in my opinion i feel the 85% guidline is a good idea.

 

[Lutz]

It's fair comment that the towload limits set by the car manufacturer are ultimate limits, (normally) regardless of the type of trailer that is being towed. It is also true that caravans, by virtue of their big, boxy nature are more susceptible to instability than, say, low loader trailers. As the weight ratio increases so do the demands on the driver to ensure that adequate care is taken. However, there is no sudden transition from a safe to an unsafe weight ratio. Furthermore, weight ratio is always calculated comparing the lightest possible condition of the car with the heaviest possible condition of the caravan - a situation which rarely, if ever, occurs in practice. No-one has ever come up with data showing that 85% is any more safe than 90% or any less safe than 80%, so it is up to the driver to make a decision for himself what he feels comfortable with and which he feels he can handle safely. One should also not forget that a caravan with a very poor load distribution can easily show early signs of instability even though the weight ratio may be within the recommendation. Conversely, some outfits feel very stable although their weight ratio may be substantially over 85%. It is just impossible to paint a black and white picture.

 

[hgv dave]

hi all

years ago i remember seeing a 4x4 towing a car transporter trailer on a motorway and it was snaking like mad and it wasnt going fast.....its not only the size of the trailer that you tow,its how its loaded as well that counts to being unstable

hgv dave