Advice on Caravan, Car Combination

[Kevin_5112213]

hi guys

looking to start in the world of caravaning shortly but really need some advice about picking the right caravan for the car that i have got.

i have a peugeot 307 2.0 HDI 110 bhp and have been looking at the elldis avante 505 for me and my family. could anybody give me some insight into this combination because i keep looking at all the information avaiable and talking to sales people and i am getting totally confused, some say i can tow and some say i can't

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Kevin,

Its all down to the relative masses of the car and the caravan. I have checked the Elddis website and the Avante 505 has a MIRO (Empty) of 1163Kg and an MTPLM (All up weight) of 1380Kg. Giving a pay load capacity of 217Kg.

You do not specify the exact model of 307, but my sources indicate that the you are probably referring to the 1.6L 3door, This has a maximum allowed towed mass of of only 1200Kg

This means you could legally tow the totally empty caravan, but you could only put 37Kg of pay load before the out fit becomes illegal.

The pay load consists of everything that is moveable, including gas bottles, battery, crockery, clothes etc, so realistically and sadly you do not have practical match.

 

[Lutz]

Kevin did say that he has a 2.0HDI. The Peugeot website quotes a maximum permissible towload of 1360kg for the hatchback and 1300kg for the estate. Assuming the quoted weight for the Avante 505 is correct (MTPLM of 1380kg), Kevin would be OK without any restriction with the hatchback and would only have to be 5kg below MTPLM to be legal with the estate (assuming he makes full use of an allowable 75kg noseweight).

 

[Ross_5041495]

Kevin

If your 307 is a HB the Kerbweight is either 1279kg 3 door or 1296kg on a 5 door both with a max tow weight of 1340kg. If the 307 is a SW the kerbweight is 1421kg with a max tow weight of 1500 kg. The figures Lutz give, I think these are for the 1.6 diesel.

Peugeot do not make a 2.0 HDI 110 no more.

If you also look in the bonnet of the car, on the lefthand side you will see a metal plate, this gives you the train weight and the GVW. Take one from the other and you will get the max tow weight for the car but my advice is, even if this figure is higher than the kerbweight of the car, don't exceed the kerbweight figure.

 

[RogerL]

Ross rightly refers to the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate for details of Gross Train Weight (GTW) and Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).

I don't know what current Peugeot practice is, but a number of manufacturers position the VIN plate on the B-post drivers side. You can only see it with the drivers door open.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Kevin

My apologies for my earlier response. I had assumed (Isn't it always dangerous to that ) that you were referring to a new car, and I checked the power ratings. Tho only current 110bbhp is the 1.6.

I have checked again and the older (2002 model) is indeed a 2.0l 110bhp, and that does make a difference to the towing limits, as Lutz points out.

If I take you information (307 2.0 HDI 110 bhp), it still isn't quite enough to identify the match, as there are differences between the:

2002 307 SW-- 1500Kg Mtplm

2002 307 Estate - 1500Kg Mtplm

2002 307 5 door - 1340Kg Mtplm

2002 307 3 door - 1340Kg Mtplm

However the 2002 model 307 does have a much healthier MTPLM, and in all cases it should be possible to remain legal, but do be careful with the loading if you are using the 3 or 5 door versions

as the fully laden caravan does exceed their rated capacity.

The other factor that has been mentioned is the Gross Train weight, this the the maximum permitted combined weight of laden car and caravan. In most cases the GTW is less than the sum of the permitted maximums for the car and caravan.

 

[Lutz]

Even if your figures are correct, John, the rated capacity of the 3 and 5 door models (1340kg) would still cover Kevin's needs.

 

[Kevin_5112213]

Even if your figures are correct, John, the rated capacity of the 3 and 5 door models (1340kg) would still cover Kevin's needs.

thanks for the replys guys, sorry for not giving the exact model of my car, it is a 5 door 2002 307 with a 2.0l diesel engine. its kerb weight in the handbook is 1371 and it says the max braked trailer weight is 1340. i think i'm starting to understand the ins and outs of the weight ratios,but i'm still a bit worried about getting a caravan thats to heavy. would i be alright with the elldis now that you know the exact model of my car bearing in mind i've never towed a caravan before. i know you can tow 100% but i've been reading about snaking and was wondering if towing 100% for a beginner is advisable

 

[Lutz]

It's very difficult to give a straight answer to your question, Kevin. As you already appreciate, the outfit would be legal but almost on the limit and certainly the weight ratio is going to be a lot higher than what is recommended for a beginner. It's therefore going to demand extra care when driving, especially in crosswind and other critical situations but it's not unmanageable.

I started my caravanning career with a 100% outfit because I didn't want to change the car but on the other hand we needed a 4 berth. However, I soon got to learn to recognise early signs of impending instability and what to do to prevent them from developing into something serious. With that bit of extra care we covered many enjoyable miles with that outfit both at home and abroad.