Going to buy our very first caravan soon. But we are complete novices. First will our car which is a bmw 1 series 1.6l 16 plate tow a caravan?
- Thread starter Ray black
- Start date
- Nov 16, 2015
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Welcome to the forum, you have started the correct way, asking about hidden costs,
I pay £440 a year for our storage , it is in a Farmers Barn with 5 other caravans, there are another 250 vans in a new field, all secure behind gates with alarms and CCTV.
Insurance I go for either of the two main clubs cover and go for new for old. There are other insurance companys around , you just have to read what they provide.
Sites, do you want small , 5 caravan sites at between £15 to £30, or go to large private sites fron £25 to £ ???
Bedding, duvets or sleeping bags,
Plates and utensiles in the van, don't buy from caravan shops ,they are toooooo expensive.
I will leave others to help from here.
I pay £440 a year for our storage , it is in a Farmers Barn with 5 other caravans, there are another 250 vans in a new field, all secure behind gates with alarms and CCTV.
Insurance I go for either of the two main clubs cover and go for new for old. There are other insurance companys around , you just have to read what they provide.
Sites, do you want small , 5 caravan sites at between £15 to £30, or go to large private sites fron £25 to £ ???
Bedding, duvets or sleeping bags,
Plates and utensiles in the van, don't buy from caravan shops ,they are toooooo expensive.
I will leave others to help from here.
- Nov 11, 2009
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Firstly you need to find out what the cars towing limit is. This will be in the V5. As it’s a relatively small and light car it will be limited to a lighter weight caravan. If you look on the V5 it will show Maximum Authorised Mass and Mass In Service. These will help us provide further advise.
You could look at the Caravan and Motor Home club website. They have lots of help pages for novice and experienced alike on all aspects of caravanning. The Camping and Caravan Club do so to.
If you only have a B category licence there are quite strict restrictions on what you can tow. They should not be a problem for a I series but going to a larger car and caravan may require you to obtain a BE licence. IE a 3 Series plus slightly larger heavier van could exceed the B licence weight limit of 3500 kg for the Maximum Authorised Mass of the car plus the MTPLM of the caravan. You can’t get around it by running the car and caravan light. It is the sum of two specified limits.
If you can supply towing limit, MIS and MAM that would help.
The following link might be helpful
https://towcar.info/GB/towing-advise.php
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Welcome to the club.
There are a whole heap of things that you need to fully equip a caravan but some of these may depend on whether you're buying new or used.
We returned to caravaning last September and bought new and was suprised to find that battery and gas bottle(s) were not included in the price. Neither was the pipe to connect the gas bottles to the regulator.
Tow bar and number plate are obvious.
Some others to consider but not all essential are:-
Good luck
There are a whole heap of things that you need to fully equip a caravan but some of these may depend on whether you're buying new or used.
We returned to caravaning last September and bought new and was suprised to find that battery and gas bottle(s) were not included in the price. Neither was the pipe to connect the gas bottles to the regulator.
Tow bar and number plate are obvious.
Some others to consider but not all essential are:-
- Water and waste containers.
- Chemicals
- Leveling blocks
- Corner steady pads
- Your insurance may insistent and one or two security devices like a wheel clamp and/or tow hitch.
- Pots and pans
- Kettle
- Toaster
- Torch
- A full or towing cover.
- Cover for tow hitch
- Awning
- Motor mover
- Hanging storage thingy
- Coat hangers
- Adapter to connect hook up lead to standard mains socket
Good luck
- Jul 18, 2017
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If you can give us a better description of the vehicle i.e. auto or manual, petrol or diesel, engine size, year of manufacture etc it would give us a better insight on how to help. However it does seem that you are going to be confined to towing a caravan with a MTPLM of less than 1200kg.
- May 7, 2012
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Can you check the kerb weight and towing limit on your car, it is a very light model and will probably at best only manage a very small caravan. The information will be on the registration document and in the hand book.
Storage can be a problem in some areas if you need it so before you buy I would check out what is available in your area. You need to check out security as caravans are left there for long periods and you need to know they are as safe as possible. There is an association of storage businesses known s CASSOA who I would check first.
Not sure you need all Sam's list, certainly not a toaster and towing and full covers are a luxury most do not require and an awning is something you can buy later if you find you need it. The adapter would only be of any use if you kept the caravan at home. If you are buying from someone giving up their caravan you should find they have these things and will throw them in, dealers will often throw in a starter pack or give you a discount on them.
For pans and the like look at the very cheap as they will also be lighter and weight is potentially a problem. We got them from Sainsburys but the other supermarkets, IKEA and the like can supply them.
Insurance costs are based mainly on the value of the caravan and with some on the area where you live. You can then get discounts for security and other things. For the cheapest caravan possibly £100 is about the minimum, but after that the caravan is the main factor and most will be in the low hundreds. When checking insurance do go for one with a DEFAQTO five or four star rating as these are the ones with the best cover guaranteed. If a quote does not show this or a lower figure I would avoid it as you could be left short in the evet of a claim.
The insurance will normally require a wheel clamp and some a hitch lock. Do check what the require before buying anything and remember the better devices will normally get you a discount.
Can you check the kerb weight and towing limit on your car, it is a very light model and will probably at best only manage a very small caravan. The information will be on the registration document and in the hand book.
Storage can be a problem in some areas if you need it so before you buy I would check out what is available in your area. You need to check out security as caravans are left there for long periods and you need to know they are as safe as possible. There is an association of storage businesses known s CASSOA who I would check first.
Not sure you need all Sam's list, certainly not a toaster and towing and full covers are a luxury most do not require and an awning is something you can buy later if you find you need it. The adapter would only be of any use if you kept the caravan at home. If you are buying from someone giving up their caravan you should find they have these things and will throw them in, dealers will often throw in a starter pack or give you a discount on them.
For pans and the like look at the very cheap as they will also be lighter and weight is potentially a problem. We got them from Sainsburys but the other supermarkets, IKEA and the like can supply them.
Insurance costs are based mainly on the value of the caravan and with some on the area where you live. You can then get discounts for security and other things. For the cheapest caravan possibly £100 is about the minimum, but after that the caravan is the main factor and most will be in the low hundreds. When checking insurance do go for one with a DEFAQTO five or four star rating as these are the ones with the best cover guaranteed. If a quote does not show this or a lower figure I would avoid it as you could be left short in the evet of a claim.
The insurance will normally require a wheel clamp and some a hitch lock. Do check what the require before buying anything and remember the better devices will normally get you a discount.
Can you check the kerb weight and towing limit on your car, it is a very light model and will probably at best only manage a very small caravan. The information will be on the registration document and in the hand book.
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- Nov 11, 2009
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Nearly all 1 series seem to have a max tow weight of 1200 kg but kerbweight varies with model and year of manufacture. It’s important that the OP is specific to his model and not generic data. This can be obtained from the V5, owners manual or the cars own weight plate that gives Maximum Authorised Mass of the car ,( or Gross Vehilce Weight) and Gross Train Weight. GTW minus MAM gives the absolute maximum weight of caravan that can be legally towed. The definitions are below:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-weights-explained
If your limit is 1200 for the car's capabilities stated by the manufacturer then this must not be exceeded and will limit your choice severely. You will find all the weights in the charts at the back of each PC magazine, but you won't need much of a highlighter pen! A quick glance reveals Baily Discovery, the 2 or 3 berth version, the Phoenix 420 2 berth a 4 berth or 2 berth Xplore. You will also find others listed under 'Niche' category. If buying a used van then the plate usually fixed to the bodywork by the door frame will give you a MRO (Mass in Running Order) and an MTPLM (Max technically permissible laden weight). If buying used or new from a dealer then your tow vehicle should be taken into account. I received a printed sheet with my specific car details and the proposed caravan purchase compared before the sale was undertaken. There was also a recent thread regarding weight comparisons in detail.
You will find new or used vans in short supply currently so choose carefully a van with a good pedigree of service records and damp reports. You can pay for a used van inspection which any seller should be happy to permit.
You will find new or used vans in short supply currently so choose carefully a van with a good pedigree of service records and damp reports. You can pay for a used van inspection which any seller should be happy to permit.
- Jul 18, 2017
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I am wondering that if for example the cars is loaded up with 4 adults whether it could cope with a 1200kg caravan on the rear? Some manufacturers state 1200kg less the extra weight in the car besides the driver and liquids.
- Nov 11, 2009
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That’s quite a rare stipulation these days. I think Renault used to do that. It’s best not to complicate things for a newcomer. GTW and MAM from the cars permanent weight plate along with its specified towing limit will provide the answer.
Examination of the plated Gross Train Weight would make that clear by subtracting Max Vehicle Weight from it. and then adding the noseweight back on.
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