Hi - Am hoping to come back to caravanning if my car is suitable....

[meeshie]

Hi

I'm meeshie, I used to own a caravan a few years back and have tried and failed in the past to get back into it. But....... am now very determined to return to it. I just need to find out if my car is suitable as I cant afford both a new car and a caravan.

I own a Renault Megane Diamonique 1.6. Can anyone tell me if its suitable to tow, and if so, what size (but be gentle with your terms etc, just maybe give me examples of what to tow).

Hope someone can advise me, its my dream to get back into the world of caravanning!!

 

[Beachball]

Hi meeshie welcome to the practical caravan forum your best bet is to go on what tow car .com and see what your car can pull ypu should be able to tow a 2 berth end kitchen caravan ........

 

[Mel]

Hi meeshie, welcome to the forum. As advised, post in the towcar section for more advice. It would be useful for you to look up your cars kerbweight and maximum towing weight in the cars handbook. These two figures should give you an idea of your cars capabilities. There are lots more ligthweight 2 berth vans out there these days, you should be able to find one to suit somewere. When you have an idea of what weight of van you can tow, it is a good idea to wander around some large dealerships as this will give you an idea of what is around, even if you end up buying privately.
good luck.
mel

 

[meeshie]

well thank you for responses, I shall certainly have a look and try and work out what we can tow!!

 

[Gagakev]

Hi meeshie, welcome to the the forum and your forthcoming return, you could also look in your cars handbook.
They recommended a tow weight should be around 85% of the car this is only a guide but advisable if you are a novice.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Meeshie, welcome to the Practical Caravan Forum.
You've done the right thing in asking about your vehicle towing capacity before going ahead and buying a caravan which could be unsuitable.
Without knowing the kerbweight of your particular vehicle it would be difficult to provide an answer, the kerbweight will be in your vehicle owners manual. Take note of any manufacturers towing restrictions, there will be a section about towing in your handbook.
At a guess I should imagine that you will be looking at one of the lighter 2 berth caravans, find the Kerbweight figure first and we might be able to give you further advice from there.

 

[Mel]

Acccording to a quick web search the kerbweight is 1200 kg, and the max towing weight is 1300kg. But don't take this as gospel, check your handbook. If this is right then the 85% guideline would suggest that you aim at around 1020 kg MPTLM for a van. Now you need to decide how much you are prepared to spend!
happy hunting
mel