Kerb Weight .

[lazydaze]

Hi all , I have been reading a review of the Skoda 2.0 TDi 4x4 in the June 2017 issue of
Practical Caravan, the kerb weight is 1560 kgs but it states the towing limit of 2200Kgs,
my interpretation of these figures correct or not means the engine design would be able under off road testing of towing 2200Kgs ?
Going by conventional methods 85% of 1560 Kgs would be 1326 Kgs a safe towing weight
consider by many to be the chosen starting point for novice caravaners or to tow up to the maximum kerb weight by experienced caravaners.
Please could you good people with more knowledge than myself explain why a car of 1560 Kgs would in any cicumstance be towing 2200 Kgs
Regards Stuart

 

[Damian]

If you use the search facility at the top of the page there are mountains of information on Kerb Weights and everything associated with it.

Suffice to say it will not be repeated in this topic .

However, if the car maker states the vehicle can tow 2200Kg then that is the maximum it can tow.
Think double horsebox, car on trailer, boat on trailer, etc.
When it comes down to it kerbweight is not the deciding factor, the deciding factor is the overall MAM of car and what it is towing.

The 85% was a number plucked out of the air many years ago as some kind of guide for novice towers, it has absolutely no legal standing, and is not a Rule.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi all , I have been reading a review of the Skoda 2.0 TDi 4x4 in the June 2017 issue of
Practical Caravan, the kerb weight is 1560 kgs but it states the towing limit of 2200Kgs,
my interpretation of these figures correct or not means the engine design would be able under off road testing of towing 2200Kgs ?
Going by conventional methods 85% of 1560 Kgs would be 1326 Kgs a safe towing weight
consider by many to be the chosen starting point for novice caravaners or to tow up to the maximum kerb weight by experienced caravaners.
Please could you good people with more knowledge than myself explain why a car of 1560 Kgs would in any cicumstance be towing 2200 Kgs
Regards Stuart

Hello Lazydaze, and welcome to the forum.

You have raised a well debated issue, and whilst Damian is correct about the information is in the forum and can be found by using the search facility, the results are not always as easy to use as they could be.

So in brief, all cars sold in the EU have to go through a whole vehicle type approval process. One aspect the type approval looks at the towing ability of the car. Part of the criteria is the maximum weight the fully loaded vehicle can start 5 times on a 12% gradient. This is what determines the car manufacturers towed weight limit. The car can legally tow a trailer with a towed weight up to the manufactures limit. Whether the driver can legally tow it depends on their licence entitlements.

Essentially the test weight is an ideal trailer, but caravans are far from an ideal trailer, and when they are towed the action of wind and other road related conditions will affect the caravan and it will feed back extra forces through the tow hitch back to the car. If the car cannot keep those forces under control the outfit (car and caravan) can become unstable.

The caravan industry was made aware of these problems and it agreed to make the 85% recommendation for caravanners to follow. The advice is not a legal requirement nor does it guarantee safety but it is starting point. Its also important to understand that the permitted towed weight limit of some vehicles may be less than 85% of kerbweight so the 85% ratio cannot be legally attained for those vehicles. Some vehicles are not allowed to tow and will have a zero towed weight limit

 

[Raywood]

I agree with the previous posting. Basically the towing limit is more to do with the strength of the driveline and has nothing to do with safe towing. Different trailers have differing characteristics and the large flat sides of a caravan are about as bad as it gets when wind is considered although should be safe if you use common sense. As a result for safe towing you need to consider this and the 85% figure is therefore relevant although not written in stone.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Getting teh weight ratio right offers no guarantee of a safe tow.

Safe towing is not just about weight ratio's. It just as much if not more about how the weight is distributed within the trailer, Maintaining both the car and trailer in tip top mechanical condition, reading teh road and weather conditions, and probably the single most important thing is driving style.

 

[Craigyoung]

That's true prof, also take a note of the people around you & their driving manor as all it takes is one idiot to do a stupid move & that's it ! a lot of people can be caught out ! And that idiot just keeps on going oblivious to what he has just caused behind him ! Think ahead , think further !!

Craig .

 

[ProfJohnL]

That's true prof, also take a note of the people around you & their driving manor as all it takes is one idiot to do a stupid move & that's it ! a lot of people can be caught out ! And that idiot just keeps on going oblivious to what he has just caused behind him ! Think ahead , think further !!

Craig .

Hence my comment of "reading the road conditions"

 

[colin-yorkshire]

That's true prof, also take a note of the people around you & their driving manor as all it takes is one idiot to do a stupid move & that's it ! a lot of people can be caught out ! And that idiot just keeps on going oblivious to what he has just caused behind him ! Think ahead , think further !!

Craig .

Hence my comment of "reading the road conditions"

that's true that. my old driving instructor told me on the day I passed my test "well done now you can go out and learn to drive and not just how to control the car" then 5 years later I bought the first caravan and had to learn all over again. the second learning curve was harder than the first.
but conversely it made driving solo far more relaxing and enjoyable.

 

[Raywood]

I agree that there are other factors than the weight ratio but that was the question here and it is the first thing you need to deal with when looking at taking up caravanning. Sensible drivers do drive according to the road conditions and idiots are idiots whether towing or not.
Having dealt with weight ratios then I would suggest you move to nose weight and loading as the next steps.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

very sensible and of course the right way to go. and while the OP's question why do some vehicles have a higher tow limit than the kerb weight. that was answered in the first two posts.
because all trailers are not equal. but being a caravan forum it is automatically assumed trailer means "caravan" it doesn't. my initial response to that assumption is that a "caravan trailer" should be as light as possible regardless of the tow limit. as other factors that do not concern other types of trailer come into play.
but regardless of all the other factors. there is no doubt the most important aspect of a safe tow is the driver of the unit.