Nearly understand but not quite, Help please!

[blu]

New to all this this but still unsure on one or to weight points.

Does an outfit become illegal at over 100% of kerb weight or max towing weight.

When using what towcar to calculate compatibility should my kerb weight include everything that the car would be laden with ie me the wife and luggage etc.

Am i right in saying that heavier items like awning etc would be better carried in the car ?

Is this 85% a magical figure after which everything goes wrong or would creeping to around 95% be acceptable if noseweights,tyre pressures,speed etc were correct.

Brilliant forum very helpful.

Cheers

 

[JTQ]

sean,

It is illegal to tow trailers above the vehicle manufacturers published max towing weights, but this can be in excess of 100% of the vehicles kerb weight.

There is no legal significance in the % figure, its only relevence is what various organisations chose to recomend on safety grounds. Many individuals argue against it but fundamentally the greater the weight of a trailer is to the towed vehicle the more critical other stability influencing factors become.

The kerb weight is basically the lowest, repeat lowest, weight the car can be driven at,so only includes the fluids and a normal weight driver. It varies in different countries and continents but is certainly not including the wife and luggage.

Get every other thing right, no cross wind, use a motorway free of other traffic and bridges exposed sections, be experienced and dont go too fast then you should be okay to exceed the well intended 85% rule. There are many that do and have stayed safe for years but I cant recall any respondsible organisation recomending it, certainly not for novices.

Heavy items are probably best taken in the car provided all the loadings dont exceed the makers axle ratings on you vin plate.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

sean,

It is illegal to tow trailers above the vehicle manufacturers published max towing weights, but this can be in excess of 100% of the vehicles kerb weight.

There is no legal significance in the % figure, its only relevence is what various organisations chose to recomend on safety grounds. Many individuals argue against it but fundamentally the greater the weight of a trailer is to the towed vehicle the more critical other stability influencing factors become.

The kerb weight is basically the lowest, repeat lowest, weight the car can be driven at,so only includes the fluids and a normal weight driver. It varies in different countries and continents but is certainly not including the wife and luggage.

Get every other thing right, no cross wind, use a motorway free of other traffic and bridges exposed sections, be experienced and dont go too fast then you should be okay to exceed the well intended 85% rule. There are many that do and have stayed safe for years but I cant recall any respondsible organisation recomending it, certainly not for novices.

Heavy items are probably best taken in the car provided all the loadings dont exceed the makers axle ratings on you vin plate.

The CC say that an experienced caravanner may go to 100% but I agree with the rest of your well put explanation.

 

[Lutz]

Exceeding 100% is illegal if you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997 and you do not hold a category B&E licence. Otherwise, everything JTQ has said is correct.