That dammed 85% rule!! yet again!

[Guest]

Here lies part of the trouble, many of us just hitched and legally towed. That has now changed but many still do not realise that the times have changed with newer regulations.

On one hand you have comment about accidents involving caravans always get noted on UK Radio reports and we all know about the anti caravan brigade.

UK caravans are unregistered and have no MOT or regular enforcible safety checks. Who and what is in to towing is under no spotlight until something untoward happens most of the time.

More information for motorists to hi-light safe practice when towing and the legal requirements so that everyone is fully aware of do's and don'ts is long overdue.

It would aid the way caravanners and caravanning is perceived in the UK if everyone was made fully aware of what is acceptable and legal.

 

[Mel]

I'm not an engineer or at all technical, but I do remember what it was like to be a total newbie and completly clueless. In that state it was very helpful to have some starting point guidance as to what could tow what. Now I might not know the engineering but I'm not stupid and never thought that 85% was a magic formula to prevent instability. I also needed the guidance on noseweight and sensible loading. Experienced towers get to know what is and is not sensible but beginners need some straightforward easy to remember advice on all aspects of towing to get them on the road with a modicum of safety.

mel

 

[xtrailman]

Mel

Exactly, no body has claimed stability comes with towing at 85%, its simply a sensible weight ratio.

In essence its saying keep the caravan weight down to 85% of the tow car, or lighter is preferred.

There are only advantages towing a light caravan, were as a heavy van comes with disadvantages, which should be obvious.

 

[Lutz]

True, but many people need to make compromises involving a less-than-ideal match. If you are only going to go take the caravan out once a year for a 2 or 3 week holiday, it hardly makes economic sense to buy a bigger, heavier towcar than absolutely necessary and which will be of no benefit for the rest of the year. Over 20 years of caravanning I have done most of my towing at or just under 100% and have never felt uncomfortable with it. Admittedly it requires more due care when driving, but so long as one aware of this and handles accordingly, it can't be called unsafe.

 

[Guest]

For a family who see a caravan for sale in their neighbourhood and part with a few pound to use it for a couple or three weeks a year.

It's just so easy to get on the road with little or no idea of what is legal or good practice.

We see mainly well matched and loaded UK car and caravan outfits from the UK, but we still see many badly loaded UK outfits visiting europe. We've known cases where the caravan is not insured and the car insurers have not been informed that a caravan is towed. The bill for clearing up a caravan outfit crash on a French Autoroute is not small. Thousands of Euro's!

Being safe at 85% or 102% is fine but only if you know how to be safe before you leave your drive way.

 

[Lutz]

Too true, Euro, but no law is going to put an end to complacency.

 

[Guest]

It's easy to sit on sites or at home and criticise others ignorance.

Lutz. I'm not sure that we need more laws or that it is always complacency. The attitude that, "Dad did it for year" or "Fred next door told me and he's been caravanning for 40 years" is not always a good guide to safe practice.

Driving on UK roads can be very differentt to long distance higher average speed trips in warmer parts of Europe.

For example, old tyres that may survive UK stop start motoring and lower temperatures may not last under the strain of longer distances at constant speed on hot Autoroutes.

In the UK we've seen public awareness poster campaigns at Motorway services about advising DVLA about changes in a drivers health or updating drivers change of address.

A similar regular towing information campaign to try and make all aware of what is safe practice and legal is long overdue.

 

[Steve L]

The towing law requiring an additional test only applies to those who passed their driving test for a car after 1997.

Prior to that anyone could hook up and tow any trailer so long as they abided by the tow limits of trailer and car.

As I've said already the load distribution is the most important aspect of towing a stable trailer.

You don't have to go ott on this and weigh every four pack you load into the van. All you need to do is take the car, caravan and occupants to a local weigh bridge. Weigh the car fully loaded with all occupants, then weigh the cra and caravan fully loaded. Then un hook the caravan and weigh that. Having already got your nose weight on the van sorted when you loaded that. Which I have aleady spoke about, you now have all the weights that a VOSPA inspector will be interested in.

So long as you have a legally weighted outfit and it is loaded correctly it doesn't realy matter if the caravan weighs more than 85% of the kerb weight of the car.

Steve L.

 

[Lutz]

Actually, to be strictly correct you should weigh the front axle load of the fully laden car, its rear axle load, the axle load of the caravan (all with the caravan hitched up) AND either the noseweight or the total weight of the caravan on its own. Only then can you be absolutely sure that you aren't exceeding the respective maximum permissible axle loads, either.

 

[ProfJohnL]

A weighbridge ticket is not a let out, just like an MOT a weight ticket is only a snapshot measurement that was true when you were on the weighbridge. VOSA or our wonderful Bobbies will not take your ticket as evidence of your weight. For all they know you may have added a few kilo's of potatoes or refilled gas bottles since the ticket was issued.

If they suspect you are over loaded then they will weigh you.

 

[Steve L]

You are quite right John. The weigh bridge ticket is a snap shot to confirm weight at that particular time. But what we are looking to achieve is to enlighten folks on just how easy it is to find out what weight one is towing etc.

I have weighed my caravan and car just to satisfy me that we are compliant with the law and tow capacity of the car.

regards.

Steve L.