One more gotcha to be very careful of when buying a tow car.
We have now got ourselves a very nice Skoda Karoq diesel 4x4 (tows our Swift Sprite Alpine 2 beautifully), but could have fallen foul of this obscure issue. Only found out when talking to a towbar fitter.
No matter what the specifications you read for a car, about its maximum gross train weight (i.e. maximum fully loaded weight of the whole outfit, tow car plus caravan), and what reviews you might read, there is only one specified weight that the law, and therefore insurance companies, will go by - the GTW weight specified on the tow car's VIN plate. And for some cars that can be written as 0kg or just zero! I think I read that some other manufacturers just leave it blank, with no weight specified, which amounts to the same thing.
Crackers though it may seem, it can happen, and the law will only go by that figure. Skoda do it on some of their vehicles if sold without their towing preparation kit, which for some of their models involves not just a towbar, but also uprating the engine cooling system etc. So in some cases it gets sold as new as unsuitable for towing, and they ensure this by putting 0kg on the VIN plate. Moreover, once a vehicle has its VIN plate at manufacturer, you can never get it changed, no matter what upgrades you may subsequently do to the car - I think it is a legal thing. So if that were the case and you got stopped for a spot check, or involved in an insurance claim, it could get tricky.
So do be careful! Be very clear the car dealer knows you intend to tow with the car, and if they confirm it is good then you have suitable comeback. But also double check the tow car's VIN plate yourself of course.
Don't misunderstand me. It obviously makes good sense to check all the car's specifications and reviews carefully beforehand - good homework. I'm just saying that when you come to buy a car, be sure the actual car you are buying has - or will have - a sensible gross train weight on the VIN plate. And if buying a new car, be very sure the dealer knows you intend to tow with it, so if your new car turns up with 0kg on its VIN plate, you can reject the vehicle as unsuitable for the purpose it is being sold to you for. Something in writing like an email would be good, in the buying process, with the dealer acknowledging it will be suitable to tow with.
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