towing advice

Jan 3, 2019
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Hi all

new to caravanning and towing.

I have seen a Swift Charima 590 2007. We like the look of it as 6 berth and has shower cubicle (must for kids) 6 & 3yrs

The specs say it is 1395kg max 1640kg

I need a new car to tow and like the Ford Kuga 2.0 tdci Auto zetec.
This has weight of 1716kg.

I know this is around 95% but would it be ok if loaded correctly??

I have driven many large vans and lutons just not towed before,

Would this be a big no no??

Thanks
 
Nov 11, 2009
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shamonee said:
Hi all

new to caravanning and towing.

I have seen a Swift Charima 590 2007. We like the look of it as 6 berth and has shower cubicle (must for kids) 6 & 3yrs

The specs say it is 1395kg max 1640kg

I need a new car to tow and like the Ford Kuga 2.0 tdci Auto zetec.
This has weight of 1716kg.

I know this is around 95% but would it be ok if loaded correctly??

I have driven many large vans and lutons just not towed before,

Would this be a big no no??

Thanks

What is the Kuga towing limit as defined by Ford? Loading does play a big part in assisting stability and whilst 95% is on the higher side for a newbie it’s not to be ruled out if other factors are aligned. What licence do you hold? B+E or just B as the latter might rule out your chosen outfit.
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Hi shamonee ,
our Ford Kuga ( fwd 2.o litre Dci ) pulls our Sprite Major 6 at 1516 ish kilograms no bother at all , I think most off the kugas will come in at towing between 19oo and 21oo kg depending on your spec . ( except with 1.5 Ecoboost) .

But if you go to look at the model that you like have a look on the driver's door inside sill it will give you the numbers if you know how to work out your towing ratios with the weight of the car , it should clear up what you are asking , if not get the numbers anyway or ring them come back on here with the numbers and we'll work out for you but you should be ok with what you are looking at kuga wise . Lovely tow car .

http://www.uktow.com/towing capacity.asp?make=Ford&model1=Kuga
This may help.
 
May 7, 2012
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Welcome to the forum. As you are aware the 95% towing ratio is a bit high and is possibly best tackled by people more experienced at towing. You should manage provided you take things easy but personally I would look for something a bit lighter with a similar layout like the Bailey Ranger or Lunar Quasar. Lighter caravans will probably have a bit less spec but should still have the shower.
The alternative if you are replacing the car and really want that caravan is something a bit bigger to tow it, which should give you a pretty wide choice.
 
Jan 3, 2019
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Hi folks

Thanks for the info. It's says Max tow 1900kgs.

Unfortunately I only have the b license as passed April 1998.

The wife has C&E but don't think she would be confident towing.

I have seen the bailey Rangers and do like them. I guess more research is needed . I do like the look of the kuga for towing.

Thanks again
 
Jan 3, 2019
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Hi again

Ok after going to a couple of caravan yards, and seeing all the layouts etc.

We have concluded that we like the look and is affordable to us

2010 Bailey Pageant Sancerre

1215kg Max 1435kg

I know i could take my B&E Test but its additional cost and we may not even get on with caravanning. Although we love camping!!

My thoughts are go for something lighter see how we get on for a few years then upgrade if required. That way I will have some experience towing, reversing etc.

Ok now I need a suitable car to tow the van (or similar). As my Skoda Rapid Hatchback is not suitable :)

Choices

65 Reg Vauxhall Insignia tourer (Auto) 2.0 CDti (170)
1658kg Kerbweight
1600kg Tow limit

65 Reg Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 150 Zetec 2WD (Manual)
1614kg Kerbweight
2100kg Tow limit

I'm guessing both are suitable? Anybody tow with either or recommend them??

I guess the Kuga allows me to tow something heavier longterm if required and loaded correctly, but by then I would have my licence upgraded.

My cars tend to change every few years due to work requirements (drive 20,000 miles hence why I would like to swing towards an Auto this time, but the KUGA auto is costing a little too much for me)

Thanks
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Hi there , we have the Ford Kuga same spec as what you have mentioned as you can see in my profile picture , 65 plate and it is spot on , more than enough power for what you will need and our van is quite heavy and pulls it no brother , it is an ideal tow car towing and not towing with loads of space
 
Feb 23, 2018
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I was in the same situation: have a post '97 licence and bought a heavy car so had to do the B+E to be able to tow any caravan over 1000KG . Don't forget that you need to know the maximum weights of the cars you're looking at to check for licence compliance with the caravan you've selected. The max weight of the car + the MTPLM of the caravan (when it exceeds 750kg) combined, cannot exceed 3500KG for a B licence holder.

The kerbweight is important for towing ratios, but how you load the car is irrelevant; it is the car's MAM that counts if the plod or VOSA/DVSA were to stop you.
 
Dec 6, 2013
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Either of the cars you mention should tow that caravan quite comfortably but you will almost certainly need the B+E licence.

To tow any form of braked trailer (which includes, but is not limited to caravans) on a post-1997 'Category B' licence requires the maximum permissible weights (note: NOT the actual weights) of the car and trailer combined to be less than 3500kg. The maximum permissible weight of the car will need to include the payload (typically about 600kg) in addition to the kerbweight (thus giving about 2200kg for the Kuga and 3635kg combined).
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Last year when we first got our Sprite Major 6 and had been away for the weekend I decided to get it weighed on the public weighbridge just in case I happened to be over 35oo'kg for the wife in case she had to tow , im a (HGV licence holder anyway) and with the Kuga and the Major 6 it came in at 34oo kg , that's with me the wife 2 kids a weekends worth of kit and half a tank of diesel .

So its still doable on a normal driving licence if weight is watched carefully and should be easier with your van being lighter.

Good luck .
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Craigyoung said:
Last year when we first got our Sprite Major 6 and had been away for the weekend I decided to get it weighed on the public weighbridge just in case I happened to be over 35oo'kg for the wife in case she had to tow , im a (HGV licence holder anyway) and with the Kuga and the Major 6 it came in at 34oo kg , that's with me the wife 2 kids a weekends worth of kit and half a tank of diesel .

So its still doable on a normal driving licence if weight is watched carefully and should be easier with your van being lighter.

Good luck .

Surely it’s not what the outfit weighs it’s the combination of specified weights which are totally independent of what you may have in the car or caravan. So whilst weighing the outfit on a weighbridge is always recommended you can tell if your outfit is legal or not just by looking at the car and caravan weight plates.
 
Jun 26, 2017
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Craigyoung said:
Last year when we first got our Sprite Major 6 and had been away for the weekend I decided to get it weighed on the public weighbridge just in case I happened to be over 35oo'kg for the wife in case she had to tow , im a (HGV licence holder anyway) and with the Kuga and the Major 6 it came in at 34oo kg , that's with me the wife 2 kids a weekends worth of kit and half a tank of diesel .

So its still doable on a normal driving licence if weight is watched carefully and should be easier with your van being lighter.

Good luck .

Nooooo .... It doesn’t work like that Craig !

Like Clive says, the 3500KG restriction relates to the maximum authorised mass of the outfit, not the actual weight at the time of driving, meaning that even if you stripped your caravan, your wife wouldn’t be able to legally do the towing without attaining the B + E License.
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Ooooooops my mistake :blush: , get that +E entitlement !
My Kuga is showing 2250 kg and with a 1516 ish weight on the caravan puts the wife over by 266 ish kg , chance of her ever towing this only be in a case of an emergency !
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Craigyoung said:
Ooooooops my mistake :blush: , get that +E entitlement !
My Kuga is showing 2250 kg and with a 1516 ish weight on the caravan puts the wife over by 266 ish kg , chance of her ever towing this only be in a case of an emergency !

What sort of emergency do you consider merits your wife driving the outfit which her licence doesn’t cover her for? Other than moving the outfit a very short distance to safety in the event of you suddenly taking ill, I’d be seeking support from my recovery provider, after seeking medical/police support to the incident. But she’d probably be too busy contacting support services and seeing to your needs as the priority action.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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otherclive said:
Craigyoung said:
Ooooooops my mistake :blush: , get that +E entitlement !
My Kuga is showing 2250 kg and with a 1516 ish weight on the caravan puts the wife over by 266 ish kg , chance of her ever towing this only be in a case of an emergency !

What sort of emergency do you consider merits your wife driving the outfit which her licence doesn’t cover her for? Other than moving the outfit a very short distance to safety in the event of you suddenly taking ill, I’d be seeking support from my recovery provider, after seeking medical/police support to the incident. But she’d probably be too busy contacting support services and seeing to your needs as the priority action.
Never mind being uninsured adding to your misery :(
My wife did the two day CAMC course years ago. I think they can help your wife to get through the required test. Worth it in the long run :)
 
Jun 26, 2017
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Craigyoung said:
Ooooooops my mistake :blush: , get that +E entitlement !
My Kuga is showing 2250 kg and with a 1516 ish weight on the caravan puts the wife over by 266 ish kg , chance of her ever towing this only be in a case of an emergency !

It would have to be a really exceptional emergency to warrant and exonerate her from driving a vehicle for which she doesn’t have the correct license. The only example I can think of would be if the van was fully loaded with ice cold beer, picked up en-route straight from a walk-in fridge inside a French supermarket and having sampled a little you were unfit to drive and so she wanted to get to the next site ASAP and pitch up before the beer warmed up.

Nothing worse than warm beer your honour. :p
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Icaru5 said:
Craigyoung said:
Ooooooops my mistake :blush: , get that +E entitlement !
My Kuga is showing 2250 kg and with a 1516 ish weight on the caravan puts the wife over by 266 ish kg , chance of her ever towing this only be in a case of an emergency !

It would have to be a really exceptional emergency to warrant and exonerate her from driving a vehicle for which she doesn’t have the correct license. The only example I can think of would be if the van was fully loaded with ice cold beer, picked up en-route straight from a walk-in fridge inside a French supermarket and having sampled a little you were unfit to drive and so she wanted to get to the next site ASAP and pitch up before the beer warmed up.

Nothing worse than warm beer your honour. :p

That's the kind i meant :blush: :p
 
Jan 3, 2019
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First bit done Craig.

65 reg Kuga bought. Tow bar already fitted although only with 1 x 7pin electrics.

Now to continue the search for the vans.
 
Oct 20, 2015
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shamonee said:
Hi Craig

What towing mirrors do you use?

I've just picked some up but they're too small to wrap around the kuga mirrors

Cheers

Hi, My VW T4 has bigger wing mirrors which seemed to limit choice: I bought Milenco Aero's which seem v secure and should fit -worth a look at. (I got 3 for a good price from ebay from a guy who believed in carrying a spare)
BW Wayne
 
Jul 18, 2017
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They do look the most popular and when mine break they're the ones I'll get.Currently I'm using my old ones,they're the ring type ones that have 2big rubber straps that go over the back of the mirror,the biggest problem is the gap between the glass and mirror housing,I had to grind mine down to fit in gap.All Good for now.
 
May 7, 2012
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I found the shape of the mirror housing on the car meant that my Milencos would not grip and one fell off on the motorway. I replaced them with a pair which both clip and strap on so more secure and seem to vibrate less. They are smaller but work well so I am happy to leave them as they are.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I’ve used Milencos on a Gen1 Sorento, Gen3 XC70, SJ Forester and now my Superb and haven’t had any problems. You could try a local dealer as sometimes they will have a display pair to allow them to be trial fitted.
 

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