Toyota Corolla 1.8

[rob and jen]

Hi,

After a weekend away in the caravan, our friends have expressed interest in buying thier own van. We are in the process of looking a second hand vans to purchase but I am concerned about the car/van weight ratio. My friend drives a Toyota Corolla with a max tow weight of 1200kg of which based on the 85% rule gives him a max of 1020kg. The van (94 Sterling Europa 440) has a weight of 850kg so the combination looks ok to me. I would be grateful of any comments here just to reassure me that I've not got the calculation wrong..

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Well it sounds like the Sterling will be a reasonable match to the car - assuming the Corolla is a petrol engined version, then the usual issues of usability in top gear, drive off up-hill, etc., will apply.

However, your understanding of the 85% guideline is totally flawed - you need to calculate 85% of the car kerb-weight as a guideline for a stable tow - and not the maximum towing weight.

And it's worth opening the drivers handbook and checking that:

1. The Gross Train Weight minus the Gross Vehicle Weight is more than the weight of the loaded caravan - it sounds as if it should be, but it's wise to check.

2. The maximum braked tow weight - reportedly 1200 kg - sounds OK - but you need to check that this is still available with the car laden.

3. The 85% guideline may suggest a safe towing weight (for a newbie) greater than the maximum braked towing weight - in which case you must accept the lower limit.

Robert