Note that when The Club or a caravan dealer does an outfit match assessment for you,
this is usually based on a ‘worst case scenario’ of the car’s kerb weight (ie the lightest
the car can be) and the caravan’s MTPLM (ie the heaviest the caravan can be). We do
not know exactly how much payload you are going to put in the car or in the caravan,
so a check in these terms makes sure we can be confident you will be OK.
2. WEIGHT LIMITS
The car's kerb weight will normally be found in the handbook - if not consult your
dealer. The maximum allowable weights of the car, each axle, and the total train (car
and trailer) weights are shown on a plate on the car - usually under the bonnet, or on
one of the door pillars.
We are often asked, ‘why 85%’, rather than 90% or 75%, say? The connection
between weight ratio and stability has been proven through The Club’s own testing of
cars and caravans, the wealth of member feedback we receive, and not least the
scientific research we have sponsored. We picked 85% as the highest ratio we were
comfortable using for universal recommendations, thus allowing the widest choice of
compatible cars and caravans, while being confident that owners should find their
outfit safe and comfortable to tow.
We have, in fact, increased the ratio recommendation over the years, as car and
caravan technology has improved, and more research has been carried out. When this
advice was offered in the 1960s, the recommended maximum weight ratio was 70%.
This increased to 80% in the 1970s, and to 85% in the 1980s. It is not likely that we
will increase the recommendation further for the foreseeable future, though. The
maximum permitted caravan speed limit has also increased over this period (starting
at just 40mph), and the combination of high permitted speeds and higher weight ratios
is not ideal.
For all modern caravans built by NCC members the MTPLM should be on a plate
(usually near the door or on the A-frame), and also included in the handbook. Consult
your caravan dealer if in doubt. It is important you are aware of and comply with all
these limits to avoid trouble with the law.
3. POWER TO WEIGHT RATIO
Power to weight ratio is almost as important as the weight relationship of car to
caravan. This became much more confusing when diesel engines gained popularity,
as they traditionally produced less brake horse power (bhp) for a given capacity
engine, yet often still managed to be good towcars. Recent diesels challenge their
petrol equivalents in terms of power output, however, perhaps making things a little
easier again! Although quite a simplistic assessment (as it ignores factors such as
gearing, torque characteristics and aerodynamics, of instance), power to weight ratio
can be a useful measure, especially when comparing two broadly similar cars, or
perhaps when looking at a number of variants of the same basic model.
For many of today’s cars, one basic body shell has to cover a very wide range of
engine sizes, from the economy model to the top of the range luxury version.
Performance, flexibility and economy varies enormously, and the power to weight
(sometimes measured as bhp per tonne) can be a useful indicator of this. For
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