Subject: We have seen a nice caravan but can I tow it? Author: John Henderson Date: July 14, 2010 at 14:02
Hi,
Some help please – I’m new to caravans and towing. We have a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso 1.6HDi. The max tow limit for our model is 1180Kg. Kerb weight is 1530kg.
The caravan we have seen is 1185kg so I need to know whether we can tow it– I’m confused about the various calculations/guidelines.
As the max tow limit for our car is 1180Kg the van is clearly is over (esp if you include extras) but if you use the kerb weight calculation (85% of 1530kg) the caravan is within limits for our model of car.
So the question is can we tow this caravan when its within the 85% limit but that is over the tow limit?
Looking at the web other people have towed heavier caravans with the C4 Grand Picasso 1.6Hdi but I don’t understand the consequences of doing this? Am I breaking the law or being unsafe?
Thanks for any help/advice.
John
Replies:
Author: Paul Date: July 14, 2010 at 17:27
Hi John
The weights can be confusing, but they're imposed by the manufacturer and must be used for towing calculations.
The current C4 brochure does list the max tow limit as 1180kgs; while this is surprisingly low, it is the maximum weight you can tow with your vehicle. This means that the MTPLM (max technically permissable laden mass) of your choice of van must not exceed the 1180kgs. I'm confused if the weight you quote for the van is ex-works or laden as you mention "(esp if you include extras)". The weight to aim for must include all that you intend to carry in the van i.e., full laden weight.
The 85% of kerbweight guideline is a recommend for new-to-towing drivers, but as this percentage exceeds the stated 1180kgs, it doesn't allow you to tow above this weight.
With regards to other C4 users, I note in the brochure I've downloaded that the max. tow weight varies over the range between 1180kgs for your model to 1500kgs for the petrol variant; this is the likely cause of others towing higher limits.
The lower limits against the Grand tends to be common practice with 7 seat MPV's in the UK.
So, I'm sorry to say your stuck with the 1180kgs limit and therefore need to narrow your search down to smaller/lighter vans.
Author: John Date: July 14, 2010 at 19:21
Thanks Paul, I thought that might be the case but hoped I was wrong. 1180Kg does seem very low for such a large bodied car - I guess this is due to the fact its actually a C4 engine which is a medium sized car.
By 'extras' I did indeed mean those bits and pieces we would add to the caravan's unladen weight - further increasing its weight.
Thanks for the advice - just what I needed.
John
We like the caravan so much I guess we will need to change the car!
Author: Paul Date: July 15, 2010 at 21:30
Sorry to have given the bad news John, but you obviously realise the importance of legal matching of the car. 1180kgs is incredibly low given the size of the car, but as mentioned, the 7 seaters seem to attract a much lower tow weight; something to do with the 'potential' gross vehicle weight if all seats occupied, but I admit I've not grasped the full reasoning.
The C4 Picasso seems to be an excellent tow car, a friend highly rates his. Perhaps if you like the car, consider the standard version. If however the 7 seats is a requirement, can I advise you to fully check the sec of any potential replacement. Also, get the MTPLM (laden weight) of your prefered van and consider this in your calculations too. The 85% guide for new-to-towing drivers suggests and 85% of car kerbweight, so a vehicle of 1550kgs kerbweight would equate to a caravan of approx 1317kgs for example. In this case, I'd want a car with a tow limit of at least 1400kgs.
Hope this makes sence.
Incidentally, whats the model/spec of van your interested in.
