What caravan can my car tow?

Many of the most popular cars available today have the capability to tow a caravan. However, it is up to you, the driver, to work out how heavy a trailer or caravan your car is able to tow. In this guide, we are going to provide you with all the information you need to know about towing capacity.
Not only will we explain how to work this out, but we will provide you with some other useful pieces of advice as well, so keep reading to find out everything you need to know.

Towing capacity is the maximum weight a vehicle is able to legally tow. Nevertheless, it may not be comfortable or safe to do so, especially with a trailer or caravan that has a big box-like profile. To make things easy for you, you may find that the handbook of your vehicle reveals the towing capacity of the vehicle straight away. However, if this is not the case, or you cannot find your car’s handbook, there is no need to fret - you can still work out the towing capacity.
Towing capacity can be calculated from the VIN plate - normally located on a metal plate bolted to the inside of your door sill. Line one is the maximum mass that is allowable and line two is the maximum train mass. In order to work out your vehicle towing limit, you need to deduct line one from line two. The number left is the maximum weight caravan or trailer you can tow.

The 85% Rule

Experts have recommended that when it comes to safe towing for novices, you should make sure the caravan's fully-laden weight is not heavier than 85% of the tow car’s kerb weight. This is commonly called the 85% rule. This is not the law; it is merely a guide, but is a good one to follow. You are only going to need two key figures in order to work this out. You will need the maximum mass of the caravan and the kerbweight of the vehicle. If the mass of the caravan is 85% or less of the kerbweight of the car, then it will be able to easily tow the vehicle. You will need to be careful if the weight is between 85 and 100%. It is recommended that only experienced caravanners use that vehicle to tow such a heavy caravan. However, if the caravan weighs more than the vehicle, then it is strongly advised that you do not use this vehicle to tow the caravan.

You will typically find that your caravan’s weight is listed in the handbook you got with it, as well as being listed on the VIN plate near the door frame. If you are struggling to find the weight of your caravan, you should be able to simply get in touch with the manufacturer and they will help you.

The owner's manual that you received with your car should also have this information. It will also sometimes be featured on the V5 registration document or the VIN plate in the door sill.

You will also need to make certain that your trailer’s maximum width is not more than 2.55 metres. The maximum trailer length should not be more than seven metres body length. It is important to note that the A-frame or draw-baw towing coupling at the front of the caravan or trailer are not included in the total allowable length.

Whether you need a towing licence does depend on when you passed your test. You do not need a special driving licence if you passed your driving test before 1997. However, if you passed your test after 1997, you will only be able to tow a maximum allowable mass of 3,500 kg combined.
If you did pass your test before 1997, you can tow vehicles of any weight. The weight allowance should not be a problem for caravans with normal-size cars. However, if you are going to tow a heavy caravan with a big SUV, you will probably need a different licence. You can find out more about what licence is needed to tow caravans of different weights in our article here.

If you are looking at buying an electric car, and want to tow a caravan with it you will need to do some research before your purchase.
At the moment, a lot of electric cars are not yet type-approved for towing, but this does vary from model to model so it is worth checking. The good news is that in the eyes of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, hybrids are a good choice for anyone looking for an alternative-fuel vehicle, which can tow caravans. Always make sure to check if an electric or hybrid car is type-approved to tow a caravan before purchasing it. For more information on towing caravans with electric cars, check out our article all about just that.

If you’re in the market for a caravan of your very own, head to the Auto Trader marketplace here. Happy hunting… and holidaying.