Towing a caravan with a 1.6l 105bhp car

jethrothe2nd

I know this is a very general question, but is a 1.6l 105 bhp Seat Leon estate too underpowered to safely tow a caravan? I'd be looking at some form of 4 berth for 2 adults and 2 kids, but if the car simply isn't suitable for towing then I would need to think again.

AckwelFoley

Hello. Depending on the specific Leon you have towing capacity can be up to 1500kg.

The general weight category for a single axle caravan of this size is MTPLM 1499kg.. ie fully laden. Caravan Will usually be 150kg less unladen and packing food etc can't exceed 1499kg

Thus would mean you are fine if you car can tow 1500kg, but you need to check this on your cars Vin plate.

Some caravans MTPLM is a little lower

jethrothe2nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120298365#Comment_120298365

Thank you that was very helpful

dory

You definitely can tow. I know people who tow on 1.4 cars (granted, they're smaller 2 berths). The Basecamp 4 has an MTPLM of 1186kg so you could probably tow that. Lots of people tow 2 berths and put the kids in an annex off the awning or in a dome tent outside, depending on their ages. Elddis Xplore 304 has an MTPLM of 1043kg and fits four people so it's definitely possible.

jethrothe2nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120299007#Comment_120299007

Very impressed with the Basecamp 4 setup. I think that will be worth a look. I hadn't come across that before

_Brian

Www.Whattowcar.info

shkukd be able to match your car up with a proposed caravan. You can also look at towing reviews of cars.

I once towed our caravan with 1.6 120bhp grand Picasso. It was fine.

often the towing isn’t a problem, making an emergency stop could be very different.

dory

Yeah , basecamps are very nice. It worth watching YouTube videos with people walking around caravans giving you the pros and cons and you can decide what's a dealbreaker. Like, with the Basecamp you will always have to make up that double bed to nap, each sofa isn't long enough for a person to sleep on. But that's the compromise with getting 4 berths in a small caravan. You'll likely have to go to the UK, I've never seen one online in Ireland. In Covid times the second hand ones were more expensive than the new ones, as people couldn't get new ones. Hopefully that has calmed down.

Almost all caravan manufacturers have a 4 berth aimed at young people who can't drive a large caravan. Adria Action has a 4 berth version I think (only available on the continent), Knaus Sport and Fun, Bailey D4-4 (the D4-3 is discontinued but an older version would do for small kids), Eriba have some lightweight 4 berths. T@b 400 is nice as well. Freedom caravans have just brought out their new Carpento range and it has a lightweight 4 berth. But for most of those you're going abroad to get them. Older/cheaper caravans tend to be heavier, and are cheap as people who have done their test since 2006 can't drive them without a special test.

AckwelFoley

If your caravan and towing vehicle is under 3500kg combined, providing the towing vehicle is suitable to tow the weight, you don't need a trailer licence, regardless of when you got your full licence.

If the vehicle and trailer exceed 3500kg combined you need a BE licence. If you don't have a BE licence, you need to do the theory test (if you have not done one before) and then sit the "jeep and trailer" BE licence.

Any single axle caravan regardless of age won't usually exceed 1550kg max as this is the max limit on any If the torsion axles used in caravans for the last 30 / 40 years

What has changed between old and new is the size you get for the weight. Lighter materials in construction means single axle caravans have got bigger in size but not weight necessarily

jethrothe2nd

That is all very helpful thank you all. I'm having a good look around at the options. Probably more inclined to buy 2nd hand than new, and not averse to going to the UK if it is worth it.

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120301378#Comment_120301378

We have just bought in the UK. We have a specific twin axle we were looking for. The more you camp, the more specific you'll get. The value is there, but getting it back in can be tricky. Some say you will bring it back no problems, others have been stopped and have had customs trying to charge VAT on it. It would be up to you to prove you didn't just buy it. VAT is applicable on new and secondhand caravans..or anything else for that matter.

turnfan

Consider a folding camper if you don't want to change your car -. e,g, Pennine Pathfinder 850kg unladen / 1000kg laden.

The only thing to consider is that you have space to dry it out if wet once you get home.

RiderOnTheStorm

I was looking in to this a while ago and the info I got was, a single axle caravan does not count as a trailer, so you dont need a B+E class on licence. The weight of the caravan is what counts. Check the (?)vin plate (usually in the door) that has the weights on it. The first kg is the weight of the car. The 2nd kg is what it can tow . The difference is the max weight of a caravan that you should look for …. how you know the weight of the caravan is a different story!