Recently bought a new touring caravan? Wondering if your 10 years old Volkswagens can tow it efficiently? Well, after reading this post, you will know everything you need to know in this regard.
The best car for towing a caravan is the one that offers practicality, affordability and safety all in one. There’s no straightforward answer to this question. Any car that can perform swiftly in real-life situations can be regarded as the best car for towing a caravan.
While buying a car for towing a caravan, you should be very careful; otherwise, you can face trouble and embarrassment. Fortunately, several cars perform pretty well and have proven to be the best cars to tow.
Before anything else, let’s see what things you should check while buying a car to tow a caravan:
Choosing A Car For Caravan Towing
When buying a car for towing, you can’t fall for looks or frills. Whether your preference is towards towing your caravan with an automatic, or towing with a manual here are some things you should consider before buying your towing vehicle:
Caravan Towing Slalom Test Results
You don’t necessarily have to look at slalom test results when you buy a car for your home. It’s okay to go for looks when you have to drive your car for daily usage. When it comes to towing, slalom test results get pretty important.
The reason is quite simple; your car will be handling an extra weight of hundreds of kgs. If the vehicle has not proven to be absolutely stable in the slalom test, it can’t be a good choice.
Performance In Braking Runs
Experts say you can’t consider any car a good car if it doesn’t break at the same rate it accelerates. This is the most important thing because your life depends on the performance of the brakes of your vehicle.
Ineffective braking causes more accidents than anything else on the road. To find out about the braking runs performance, you can take the help of the internet or request the dealership physically.
Acceleration
Imagine you are climbing up on a hill, and your car loses acceleration all of a sudden. This is the worst nightmare of any driver in the world. Do you know why this phenomenon takes place? It is because the engine of the car is underpowered.
To avoid this or any situation like this, make sure that the car you are going to buy has adequate acceleration.
Emergency Manoeuvring
When you are on the road for days or weeks, you have to get used to things like emergency manoeuvring. A wild animal can jump out of the woods while you are driving. A person in front of you can suddenly change lanes and whatnot.
You should always prepare for the worst situation possible. Driver skills also matter, but if the vehicle is not suitable to tackle such cases, what can a driver do?
Fuel Economy When Towing
Most people overlook this factor and end up spending loads of money on fuel. Fuel consumes a major part of your holiday budget, so you should never ignore its importance. There are three different types of caravanners. One goes for power, and the other goes for fuel economy.
Then comes the third type of caravanners which are the smartest type of people. These types of caravanners look for a perfect combination of power and fuel economy.
Now, let’s move to the other factors that should contribute to the decision of buying a car for towing.
Things To Know About Towing A Caravan
You know what things you should look for in a car practicality wise, now, let’s move towards some technicalities involved:
Relevant Towing Terminologies
You might be wondering what you have to do with the terminologies? Well, the most crucial thing to do while you are on the road is to comply with the law, and these terms will help you understand the laws.
Gross Train Weight (GTW)- This is the combined weight of your car and the caravan or any other thing it is towing. You might also hear it as Gross Combination Weight.
Maximum Authorized Mass (MAM)- This is the most critical law term in caravanning culture. Maximum Authorized Mass or Gross Vehicle Mass is the maximum limit of weight of a loaded vehicle.
Caravan Towing Driving Laws
According to the driving laws in the UK, if you have a license that was issued after January 1997, you can tow a caravan with 750 KG MAM with a car of 3500 KG MAM. You can exceed the limit of 750 KG MAM if the total MAM of your car and the caravan is below 3500 KG.
If your license was issued before January 1997, consider yourself lucky because your combined MAM can be up to 8250 KG.
Moreover, you can find the Gross Train Weight on the brochure that comes with your vehicle. According to the law, you cannot exceed that number.
Caravan Towing Mirrors
Law states that you must have towing mirrors if your caravan is wider than the rear of your car. You can get 3 penalty points and up to £1000 of fine if you fail to comply.
Caravan Braking System Law
According to the law, your caravan must have an adequate braking system if it weighs more than 750KG.
Final Caravan Towing Car Verdict
If you join the points, you will see that SUVs, Crossovers, Pickups and even saloons can be perfect options. It is because they have proven to be very practical in terms of handling and towing prowess.
Summary
Buying a car for your daily usage is easy but buying a vehicle for towing is a whole different story. You have to consider a lot of things other than just flashy lights and looks. Slalom tests, the performance of brakes and acceleration should be your priority while choosing a car for towing.
Moreover, don’t ever forget about the fuel economy. You will be crying at the end of the trip if your car’s fuel economy is not good. In addition, you will have to make frequent fuel stops which isn’t quite charming.
All of the things stated above are important, but the most important thing is to comply with the law. For this, you will have to know and understand the law first. The essential information you need is provided in this post.
