Caravanners – the scourge of the motorway, or living the dream? Most people are firmly parked in one camp or the other, but thanks to travel restrictions and understandable reluctance to travel further afield this year, enquiries about and sales of motorhomes, caravans and static caravans have reached an all-time high this year.
If you find yourself gradually moving from team “hate” to team “love”, congratulations! However, a caravan is a serious investment (not to mention a danger to yourself and other road users of not kept in good condition and driven responsibly). If you are looking longingly at caravans for the first time, follow this series to find out everything you need to know about caravan buying.
Before you find yourself tumbling down that glorious rabbit hole that is caravan buying, you need to determine a few factors that will dictate your ultimate decision.
Weight – and your vehicle
Caravans aren’t light, so you need to know that your existing car can happily pull your new caravan – or be willing to splash out on a new car that will.
In general, the recommended weight of a caravan when fully loaded should be less than 85% of the car’s weight when it has a full tank of fuel, but not including passengers or luggage. However, some manufacturers set their limit lower than the kerb weight – if in doubt, check your paperwork (or a quick online search should give you the answer). Some more experienced caravan towers dismiss this guidance and feel comfortable driving with a higher weight percentage. However, you need to bear in mind that towing weight isn’t just about how well you can drive; an emergency stop or strong gust of wind could leave you in the potentially disastrous scenario of your caravan dragging you across a road.
Weight – and your licence
You also need to check your driving licence – depending on when you passed, there may be a restriction on what you can tow. If you passed after 1st January 1997, you probably won’t be able to tow anything over 3,500kg without taking an additional test. Known as a B+E entitlement, this test will allow you to tow heavier caravans and trailers, and could reduce your insurance premium, too. Get in touch with a local driving instructor to find out more.
Size
Size is another important factor to consider, especially if you are planning on going overseas (ferries tend to charge more for larger caravans), you are planning on keeping your van on the driveway, or your favourite campsite restricts the size of vehicles. Consider how you plan to use your caravan and get a good idea of your maximum dimensions.
Once you have the “boring” elements sorted out, you can start to think about the fun things! Check out the next instalment, where we discuss layouts and checks to make before you take the plunge.
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