what weight and size of caravan can i pull behind a moggie

Post by **dalebrignall** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:31 pm

what sizs can i pull behind a moggie with a 1098 and standuard brakes

Post by **alex_holden** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:52 pm

Did you pass your driving test before 1997?

Post by **benmagoo** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:23 pm

We have had to deal with towing weights through work and its not as complicated as people make it sound.

Physically your trailer / caravan sould be no more than 85% of your unladen tow vehicle. I believe a general figure for the weight of a Moggie is around 800kg's - therefore the trailer can be not alot more than 680 -700 kg's? which is Eriba Puck and T@B caravans territory

As far as licences go those who passed their driving test before January 1st 1997 have no restrictions and can tow freely.

Those of us who passed after January 1st 1997 CAN tow a caravan, up to a weight of 750 kg's BUT this is not the absolute limit:

From the DVLA website:

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) and with up to eight passenger seats.

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... G_10013073

I hope that helps?

Post by **dalebrignall** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:28 am

hi thanks it does alex i passed my test in 1986.ive been driving 22 years.i am very experienced with trailers as i worked on a farm for 14 years.i do think that when people have a caravan or trailer they should be able to reverse it,there should be a small test,gets off soap box

Post by **JimK** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:38 am

The owners' manual for a 1098 specifies a towing weight of 610.5kg and kerbside weight for a late saloon is around 760kg, making the ratio about 80%. I think you'll struggle to find a caravan that is less than 600kg when loaded with your holiday stuff. I know I've failed.

However: the idea of a 600kg trailer and standard Minor brakes terrifies me. I guess it depends on the car's load, but with four people and luggage in the car plus a 600kg trailer you could be looking at a gross train weight about a ton and three-quarters. I'd be holidaying in East Anglia or Netherlands - no hills.

Post by **britab1967** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:47 pm

85% is the recommended maximum for safe towing / novices to towing. The maximum is 100% or maximum stated in the handbook, whichever is the lower.
But as JimK has said, you must also look at max train weight which is stamped on modern cars but not our beloved Moggies. Also bear in mind this is simply a comparison of car weight and trailer weight and takes no account of the cars ability to pull the load.

Also, pulling a load around with a tractor & trailer at 35mph bears no resemblance to towing a large winbreak around at 50-60mph.

There are also Freedom caravans around at the 600Kg limit but as has been said, the camping load soon fills that up.

Post by **britab1967** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:48 pm

Should have said large "heavy" windbreak, sorry

Post by **britany** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:48 pm

Hi all
I am very interesting about this new topic.I own Bug + eriba Puck (-500kg)
But I think: it's more engine power that brakes ? Puck have inertia break.
Last year ,at Minors On Tour I saw 4 Minors+caravan.But I don't know if Mod?
So at National ???.Anyone photos ?
In Great Britain ,are there light oldtimer caravans?
Dan ( 64 traveller )

Post by **alex_holden** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:14 pm

Yes, I saw some small caravans and trailer tents at the National. I liked the look of a cute 1960s wooden caravan called the Nutshell, painted in the same colour scheme as the traveller towing it. I'm not sure it was long enough to hold a decent sized bed though, and I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be space for a kitchen, toilet, water heater, TV, etc. One of the bigger caravans had a sign on the back saying something like "Classic tow car - please be patient."

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:01 pm

Dale ask Watling Engineering they can probably tell you the exact limit.

http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/

And they are on your doorstep

Post by **RobThomas** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:35 pm

Did someone mention a heavy windbreak? Only 254 kg empty but a large sideload. Works fine on sidevalve engine and brakes but won't get above 40mph due to the lack of engine power.

Post by **Matt** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:16 pm

I would like to add

If the MAX GROSS WEIGHT of the trailer is over half the UNLADEN weight of the towing vehicle the trailer needs to be braked.

Post by **britab1967** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:19 pm

alex_holden wrote:Yes, I saw some small caravans and trailer tents at the National. I liked the look of a cute 1960s wooden caravan called the Nutshell, ...."

Alex, will that be this one?

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/20 ... good-times

A lady I spoke to said that the owner was 6'3" and there is a single bed and stove in there. I had a look through the window and it was basic but served his needs, an awning always helps.

There were several old folding style caravans there, that I didn't photograph towed by moggies, they had a roof shaped a bit like an upturned flat boat hull.
My father had one a few years back which he intended to convert to go on the back of an Isuzu pick-up, but never got round to it (they're rare, those round tuits).
The fibre glass walls folded out and were fastened to the roof with leather belts.

I've toyed with the idea of making a traveller trailer as a trailer tent, but as it's taken me 4 years on Molly so far, I think it'll be a while before anything like that happens.

Post by **Sidney'61** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:37 pm

Oooh, and is that an Oxford traveller towing the caravan?

Post by **alex_holden** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:39 pm

Alex, will that be this one?

Yes, that's the one. It didn't look over 6 feet long but I must admit I didn't get my tape measure out or peer through the windows! ;)

If you're going to go to the trouble of pitching an awning, why not pitch a big frame tent instead and do away with the hassle and expense of a caravan? If necessary, you could carry the tent and camping gear in a small unbraked trailer.

I've toyed with the idea of making a traveller trailer as a trailer tent

Great minds think alike! I was looking at Neil's cool camping trailer that he made from the back of a saloon with a camping stove and sink in the boot. If you started with the back of a traveller instead and invented some kind of clever folding arrangement to enlarge the interior like a trailer tent...

Jonathon had a Traveller that would have been ideal as a donor for a project like this because it had a good back end but a badly fire-damaged engine bay. It's a pipe dream though - I'd get lynched if I brought another project car home.

Post by **rupert** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:38 pm

a piccie of the nutshell for your viewing pleasure

there were a couple of portafold caravans at the national too - they are strange fibreglass folding caravan things

bit poky though...

Post by **dunketh** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:37 pm

You'd be better off with a trailer tent.
Some of the older ones have the option to open like a small clamshell and the jobs done. Awning and extra space is optional. Perfect for quick stop overs.
Most are similar to folding caravans but without the weight of a hard roof and plastic folding sides.

Theres really no effort or time involved in pitching a small one. Youd be mad not to pick one over a caravan imho.

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:26 pm

With a trailer tent or a folding caravan you are a lot more limited about how you can stow stuff in them while on the move compared to a caravan or camper with fixed walls. Every method has its advantages and disadvantages. My parents have gone through a tent, a trailer tent, several caravans of increasing size and luxury, a static caravan on Anglesey, a classic VW camper van, a larger Renault Trafic camper van, and now they are back to a mobile caravan again. Most recently dad has had an electric mover fitted to it so he can wheel it up and down the drive from a radio control box.

Post by **8009STEVE** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:48 pm

so he can wheel it up and down the drive from a radio control box.

COOL!

Post by **ASL642** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:59 pm

We watched a guy recently witha remote control for his van. Killed ourselves laughing as he kept pressing the opposite of what he wanted and the look on his face when the van came towards him rather than backwards into the space - priceless. Good idea though