|
|
Tyres
are the only parts of the caravan which
are in contact with the road. Safety in
acceleration, braking, steering and cornering
all depend on a relatively small area of
road contact.. |
|
| ENGINE
POWER |
Make sure that the vehicle has a large enough
engine and is sufficiently sized to pull the
load and make sure also that the trailer is
large and strong enough to hold the load.
|
|
| BRAKING
SYSTEM |
Also make sure that the braking system of
the towing vehicle is adequate to stop the
combined load efficiently and safely. |
|
| STOPPING |
You can do this by making sure that the weight
of the load does not exceed the maximum capacity
of the trailer and the combined weight of
trailer and load does not exceeed the maximum
towing weight for the vehicle. |
|
| DRIVING
STYLE |
Amend your driving style to cope with the
extra load. Don't forget that the vehicles
handling and stopping capacity can be seriously
changed when towing heavy loads. |
|
| STOPPING
DISTANCES |
Stopping distances are greater and acceleration
will be slower
(So don't pull out in front of someone thinking
you can just put your foot down) |
|
| COMBINED
LENGTH |
The combined length of the vehicle and trailer
is also much longer than normal so be careful
when negotiating sharp bends. |
|
| TOWING
CAPACITY |
The maximum towing capacity for a particular
vehicle can be found in the owners handbook
and/or on the chassis VIN plate. |
|
| TOTAL
WEIGHT |
The caravan Club recommends that the total
weight of the trailer and load should not
be greater than 85% of the kerb weight of
the towing vehicle. |
|
| KERB
WEIGHT |
The kerb weight is defined as the weight of
the vehicle plus a full tank of petrol and
75kg (for the driver and luggage) |
|
|
|
Licensing Requirements for Towing Trailers in Great Britain
