Towing a caravan comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. Ensuring your caravan is loaded correctly, within legal limits, and properly maintained is essential for safe and enjoyable journeys. This guide provides key information on dimensions, weights, loading, and towing tips to help you stay within the law and avoid unnecessary risks on the road.
Caravan Dimensions and Weights
Understanding your caravan’s dimensions and weights is crucial for legal compliance and safe towing. Let’s break down the key measurements and explain how they impact your towing experience.
- Caravan Dimensions:
- Maximum body length for caravans on UK roads is 7 metres (22ft 11½ins), excluding the A-frame.
- Maximum width is 2.55 metres (8ft 4ins).
- Maximum height is 3.05 metres (10ft), although many caravans are around 2.6 metres (8ft 6ins).
These dimensions ensure your caravan is road-legal and can safely navigate typical roads and bridges. Always check your caravan’s dimensions, as larger caravans may have special restrictions.
- MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass): The MTPLM is the maximum weight your caravan can legally weigh when fully loaded, including all contents such as luggage, water, and gas. This figure is critical for safe towing and must not be exceeded. You’ll find the MTPLM on a plate attached to the caravan, usually near the door or in the gas box
- MiRO (Mass in Running Order): The MiRO is the caravan’s weight as it leaves the factory, including basic equipment such as gas cylinders and water in the heating system. It doesn’t include any personal items or additional equipment you add later.
- Payload: The payload is the difference between the MTPLM and the MiRO. It tells you how much additional weight you can safely load into your caravan. This includes everything from food, clothing, and bicycles to aftermarket additions like a motor mover or awning.
How to Calculate:
Let’s say your caravan has the following specifications:
- MTPLM: 1,500 kg
- MiRO: 1,200 kg
To calculate the payload (how much extra you can carry):
- MTPLM (1,500 kg) – MiRO (1,200 kg) = Payload of 300 kg
This means you can load an additional 300 kg of equipment and personal items into the caravan. Be mindful of what you add, as it’s easy to exceed this limit without realising it. Items like a motor mover (which can weigh 30-35 kg per axle) or an extra gas bottle (14-16 kg) can quickly reduce your available payload.
Practical Tip:
It’s useful to make a checklist of everything you plan to take in the caravan and estimate the weight of each item. Common items include:
- Awning and poles: 20–30 kg
- Extra gas bottle: 14–16 kg
- Electrical hook-up cable: 5–7 kg
- Leisure battery: 15–20 kg
- Tools and spare parts: 5–10 kg
By keeping track, you’ll avoid exceeding the MTPLM and ensure safe towing.
Understanding and managing your caravan’s dimensions and weights ensures a legal and stress-free towing experience. Using the MTPLM, MiRO, and payload formula helps you pack efficiently while staying within safe limits. For peace of mind, consider weighing your fully-loaded caravan at a public weighbridge before setting off to ensure you’re within legal and safe limits.