WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TOW CAR

It's not easy to know if a car will tow well. Here are the features to look out for...

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Caravanning is a little like a marriage.

Your car and tourer are partners, and if the two don’t get along it can cause all sorts of trouble.

Your car needs to be a good match for your caravan, but there’s more to a happy motoring marriage than weights and measures. Just how do you know if a car will tow well? Follow these pointers and you won’t go far wrong.

Matchmaking

Before we get into which features to look out for, let’s quickly cover the basics of outfit matching. Both major caravanning clubs recommend towing a caravan weighing no more than 85% of the kerbweight of the tow car. So, when looking for a suitable tow car, divide the Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) of your caravan by 85, and multiply the result by 100. So, if you own a 1700kg caravan, ideally you are looking for a tow car weighing 2000kg or more (1700 divided by 85, multiplied by 100).

Matching ratios of up to 100% are acceptable if you are an experienced tow car driver, but abiding by the 85% guideline makes for more stable towing whatever your level of experience.

Next, check the towing capacity of the car. This will usually be above the 85% match figure, but not always. If it is below the MTPLM of your caravan then this model isn’t suitable for towing your van.

Check the maximum download on the towbar (AKA the noseweight). If the permitted download is 5-7% of the laden weight of your caravan, that’s a good sign.

Might and muscle

The matching ratio is important in gauging whether a car will be stable while towing a particular caravan. While that must be the first priority, performance also matters. An underpowered tow car will struggle to get up to speed and will be under strain on every hill.