Things To Remember When Towing

There are all sorts of great reasons to be thinking about towing with your car or SUV. Maybe you’re staying in the UK this summer and want to try out a caravan, or perhaps you’re planning on towing a small trailer with garden waste to the dump.

Maybe you’ve just bought a new track day car and want to tow it to the racetrack, or perhaps you’re planning on towing some mechanical equipment. Many of us love horses and will be considering towing a horsebox, too.

Whatever your reasons for towing, read on for our short guide on things to remember when towing.

If you’re considering buying a new car that has a bigger towing capacity, you’ll first need to get rid of your old vehicle – and however much it’s worth will help determine the size and capacity of your next car.

There are plenty of online valuation services available where you can get a free estimation of the value of your car. Then you need to assess extra budget, the towing capacity you need and the best vehicles & deals out there.

1. Find out: how much is my car worth?

2. Assess any extra budget you have available

3. Consider the towing capacity you require

4. Consider recommended towing vehicles, rated best by the industry

5. Consider the different deals out there, from finance to cash deals

Towing capacity

Cars and SUVs have a maximum amount that they are allowed to tow, should they have a tow bar fitted (this can be done when the car is new or at a later date).

The things to look out for in the specifications of any given tow car are the braked trailer weight and the unbraked weight. Trailers over 750kg or over half the car’s kerb weight must be fitted with brakes.

Caravans have something called a MTPLM, which stands for Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass. This is the most it can possibly weigh with all your holiday kit on board and fully furnished. 

You need to make sure the car can handle pulling the trailer you choose, so you’ll need to know the weight of the trailer or caravan plus the weight of all your gear as well as the towing capacity of any potential tow car.

Rules about towing

Not everyone can drive a car with a trailer or caravan attached, as there are different rules for drivers who got their licenses at different times. If you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997 you can only tow a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined weight of the trailer and vehicle is no more than 3,500kg.

If you want to tow more than this you have to pass a B+E test. This is a trailer test and you can search online for instructors to help you.

If you got your licence before 1 January 1997 then you can drive a car and trailer with a weight of up to 8,250kg. You may still want to take a test or just some lessons if you’ve never towed a trailer before.

Top tips and more things to remember when towing

The first thing to remember once your trailer is hooked up is that the maximum speed when towing is 60mph on motorways and dual carriageways, or 50mph on single carriageways. Just remember to take off 10mph from what you’re used to on these faster roads to stay legal.

There are rules on the maximum width and length of a trailer. Make sure your caravan or trailer isn’t wider than 2.55m or longer than 7m. That still means your trailer might be wider than your car, in which case you might want to think about adding extra mirrors to be able to see round it.

Tow bars are regulated and must be approved for use with any car you fit them to – make sure to check this before you buy one and have it fitted. It’s a good idea to have them fitted professionally as it’s a critical safety issue.

Practice towing before a long trip if you’re rusty or haven’t towed before. Take lessons if you’re still not feeling fully confident.

Make sure you are displaying the correct number plate on the back of the caravan or trailer – it has to match the car you’re driving. All the same rules apply when you’re towing as with any normal car trip, so if you’re driving a car and trailer in a dangerous condition you can be fined – just make sure it’s all roadworthy well before you set off.