Towing Capacity Chart

Use this towing capacity chart to see at a glance what the towing weight limit is for different cars. This can be used as a caravan weight chart to understand what car you will need to tow your caravan. You can find out what the recommended towing weight is (based on the 85% rule), what confident drivers who have some towing experience can pull and what highly experienced drivers can pull. Simply lookup the kerbweight of your car in the list and find the corresponding towing capacity / weight limit.

How do braked and unbraked trailer loads differ?

A distinction is made between "braked" and "unbraked". Unbraked trailers as "light trailers" often pull motorcycles or small boats. The "hardware store trailers", which are used to dispose of garden waste or bring the lawnmower for repairs, are also often included. Large boat or car trailers as well as caravans or yacht trailers are usually equipped with their own brake (overrun brake) and can therefore be heavier. In UK, only car trailers with a gross vehicle weight of over 750 kilograms are required to have an overrun brake .

What are the legal limits?

The official towing limit will be shown in the vehicles V5 documents. You can often find it in brochures under the technical data for new cars, indicates what a car is capable of pulling due to its design. The legal requirements are set out in the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations. There are two basic rules:

1) The actual trailer load for cars must not be greater than the gross vehicle weight of the towing vehicle

2) For many off-road vehicles and SUVs, however, the trailer load may be one and a half times their gross vehicle weight. BUT: You must meet the definition of a corresponding off-road vehicle in the official regulations.