Towing a trailer?!?

marlot

forgotmyname wrote: »

Mondeo is about as big as you can go and still be able to tow a decent weight.

Double check the cars logbook and VIN plates before buying. Run the fuel down and
empty everything and get it weighed to make doubly sure of its weight.

They are usually a bit heavier than books say but there are always exceptions.

So if you weight it empty you know you have a safe margin with a bit of extra fuel and washer fluid etc. You can add about 8kg just in washer fluid if the car has the larger tank.

60kg for a tank of fuel?

Why would you want to (or need to) do this?

For licencing, a category B driver is judged on the plated weights, not the actual weights.

They can get the 'mass in service' from the V5 (for the kerb weight or unladen weight - whichever the handbook says it is), and the gross (max) vehicle mass from the VIN plate.

Of course, they also have to make sure they don't exceed the max weights, and for that a weighbridge could be used, but that's a secondary act to finding the right car (what the OP was asking for advice on).

forgotmyname

Not all V5's have the vehicles unladen weight. If your getting close to any limits i think its best to know all the facts.

Seen on one of the cop shows a woman stopped towing a caravan, Your towing that illegally as you passed after 1997 was the policemans comment.
I check the figures and it all worked out legal to me.

Combined mass under 3.5 tons, Not over the cars unladen kerbweight etc etc. I printed off a sheet for my sister to carry when she tows, just in case.

As Rover Driver points out, both sets of weights are important.

Some cars have a max tow limit that assumes a car with a driver and full tank of fuel only. Any extra weight carried will need to be deducted from the max towing limit.