Caravan weights

When you buy a caravan it will come with many weight statistics, including a MIRO, MTPLM, nose weight and towing weight.  Knowing the correct weight limits of your caravan is critical to the safety of you, your family, and other road users.

The weight limits imposed on your caravan by the manufacturer are there for a reason and should be carefully considered whenever you are loading your caravan. Ignoring them may not only lead to an accident but can even invalidate your touring caravan insurance. Following an accident an inspecting engineer may comment that they think the unit may have been overloaded. If an insurance company is able to obtain proof that this was the case then they would be able to decline a claim.

At Club Care we want to ensure that all caravan owners are towing safely, so we have put together a guide to caravan weights and how to understand yours.

  • Mass in Running Order (MIRO)

    The MIRO reflects your caravan’s weight after it is produced at the factory, before it is loaded with all your personal items. It includes items that are considered essential to the running of a caravan including gas cylinders, electric hook-up cables, flush water and water in the heating system.

  • Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass (MTPLM)

    The MTPLM reflects the maximum your caravan can weigh once it is fully loaded and it is vital that caravanners don’t exceed this weight as it could be a risk to them and anyone on the road around them. Unless you are a very experienced caravanner, it is recommended that the weight of the loaded caravan is no more than 85% of the towing car’s kerb weight, a figure you will find in the car’s handbook.

    Once your caravan is loaded up, it is surprising how much everything weighs and many caravan owners find it difficult to stick within this limit. Below are a few tips to help if you are struggling to keep within your caravans MTPLM:

    • Consider replacing your kitchen utensils with lightweight camping versions.
    • Only take clothes you will need to wear, don’t be tempted to transfer your entire wardrobe just for a week away.
    • Similarly with toiletries, buy small refillable bottles rather than carrying large bottles that you won’t need to use much of.
    • Empty water containers before you leave. This will not only lighten your load, but will also improve safety as water in the tanks can cause the caravan to become less stable, as it sloshes around during travel.
    • Don’t carry lots of heavy tinned food with you that you can buy on site.
    • And finally, as obvious as it sounds, don’t take what you don’t need!

  • Nose weight

    The nose weight is the greatest amount of weight you can place on the tow ball of the car. It is important to get this right as too much weight could lift the front of the car and put too much pressure on the rear tyres. If the nose weight is too heavy it can also raise the front of the headlights on the front of the car above the legal limit. Equally, if there is not enough weight on the tow ball of the car then this can reduce the grip of the rear tyres, something that is particularly dangerous in vehicles with rear-wheel drive. As a rule of thumb, your nose weight should be around 7% of the caravans total weight. See our loading a caravan advice to ensure that you are distributing the weight in your caravan safely.

  • Towing weight

    An insurance company will obtain information about the towcar in respect of all claims, and would check compatibility in the event of relevant claim, such as a snaking accident. To reduce the risk of an accident happening, and ensure that you don’t invalidate your insurance if an accident should happen, it is very important to know the towing weight of your vehicle. You will find this in the car’s handbook.

    Caravan and towcar matching

    Ensuring that your caravan and tow car are a good match is vital for the safety of you, your family and other road users. If you are a member of the Camping and Caravanning Club you can use the towing match service available on their website.