View Full Version : Loading our Terrano
We're off on to the continent again( Holland). Heres our Terrano fully loaded :lol:
http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.co.uk/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10289/100_0049.JPG
Hi duck cant find your picture? Visited Holland last spring on our way to the Adriatic. Camped in Amsterdam woods and a wood near Arnhem where the last battle Of (bridge to far ) took place. very good museum in the battle headquarters and a very moving cemetery. You might be turned away from some sites in France with you double axle caravan I think its to stop travelers moving on site............. and your very nice caravan is the make the travelers use!.... but anrnt all us caravaner's travelers? regards bri......
Sorry for the delay, Its there now.
Show me a vehicle that could cope as well as the Terrano with a set up like that!.
Mav.
Dave Dont forget wheelclamp. :oops:
i would say everything but kitchen sink but caravans already got that! thats an impressive load mate
got the picture :lol: very nice outfit, makes our 12ft look dinky! you will be glad to know, very few hills in holland.......bri :o
Thanks guys, glad you all like the outfit the Terrano made easy work of it. Haven't worked out the mpg yet (I want to enjoy myself :smile: ) hey bri it's not a travellers caravan over here it's just a german Dethelffs caravan :smile: anur d this site has free wifi and internet access (so make sur you behave yourselves whilst I am away :smile: .
gadgetsyd
10-02-2008, 23:33
Hi Duck.
Nice rig, a chip makes you smile, Gadget Syd.
Hi Gadgetsyd. The chip, yes wow :!: spittals roundabout A14/A141 to Dover 5th gear all the way 8) what a difference. :smile: :smile:
Thanks guys, glad you all like the outfit the Terrano made easy work of it. Haven't worked out the mpg yet (I want to enjoy myself :smile: ) hey bri it's not a travellers caravan over here it's just a german Dethelffs caravan
Nice - but aren't the Dethleffs twin-axles over 230cm wide?
Cheers
Andrew
so are the hobbys and tabberts etc but ol bill dont seem to worry about them you get more caravan for your money buying german van in uk!
so are the hobbys and tabberts etc but ol bill dont seem to worry about them you get more caravan for your money buying german van in uk!
I have a 2006 UK spec Burstner S-Class S500TS (230cm wide & UK layout, they only made them for a couple of years), so I know what german vans are about. I did consider buying a wide bodied one, but didn't buy one as I'm never likely to own a vehicle that I can legally tow it with in the UK (OTOH - if I ever do decide to buy a Unimog for laning .... ) - and didn't want to take the risk that 'ol bill' would have a crack-down and put me off the road. I didn't fancy having to buy one and then upgrade it to UK spec either - too much hassle. Insurance was a problem too when I enquired.
At Easter in 2006, I was pitched next to a chap with a Nissan Patrol and a big wide-bodied Hobby. A nice van - the extra few inches width really make a difference. The van itself was cheap when he bought it, but very basic and he spent quite a bit adding stuff that would be standard on a UK spec van. I'm not sure it's possible to bring the gas, water and electrical systems up to UK spec.
I took my Burstner into MG Caravans in Todmorden to be serviced on Saturday morning (first time I've towed it with the Patrol, its brilliant!!!) - and noticed that he'd no new UK spec Burtners for sale. Apparently, Burstner have stopped making UK spec vans and now only import continental layout vans into the UK - which are a few thousand cheaper. Most folks don't seem to like the layouts and they don't sell, so MG Caravans aren't going to stock their new vans any more. Oddly he did have a humungous Burstner twin-axle for *only* £13000 new - 2.5m wide and 9.6m long which he's offering as a "pseudo-static". So if you want one .......... he's probably open to offers as he's had it in for nearly a year now.
Personally, I think it's a stoopid law and well past the time that towing law was harmonised with EEC law. It's just daft that a saloon car registered in Europe can legally tow a wide bodied van in the UK, but that I can't with a Patrol that is way heavier and massively more capable.
Cheers
Andrew
there was one of those online petitions running started by chappie selling "h066y" number plate on ebay asking for rule change it may have finnished by now.
isnt it required that you use a 3.5t vehicle to tow them (hence most travelers have transit!) legally in uk,im hoping to site mine permently save towing it all time!
i paid £2.5k for this 03 hobby not pristine but with three kids and three dogs id be mad to buy new lol
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/WARSTAFFS/Hobby650UkSpecial
just a thought but uk law is second to eu law maybe a loophole?
isnt it required that you use a 3.5t vehicle to tow them (hence most travelers have transit!) legally in uk
It doesn't matter whether it's a commercial vehicle or not. To tow a caravan that is wider than 230cm legally in the UK, the towcar has to have a gross vehicle weight of more than 3500kg. As an aside, only the largest twin wheeled Transits (which travellers generally don't use) have a GVW over 3500kg. Most of the travellers will be illegal towing with Transits. The 'bill don't generally bother pulling them because they have no fixed address, so short of incarcerating them and confiscating the tow vehicle, there's not a lot they can do
im hoping to site mine permently save towing it all time!
I've seen a few wide-bodied Hobby's on seasonal pitches on sites. That might be another option - so you only need to tow it twice a year and it gives you the option of siting it somewhere different each year.
just a thought but uk law is second to eu law maybe a loophole?
Nope, sorry. UK law isn't subservient to EU law. UK adopts the bits of EU law that it chooses to. Towing is one place where they differ.
If you look at the MG Caravans advert for the wide bodied Burstner I mentioned, you'll see he says you must tow it with a vehicle over 3500kg GVW. Nice van (looks absolutely monstrous when you stand next to it!!!) - the advert says ............
2007 BURSTNER BELCANTO 690 TS (new) Twin Axle 5-berth semi-static Price: £13,000
Flyscreens and Blinds, Heki rooflight, Hitch Head Stabilizer, Inboard water tank, Oven, Blown air heating, Cooker, Double glazing, Freezer, Fridge, Grill, Mains electricity hook-up, Shower, Toilet. Length 9.6m, Width 2.5m, 5 Berth, In Britain this caravan should be towed by a vehicle with a gross weight of more than 3.5 tonnes. £13,000
Amazing value ..........
Cheers
Andrew
i was told on navara forum that hids conversion to headlights illegal under uk law but as new navs pathfinders etc come fitted and aproved by eu, uk law has to give way,just made me wonder if we could try the angle if worst ever came to worst!
i was told on navara forum that hids conversion to headlights illegal under uk law but as new navs pathfinders etc come fitted and aproved by eu, uk law has to give way,just made me wonder if we could try the angle if worst ever came to worst!
No, it isn't a matter of UK law "giving way". Post98 new vehicles sold into the UK are EU type approved (by UK law). Conversions will be illegal unless they were part of the type approval - but new Navs & Pathfinders will be type approved with hid lamps on them, so that's OK.
The situation's a bit like it is with towbars. Some towbars are type approved with spacers - e.g. the (new) Witter bar on my Patrol comes with a spacer (about 10mm thick), which I can either use or remove. If I'd bought a towbar that is type approved without a spacer, it would be illegal for me to buy one and use it. Similarly, I cannot fit a drop-plate (not that I need one) because the bar wasn't type approved with one fitted.
Cheers
Andrew
Thomas-the-Terrano2
11-02-2008, 23:51
quote
I've seen a few wide-bodied Hobby's on seasonal pitches on sites. That might be another option - so you only need to tow it twice a year and it gives you the option of siting it somewhere different each year.
so isnt even towing twice a year towing it at all?? so still illegal.
as i recall, you will invalidate your motor insurance doing so. perhaps not a worry to those who are not insured.
saw a polic camera action type programme other day stolen disco towing wide body van, probably a hobby. it did look too big for the tug but i suppose if you have decent mirrors and weight ratio is correct it could be ok.
as said i once had a hobby booklet which showed the 2.5m vans being towed by bmw x5 and vw t5, both considerably under 3500kg.
is it legal for someone from mainland europe to tow a big 'un here with a car?
so isnt even towing twice a year towing it at all?? so still illegal.
Yes, you're right - towing even once with an illegal vehicle is still illegal - but I guess you're less likely to get caught.
as i recall, you will invalidate your motor insurance doing so. perhaps not a worry to those who are not insured.
I don't know - maybe. It's something that I assume folks who tow wide bodied caravans, whether Hobby or otherwise, would have checked.
saw a polic camera action type programme other day stolen disco towing wide body van, probably a hobby. it did look too big for the tug but i suppose if you have decent mirrors and weight ratio is correct it could be ok.
It could be reasonably OK safetywise but not legally. The LWB Patrol, Landcruiser Amazon and Disco 3 all have maximum gross weights of around 3200kg - and they're about as big and heavy as it gets for "normal" offroaders in the UK. Driven sensibly, they should be reasonably safe with wide-bodied vans with a MTPLM of around 2000kg - but not legal.
as said i once had a hobby booklet which showed the 2.5m vans being towed by bmw x5 and vw t5, both considerably under 3500kg.
Yep could be - but presumably they would not recommend that in the UK as it is illegal.
is it legal for someone from mainland europe to tow a big 'un here with a car?
If it's legal where the car is registered then my understanding is that it is regarded as OK here.
Cheers
Andrew
i run on traders ins so would just say its a recovery from breakdown,as for insuring actual caravan caravan camping club have no snobbery so long as usual wheel locks fitted!
as for insuring actual caravan caravan camping club have no snobbery so long as usual wheel locks fitted!
When you insure a caravan, you don't have to tell the company what you are going to tow it with. It isn't illegal in the UK to tow a wide-bodied van, it's just that the towcar has to be over 3500kg - so maybe companies will insure the van, at a price. Whether they would pay for repairs to the van if you had an accident and it became clear that you'd been towing it illegally is another matter - that I guess you'd have to check with them.
Cheers
Andrew
acident would be car ins id imagine i was thinking theft be most worrying thing even seen reports of those new in wheel locks being gas axed off though,i insured the tabbert i had with ccc for 5k for about £300 yr for theft of van and/or contents
acident would be car ins id imagine
Errr ........ the car insurance covers third party risks (when you are towing the van) but not repairs to the caravan. Aren't all motor insurance policies like that?
I doubt that it would matter anyway. Insurance companies, whether for car or caravan, seem not to be overly inclined to pay out if they can find a reason not to. Towing a wide-bodied caravan with a car with a GVW < 3500kg just might be a reason they'd latch on to.
Cheers
Andrew
im fully comp upto 7.5k value and 7.5t weight,motobikes,trailers,recovery,test drives,public liability etc etc.
any claim would be paid out at trade value,if i crashed id have to look seriously before i bothered to claim (if i had that choice)
I insured my caravan , I declared it was 8ft wide and 7.5 length and I also had to declare it has the door on the right side, it's weight is 1630 nose weight is 150kg and the Terrano can tow 2800 my insurance company know I tow as well.
i exspected a right nightmare to ins mine put they didnt bat an eyelid just read them chasis no. etc promissed to use the wheel clamps and thy were very happy i exspected to be told go away you gypo or something daft!
Hi everyone, not been around for a while, again :roll:
Just thought I would chuck my tuppence worth in,
If you tow a big van like these with a transit etc surely the train weight of the vehicle is what counts, most if not all 3.5 tonne transit type motors have a train weight of 5.5 tonne so no problem.
I have been pulled by the ministry more than once towing stuff like these vans and never had a problem.
Whats the train weight of a terrano?
Might hve to go and have a look in the morning :wink:
cheers
STEVE
If you tow a big van like these with a transit etc surely the train weight of the vehicle is what counts, most if not all 3.5 tonne transit type motors have a train weight of 5.5 tonne so no problem.
Some of the twin-rear wheeled Transits have a GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) of over 3500kg so are OK providing, as you say, that you don't exceed the maximum train weight by loading the van heavily and towing something big too.
Whats the train weight of a terrano?
The GVW for a LWB Terrano 2 is 2580kg. Maximum train weight is 5580kg. It's kerbweight is 1870kg.
To the best of my knowledge, there are no "normal" 4x4s (i.e. excluding Unimogs and the like) available for sale in the UK that have a GVW greater than 3500kg. One of the biggest - the manual LWB Patrol 3.0Di SVE has a GVW of 3200kg, a maximum train weight of 6700kg and a kerbweight of 2400kg. I cannot legally tow a wide-bodied caravan with mine. Daft, isn't it?
The caravan industry recommend that for acceptable safety you should not tow a caravan heavier than 85% of the kerbweight of your towcar.
Cheers
Andrew
so in europe it could be hooked upto a passat say and towed legally? yet over here great hulking 3.0td 4x4 cant tow it that is mad!
YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD Jace. On the continent you are right you can tow a wide van like this with a normal saloon car. What we have is British beaurocacy. Brussels tell us what to do and then do what they like???? :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: We only use our caravan in europe because it far cheaper
thats only reason i have german vans 2003 english van be 3 times cost! nice to see you taking full advantage wirless internet over there lol
so in europe it could be hooked upto a passat say and towed legally? yet over here great hulking 3.0td 4x4 cant tow it that is mad!
I've seen a Passat towing a wide-bodied Hobby - was in Scotland last year when we were on holiday. It was registered in Germany, I think - so is legal here. Dafter and dafter ......
Cheers
Andrew
YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD Jace. On the continent you are right you can tow a wide van like this with a normal saloon car.
The rules that apply are those of the country in which the towcar is registered. This means that a Passat registered in Germany can legally tow a wide-bodied Hobby in Germany and also in the UK. I cannot tow the same Hobby legally in either UK or Germany with a LWB Nissan Patrol which is getting on for twice the weight of the Passat.
Dafter and dafter and dafter ........
Cheers
Andrew
it would help to exsplain why hobbys etc are quite bit cheaper than there english counterparts unless you go for single wheeler as there narrower i believe.
it would help to exsplain why hobbys etc are quite bit cheaper than there english counterparts unless you go for single wheeler as there narrower i believe.
German vans are not necessarily a lot cheaper than their British counterparts. It depends on the van, where you buy it and whether it is UK spec or not. From my experience, though, they are definitely better built.
I bought a Burstner S-Class S500TS new in 2006 from MG Caravans in Todmorden which has a UK layout and is to a UK spec for electrics, gas, water. It has all the bells and whistles that you'd expect a decent British van to have. Fridge, proper cooker (with an oven), shower that works, radio/CD built in, blown warm air heating and so on. It was also a similar kind of price too - £14250 new in Feb 2006. Burstner have now stopped making them.
They do, though, make a Burstner Belcanto 500TS which is a continental layout van, not to UK spec . I don't know whether any of the UK caravan dealers are going to stock it (but I do know one that definitely isn't). I'm given to understand that in the UK, it'll be a couple of thousand cheaper - mainly due to differences in layout and spec.
Cheers
Andrew
new to me be waste money 3kids and dogs itd have me in tears in minutes i bet! older 2nd hand if i get few yrs outve it an things get broken not so much heartache!
Thomas-the-Terrano2
13-02-2008, 22:26
YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD Jace. On the continent you are right you can tow a wide van like this with a normal saloon car. What we have is British beaurocacy. Brussels tell us what to do and then do what they like???? :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: We only use our caravan in europe because it far cheaper
So you keep it across channel? cos surely otherwise towing it in uk would still be illegal. Have you notified your motor insurer of the van's spec?
I did see a petition recently on pm.gov requesting scrapping of wide body ruling to bring it inline with mainland.
Now if its based on country of registration then you could still be illegal over seas.
Its also quite ironic that some of these vans are shorter than uk body max of 7m/23ft but a few inches either side rules them out. Sorry guys not trying to rain on your parades, I'd love one too. But the thought of invalidating the T2's insurance and the liabilities in an accident or claim kind of put me off.
Btw the legal route would either be something like a merc sprinter 416 which defn has a gvw of around 4.6 tonnes or a yank 4x4 like a 3/4 ton or 2500 series pickup or suburban, or ford excursion.
Also the last time I checked one of these crew cab tiwn wheel tipper transits grossed out at 3500 kg. not over so would not be acceptable.
i shyed away towing mine with the crewcab didnt want the gypsy stigma when pulling up on holiday sites, i was just frightend theyd turn me away. wonder if the petition will do any good i signed it as have vested interest lol
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/trailer-width/
So I guess that with all the adverse comments I won't be welcome at the national rally then :?:
ha ha were all jealous of that stunnin combo u got there an when is anyone 100% legal?
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