any sites take hobby vans norfolk

[gazterrano]

hi guys, just thinking about purchasing a hobby van ..yes i know there hard to insure & very nickable but i found insure quote no problem & a local site near me that stores them , once ive added all the security devices & probably throw a sheet over it for winter but my main concern is very few sites want these vans on there site due to its enourmus size (30ft)lenght ,we often travel to norfolk for the summer breaks wondered if anyone else has one of these suffers same problem ..any views would be helpfull

[spinna]

30ft:eek: I thought my van was big at 26ft

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

30ft:eek: I thought my van was big at 26ft


fear that sounds too big legally for a t2, anything over 7 metre body length
will invalidate your insurance, shame as they are beauties.

as for sites, join caravan club, can turn up with any make flash member
card and you're in! afraid the traveller connection is what can cause a
knee jerk reaction at some sites.

[96terrano]

We were turned down once. Our van is about 22ft

[gazterrano]

fear that sounds too big legally for a t2, anything over 7 metre body length
will invalidate your insurance, shame as they are beauties.

as for sites, join caravan club, can turn up with any make flash member
card and you're in! afraid the traveller connection is what can cause a
knee jerk reaction at some sites.

weight wise its 1800kg within the limits, as for lenght yeah 7mtrs or 23ft not inc A frame prob takes it to 26ish but yeah fixed beds massive lounge all the toys for small money compared to many others... mmm not in caravan club but looks like i might have to join ,yeah there all scared gypsys have turned up when an hobbys attached ..so im told lot of sites dont like em tho

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

what model, sounds great.

think with club is can then attend holiday rallies
where whilst basic facilities, its cheap and dont
worry about size of outfit.

some of smaller commercial sites might try to
charge for 2 pitches if think outfit is oversize
to their small pitches.

insuring hobby should be easier again with club
as the wider bodies are now legal for towing by
regular cars/suvs.

[762buzz]

Try searles in Hunstanton they have a caravan area and have seen a hobby on there before
Not a cheap site but top notch and have a tesco in doorstep so don't have to keep running truck about

[briggie]

30ft:eek: I thought my van was big at 26ft

my van is 35ft by 12 foot :augie

[gazterrano]

my van is 35ft by 12 foot :augie

im guessing you dont tow that with a terrano whats the weight!

[gazterrano]

what model, sounds great.

think with club is can then attend holiday rallies
where whilst basic facilities, its cheap and dont
worry about size of outfit.

some of smaller commercial sites might try to
charge for 2 pitches if think outfit is oversize
to their small pitches.

insuring hobby should be easier again with club
as the wider bodies are now legal for towing by
regular cars/suvs.

the one ive seen is a 650 model with L shaped lounge fixed bed full fridge freezer & of course they are well screwed together 05 for £6000 lot of van for your money but im told that model falls into the towing lenght just inside limits, i have a mate police sargent he is also unsure of towing limits too

[firebobby]

my van is 35ft by 12 foot :augie

I bet your popular on the Rd briggie:D

Be a bloody laugh though, towing a static on the highway, think of the moans you would get:augie

[firebobby]

im guessing you dont tow that with a terrano whats the weight!

Gaz, I just found this, may be worth reading before you buy it.......


TRUE FACTS TO TOWING A HOBBY

After reading some of the reviews regarding towing a 2.5m 8ft wide Hobby caravan in the UK, some people seem to be getting their facts mixed up a bit.
Towing limits are not Gross vehicle weights !!

To tow a Hobby caravan that is bigger than a 540 model i.e. 560, 650, 690, 720 etc which are all 2.5m or 8ft wide, you need a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 3501kg or higher which to you and me is a full blown COMMERCIAL VEHICLE.

This law rules out ALL UK 4x4's, Disco's, Landcruisers, Troopers, L200's etc and ALL 3500kg vans i.e. Transit T350, Merc Sprinter, Iveco's etc.

To own and run a full blown COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, firstly you need an operators licence and a base to operate from (private residences are not permitted) you need to use tacho's and have the vehicle tested every 3 months at a VOSA test station.

See where this is going !!

I own a Ford Transit 115 T350 Jumbo Van Double Rear Wheel which is huge, kerbweight 2250kg, gross vehicle weight 3500kg, gross train weight 6000kg which means if my van is loaded to capacity at 3500kg I can still tow 2500kg behind me, making me 6000kg (6 ton) in total, and legally, although I do hold a HGV class 1 licence anyway.

Guess what ?? It is still illegal to tow a 2.5m 8ft wide hobby caravan with my Transit.

Regardless of what anyone tells you, I've been into this with a fine tooth comb, spoke to VASO, DVLA and the Police with respect of buying a 720UKfe and touring with it and the same answers keep coming back, 3501kg or higher.

People will tell you anything to sell you one, and insurance companies will insure you because their wording relates to the trailer being towed by a legal vehicle....... You crash and try to claim !!

They ask what vehicle were you towing it with... whoops invalid sorry !!
OK you've totalled your caravan and wreaked you 4x4 but at least you can claim for that, right !! Wrong !
When you have to explain that you crashed towing a 2.5m wide trailer .... whoops invalid sorry !!

What are your options at this stage ?? well suicide I suppose ! Especially when the wife only wanted a little Swift 450.

You can own a 4.2 TDI Landcruiser and although it will tow 3500kg, its gross vehicle weight is not over 3501kg so it’s illegal.

If you bought a T430 Transit which IS a full on commercial vehicle and used it solely for social domestic and pleasure purposes and someone would insure you for it, THEN and only THEN could you tow your big Hobby and be LEGAL

The idea of living with a full commercial vehicle just to tow a Hobby is somewhat impossible though.

Hope this helps

[(RIP) PLANK]

sorry but that is wrong! you can now tow a caravan 2.55 meters wide on a UK road with a suitable PLG vehicle it has been law for the last couple of years. own and tow such caravans! we used to have a member VATCO who runs the Vintage American Trailer CO he published an apology on his website after making the same mistake. There is stuff on uk.gov about his but can't post links on my kindle!

[firebobby]

Just something I found Plank, like you say, things change.
We are in the caravan club and you do see quite a few hobby's on the club sites now, I like the build quality of German caravans.

Mind, you will need a good set of mirrors as the Terrano is a narrow car and the Hobby is wider than most

[(RIP) PLANK]

Just something I found Plank, like you say, things change.
We are in the caravan club and you do see quite a few hobby's on the club sites now, I like the build quality of German caravans.

Mind, you will need a good set of mirrors as the Terrano is a narrow car and the Hobby is wider than most

The mirrors! a very good point a T2 is very narrow. tried all sorts and settled on 'rock steady' not quite the truth but about as good as towing mirrors get!

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

the one ive seen is a 650 model with L shaped lounge fixed bed full fridge freezer & of course they are well screwed together 05 for £6000 lot of van for your money but im told that model falls into the towing lenght just inside limits, i have a mate police sargent he is also unsure of towing limits too


check body length, 650 may not mean its 6.5 metres, the old line was length
at the top of bed boxes ie cushions, mind can delete nose cone.

found this, looks like a close call

Total length including towing bar: 843 cm
Length of boby with gas cylinder: 726 cm
Length of body without gas cylinder: 666 cm
Internal Length including window sill: 696 cm
Internal Length excluding window sill: 660 cm

further it depends on body layout code, not all 650s are same, noted after copied the above 650!

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

main agent is at ambergate, worth giving them a call, they certainly used
to have a range of hobbys in, drooled over them many a time and some
uk p/exs.

[gazterrano]

main agent is at ambergate, worth giving them a call, they certainly used
to have a range of hobbys in, drooled over them many a time and some
uk p/exs.

yes i rang an hobby dealer & he gave me the speel you can tow any of these models no problem (which he is going to do) i mentioned about lenght maximum 7 mtrs he replied erm erm 650 model falls into that catorgary which has been stated in previous posts still exceeds the maximum lenght, he asked me what i used to pull it i said terrano he replied oh there brill for towing pull all of these!:doh he was going on & on about the speeds he reached towing a hobby..bored yawn ! it was obvious at this stage he was simply all out for the sell & the towing limits went straight over his head :bow cant see me getting intouch again with that guy somehow since then ive looked at lunar lexon twin wheel which is lot lighter than hobby think around 21ft lenght but far more expensive than the hobby & not as nickable shame really but did like the 650 model ...some very helpfull comments ive had from the guys on this site been real help :thumbs

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

well sorry about hobby but dont want to see your hard earned
cash being wasted. or worse. even for a few inches...


think tbh 1900 kg bit on high side for a t2 too, would be over the
guide 85% ratio, ok its not law, but more insurers are quoting it
as if it is...and in event of a claim, you know they'll use anything
to not pay out.

ok tow weight is 2800kg, but sail effect of caravan can move
car about.

with my 1660 kg abbey, which I bought when had previous t2
its still ok with current t2 but the ratio is higher and can feel
it more than on patrol. find just slow down a bit after all whats
the rush. it would really spoil our day with spectrum leading t2...

did you have the model code of the hobby, or take tape measure
to it?

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

got to love hobby, look for their site

latest 700 model, shipping 9.5m, gross weight 3300kg yes really.

body length 8.3m interior length 7.6m.

weight to travel 1947kg, pictured with a galaxy as tug, omg.

cannot believe thats a recommended rig, even in germany, what
of tuv? regs

[(RIP) PLANK]

got to love hobby, look for their site

latest 700 model, shipping 9.5m, gross weight 3300kg yes really.

body length 8.3m interior length 7.6m.

weight to travel 1947kg, pictured with a galaxy as tug, omg.

cannot believe thats a recommended rig, even in germany, what
of tuv? regs

A T2 would do it ;-)

[762buzz]

Buy a elddis crusader cyclone

Then I can borrow it off u lol

http://www.elddis.co.uk/tourers/2297/jobs.html

It's what we are after when payed off outstanding finance

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

A T2 would do it ;-)

yeah i know, what about MAM though suppose she'd
have to make her own way )

i wonder if germans dont tow at such high speeds as
brits typically do, to explain such heavy trailers on
light duty cars, anyone any experiences overseas?

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

well hobby need wrist slapping just checked latest galaxy.

gross train 4500kg max trailer 2000kg. this is 2.2tdci

so could just about shunt caravan round yard lol.

[gazterrano]

well sorry about hobby but dont want to see your hard earned
cash being wasted. or worse. even for a few inches...


think tbh 1900 kg bit on high side for a t2 too, would be over the
guide 85% ratio, ok its not law, but more insurers are quoting it
as if it is...and in event of a claim, you know they'll use anything
to not pay out.

ok tow weight is 2800kg, but sail effect of caravan can move
car about.

with my 1660 kg abbey, which I bought when had previous t2
its still ok with current t2 but the ratio is higher and can feel
it more than on patrol. find just slow down a bit after all whats
the rush. it would really spoil our day with spectrum leading t2...

did you have the model code of the hobby, or take tape measure
to it?

yeah as you say its looking close to the knuckle with hobby any bumps taps could void your ins not to mention the safety side like the van in most cases weighs almost the same as the terrano:doh & i bet at times the van feels in control ! not good ,ive towed many times before & take my time no rush & get there safely intact ,my mrs is wanting a static van i fancied another tourer but the ground rent at some sites for statics made me think twice, ive put in for this ppi & so far its looking promising so im gonna just hang on & work it all out may even finish up with a static yet ! :lol

[(RIP) PLANK]

I know it's a bit late but this link shows the towing law regarding caravan size:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_192285


So a huge 2.55 meters wide 'for any towing vehicle, the length is however limited by the wieght of the towin vehicle, if can't be bothered to click the link here is a snippet:

Know your towing weight and width limits
Most standard cars have a maximum recommended towing weight. It's usually listed in the handbook or specification sheet. You can also find it on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate on the car.


The VIN plate is usually under the bonnet or inside the driver's door. It will list a maximum vehicle weight and a maximum train weight. The maximum vehicle weight is what the fully loaded car weighs and the train weight is the maximum weight for the car plus a trailer. If your VIN plate doesn't list a train weight, you should not use your vehicle for towing.

Width and length

The width limit for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. The length limit is 7 metres for a trailer towed by a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kilograms).


Out of interest - 2.55 m = 8.36604 ft (decimal)
= 8' - 4 4/10" (feet, inches and tenths-of-an-inch)

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

I know it's a bit late but this link shows the towing law regarding caravan size:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_192285


So a huge 2.55 meters wide 'for any towing vehicle, the length is however limited by the wieght of the towin vehicle, if can't be bothered to click the link here is a snippet:

Know your towing weight and width limits
Most standard cars have a maximum recommended towing weight. It's usually listed in the handbook or specification sheet. You can also find it on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate on the car.


The VIN plate is usually under the bonnet or inside the driver's door. It will list a maximum vehicle weight and a maximum train weight. The maximum vehicle weight is what the fully loaded car weighs and the train weight is the maximum weight for the car plus a trailer. If your VIN plate doesn't list a train weight, you should not use your vehicle for towing.

Width and length

The width limit for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. The length limit is 7 metres for a trailer towed by a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kilograms).


Out of interest - 2.55 m = 8.36604 ft (decimal)
= 8' - 4 4/10" (feet, inches and tenths-of-an-inch)

{LIKE BUTTON}

so its all about what you can so with 10.4 inches...

[newfy]

Hi guys I tow a hobby 575 with a laden weight of 1600kg
Its 8feet wide and and about 21 feet long
I tow it with a Honda crv with no probs and get around
28 mpg with it on the back
Don't get me wrong you no its there
I have recently bought a terrano regulus and hope to be
Towing with it soon
Never had any probs with sites and insured with the caravan club
These are the rolls Royce of vans and much supperier
To the usual damp British vans

[briggie]

im guessing you dont tow that with a terrano whats the weight!

its a static :augie:lol

[panelbeater]

do not forget the camping and caravanning club.on caravan club sites you pay for a pitch as well as person,on ccc sites its just person so a lot cheaper.

[marti666]

I had to check before I bought my caravan I spoke to the DVLA in leeds before it was closed I've a Sun Roller 495 which is 2.54 x 7mtrs and 1360kg loaded and they said I was legal to tow with a Rover 75 CDTI tourer .....but it just didn't look right so got the T2 when the Rover needed an new clutch (T2 was cheaper than replacing the clutch....)....