Loading our Terrano

[jace]

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

 

[andrewk]

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

 

[jace]

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)

 

[theduck]

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.

 

[jace]

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!

 

[SteveN]

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

 

[andrewk]

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

 

[jace]

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!

 

[theduck]

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

 

[jace]

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

 

[andrewk]

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

 

[andrewk]

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

 

[jace]

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.

 

[andrewk]

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

 

[jace]

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]

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.

 

[jace]

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/

 

[theduck]

So I guess that with all the adverse comments I won't be welcome at the national rally then :?:

 

[jace]

ha ha were all jealous of that stunnin combo u got there an when is anyone 100% legal?