What's best for towing a caravan?
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Question of the month
Q) Im looking for a new car thats capable of towing a 1415kg caravan. Is a Volvo V70 D5 or a BMW X5 xDrive30d up to the job?
Robert Langlands
A) Either of the cars youve suggested is up to the job. To safely tow a braked weight such as a caravan the towing car must:
...be physically capable of towing the weight. Towing limits for every new car can be found at whatcar.com, or on the relevant car manufacturers website.
...weigh at least 18% more than the caravan. Just divide the cars kerbweight again on whatcar.com or the car manufacturers website by 0.85. If the figure is greater than the caravans weight, its safe to tow.
The Volvo V70 D5 weighs 1732kg and has a braked towing limit of 1800kg. That means it can safely pull 1472kg. The BMW X5 xDrive30d can physically pull 3500kg, but because it weighs 2150kg, you shouldnt consider towing more than 1827kg.
