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FAQ's . . . .

Frequently Asked Questions

The Camping and Caravaning Club produces a set of answers to frequently asked technical camping and caravanning related questions, available on request from Headquarters at Coventry by members.

Additionally, click on a link below for basic information on the subjects listed.

Information on this page is provided purely as a guide and any use you make of this service is entirely at your own risk. If unsure about any item, you should seek professional advice and/or help. Inclusion or non-inclusion of any company service or item does not imply nor should you infer approval or non-approval by The British Caravanners Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club.

How Do I?

How do I know how much my car can tow?

Or, to put it another way, how big a towcar do I need to tow that caravan? This one is quite easy to work out for yourself with a bit of paper and your car's handbook.

First off, jot down the car "kerbweight" from the handbook. Let's assume it's 1670Kg, a medium sized car. Divide that figure by 20. (we're making it easy, remember!) That gives us a figure of 83.5, call it 83. Next multiply that 83 by 17, ok a bit harder, but you can use a calculator if you have to.

That gives us around 1411 back in Kg again, so 1411Kg is the recommended maximum towing weight of caravan for your car. Now you will often see suggestions that "experienced" caravanners can tow up to higher maximum caravan weights, but if you don't know how to work these figures out, then you are not sufficiently experienced to be trying this, are you?

To work out for a car to tow a particular weight of van, simply reverse the process. Divide the caravan weight by 17, then multiply that figure by 20 to give you the kerbweight you need to pull it comfortably. Remember in both cases, the maximum weight of caravan HAS TO INCLUDE all the bits and pieces, clothes, gas bottles, accessories, personal items and so on. This means the actual weight of the van must be less than the maximum allowed so that you can add in all your goods and chattels!

How do I know how many Amps my van is using?

It's common on the Continent and in the UK to find yourself limited to say 10 Amps from the site pillar for your hook-up, often less in Europe, even down to 3 Amps.

On each appliance or elecrical unit in your van or fitted to your van you will find a rating in "WATTS". When you use your van on a mains hook-up, this rating helps you work out how many Amps you are using. 1000W equates to approx 4A, so using your heating on low (500W) is using 2Amps, on high (2000W) uses around 8A.

Remember all of these figures are cumulative, they add up together! So, if you use a kettle at 1100W, your heating on full (2000w) , whilst you watch your telly (around 150W colour tv), there's around 13A in use. It's pretty certain if you turn on the electric water heater as well, the site pillar is going to trip out. APOLOGIES TO THE HOLIDAY SITE MANAGER, and hope you can get back into action after you turn some of the appliances off!