How to load a caravan safely

Whether you’ve just bought a new caravan or you’re heading out on the open road towing your trusty caravan of many years, you always need to follow good loading practice. 

It’s crucial to keep the weight below maximum limits and effectively load your items to ensure correct balancing and avoid snaking on the roads.

In this helpful guide, we run through how to load a caravan for safer driving and towing. We also look at the key calculations you need to understand and how to weigh your caravan.

Understanding caravan weight restrictions

Understanding the maximum weight that you can tow is important for properly loading a caravan for safe towing and safe driving.

There are legal restrictions around this, so it’s key to have full knowledge before you load up and hit the road.

These are the core things you need to know about:

• Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM): The maximum weight allowable when the caravan is fully loaded. It should not exceed 85% of your car’s kerb weight.
• Your car’s maximum towing weight: Your car manufacturer may specify a maximum weight that the car can tow. If this weight is less than 85% of the car’s kerb weight, you should follow this guideline.
• Your car’s kerb weight is the total weight of your car with all necessary fluids—including a full tank of fuel—and any equipment that comes as standard. This doesn’t include the weight of the passengers, luggage, etc.
• Mass In Running Order (MIRO): The weight of the caravan when it leaves the factory. It includes any standard fixtures and fittings but doesn’t account for anything extra you’ve added, or that was added by the dealership or previous owners.
• User Payload: The difference between the MIRO and the MTPLM. This is effectively the weight you have to play with when loading your caravan with luggage, accessories, appliances and more.
• Noseweight Limit: The maximum force that can be exerted on your car’s towbar, as defined by the car manufacturer.

 Related: The 10 best caravan parks in Scotland

How to load a caravan for towing

When loading up your caravan for towing, you must ensure that you don’t exceed your MTPLM or User Payload.

You’ll also need to think about where you store heavy items and how best to distribute the weight.

Where to place your heavy items

You’ll want to pack heavy items down low and in the centre of your caravan to keep everything balanced properly. You’ll then pack upwards and outwards as the items get lighter.

By doing this, you’ll ensure that the heaviest weight sits as closest as possible to the axle, lowering the centre of gravity of your caravan and increasing its stability. This makes towing your caravan easier.

Related: A complete guide to caravan weights

Don’t use the gap between the rear bed for heavy items

This may seem like the perfect place to load up some heavy items, but it’s one of the worst things you can do. Heavy items here increase the potential for snaking.

Leave your gas bottles in the correct place

You can store some weighty items, like gas bottles, in their dedicated areas, but other heavy items, like your awning and furniture, should be secured low down over the axle.

When to use your roof lockers during towing

Only store light things like t-shirts and summer clothes in the roof lockers when you’re towing your caravan. Any heavier items should be down low near the axle to ensure your caravan is properly balanced.

Find the correct balance

To keep your caravan correctly balanced, try to keep most of the weight in the middle of the van.

Too much weight at the front can compress the car’s rear suspension, and too much weight at the back can cause the nose to lift, reducing the traction of the car’s rear wheels.

You’ll want to make the caravan slightly heavier towards the nose than the back, which will help avoid rear tipping.

Remember, this doesn’t mean loading everything down into the nose—it won’t be good for your car’s suspension.

Think about the weight of your essentials

Things like cutlery and crockery are definitely essentials, but that doesn’t mean you need a full-blown set of traditional plates, cups, and such.

Plastic is a much lighter option. Plus, you won’t need to worry about your best China getting broken when out on the open road.

Also, consider what is really essential. Food, tea bags, and other groceries might be essential for your trip, but you can easily pick them up at your destination.

Travelling with things like your toilet containers empty will bring your weight down, too.

Related: 7 tips for keeping your caravan cool in summer

How do you know if your caravan is overloaded?

Yes, it’s time-consuming and laborious, but consider weighing everything individually as you pack your caravan.

This will help keep the weight under the maximum limits and distribute it properly.

Whenever you weigh anything for your caravan, make a note of it. This way, you’ll have records of all the core equipment each time you load up for a new journey.

If you buy something new, weigh it and add the information to your records.

Once you’ve loaded up, it also makes sense to visit a public weighbridge to accurately weigh your caravan.

This will ensure you don’t go over any maximum weight limits and can safely tow your caravan. Head to the Government website to find the closest weighbridge to you.

Choosing the right caravan for your needs

The right caravan depends on many factors, including how long you stay in it, where you’re headed, and your lifestyle around caravanning.

One thing we will say is to choose the smallest caravan that adequately fits your needs. This way, you won’t run the risk of going over your car’s MTPLM.

Check out our guide to the best small caravans on the market to help you choose the right one.

Specialist touring caravan insurance through Ripe

Now you know how to load your caravan safely, you might also want to seek specialist caravan insurance for extra reassurance.

Through Ripe, specialist touring caravan insurance can cover your caravan up to the value of £75,000. You can also choose additional cover options to protect your contents and awnings.

Cover also includes Public Liability and Accidental Death cover of up to £10,000 in case you accidentally injure someone or cause damage to third-party property.

Learn more about how touring caravan insurance can help you, and get an instant online quote now.