Caravan clinic

WAS IT LEGAL?

I am interested in buying a Destination caravan as tested by your magazine in the October 2019 edition, however, I see you used an Isuzu Mu-X to tow this caravan. My question is, were you legally towing this van? The caravan has a GVM of around 2 500kg, and the Isuzu has a tare of around 2 000kg. I have a Pajero short wheelbase, and its tare is 2 000kg, and now I am not sure whether I can buy this awesome caravan. Awaiting your response.

Steven Da Costa Pereira

I think we have egg on our face.The law is that the GVM of a braked caravan (or trailer) may not exceed the tare of the towing vehicle – unless the combination is fitted with additional vacuum-operated brakes (known as PBR), in which case the GVM of the caravan can go as high as 3 500kg. That is if the towing vehicle is rated to tow this weight. What gets confusing – and perhaps can be misleading – is that the motor manufacturer, situated somewhere else in