How To Safely Load A Caravan.

Have you considered buying a touring caravan? Or perhaps you’ve recently bought one? This isn’t surprising, as owning a caravan can give you great freedom and the ability to enjoy a mini-break that isn’t expensive.

But before you set off, there’s some important information you need to know about safely loading a caravan. You must load your caravan correctly to ensure it’s safe and reduce the chances of something going wrong while on the road.

As a caravan insurance broker, we have compiled this handy guide to help you load your caravan safely.

Our Tips On How To Safely Load A Caravan.

Important Caravan Loading Terms You Need To Know

There are a few important terms associated with loading a caravan. Here are some of the terms and what each of them means:

• Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) is the maximum weight allowed when your caravan is fully loaded. You’ll need to be careful not to surpass the 85% guideline, which means you shouldn’t pull a caravan that weighs more than 85% of the kerbweight of the towing vehicle.
• Mass in Running Order (MIRO)—This represents the weight of your caravan when it leaves the factory, minus any additional fittings that you or a dealership may have added.
• User Payload—This is the weight of all luggage and accessories added to your caravan. The total allowance signifies the difference between the MTPLM and the MIRO.
• Noseweight Limit – This indicates the maximum force you can exert onto the towbar of your towing vehicle. If you’re unsure about the limit, you can find out from your vehicle’s manufacturer.

If you have concerns about overloading your caravan, you can visit a weighbridge. This will help you find out your unit’s actual weight and give you peace of mind. As good practice, it would be worth checking this regularly.

Your items can be categorised into heavy, medium and light.  Here’s how you can safely store your belongings for these three weights:

1. Keep your heavy items low, such as an awning, chairs, and electrical cables. Don’t store heavy belongings in the gap beneath a fixed rear bed; this can cause snaking.
2. Medium-weighted belongings can be spread a bit further than the axle. However, try to keep heavier items near the axle.
3. Place your lightest items to the top, including t-shirts, vests, etc. If you store heavy items up top, you can affect your caravan’s centre of gravity.

To keep your loading weight to a minimum, here’s some additional tips on what you could do:

• Only take plastic cutlery.
• Obtain your water when you reach your destination.
• Do your food shopping when you arrive.

Caravan Insurance at Staveley Head

While you’re packing and loading up your caravan, don’t forget to check your insurance is still valid! Give us a call on 0800 0815 024 if you need a new caravan insurance policy or if you want some additional extras added to your existing cover. If you liked this blog about caravans, why not check out ‘Our Guide to Decorating Your Caravan’ and ‘How to Enhance The Lifespan of Your Caravan Tyres‘.