How much more can you load into your caravan?
Three steps, no weighing needed: how much payload you have left and whether the weight on the tow ball (nose weight) is right.
The loading calculator
Step 1 of 3: your caravan
Which caravan do you have?
More accurate: your own figures
Filled in from a typical model. Replace them with the figures on your vehicle's plate or in its handbook if you have them.
All measurements (for experts)
Travelling by motorhome or campervan? Loading a motorhome
In short
A caravan's nose weight should be 4 to 7% of its actual loaded weight, without going over the car's maximum nose weight (often 50 to 100 kg). Heavy items go on the floor, over the axle: in front of it they add nose weight; behind it they reduce it and encourage snaking. The payload left is the MTPLM minus the mass in running order (MIRO) and everything you add.
· Official sources : The Highway Code, rule 98: towing, loading and snaking, Towing with a car: towing weight and width limits, Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, regulation 80: over-riding weight restrictions
How does the calculation work?
Each item's weight is shared between the caravan's axle and the tow ball, like a see-saw. Placed over the axle, it does not change the nose weight. On the A-frame, almost all of it goes onto the tow ball. Behind the axle, it reduces the nose weight and lifts the front.
The payload left is the MTPLM minus the mass in running order (MIRO), both on the caravan's plate or in its handbook, minus everything you add, including a motor mover and other extras.
Each item has an average weight (a suitcase: 12 to 23 kg) and an approximate position in its zone: the results are ranges, not figures accurate to the kilo.
The formula
Share on the tow ball = item weight × (tow ball to axle distance − tow ball to item distance) ÷ tow ball to axle distance.
| Guide figure | Value used |
|---|---|
| Recommended nose weight | 4 to 7% of the caravan's actual weight |
| Maximum nose weight | The car's maximum nose weight (handbook, often 50 to 100 kg) |
| Payload left | MTPLM − mass in running order (MIRO) − load and extras |
| Heavy items at the back | Alert from 15 kg for one item or 40 kg in total |
| Overloading | Illegal above the plated weights (Construction and Use Regulations 1986, regulation 80) |
Example: where to put two e-bikes?
A 1,250 kg family caravan, 60 kg unladen nose weight, axle 4.30 m from the tow ball, a car that accepts 75 kg on the tow ball, two 25 kg e-bikes:
- On the rear wall: about 43 kg nose weight (3.3%). Too low: risk of snaking.
- On the A-frame: about 100 kg nose weight. Too much for the car.
- Inside the caravan, over the axle: 60 kg nose weight (4.6%). Fine, and nothing at the back.
How to load a caravan properly
- Nose weight between 4 and 7% of the caravan's actual weight, without going over the maximum nose weight of the car and of the hitch.
- Heavy items on the floor, over the axle or just in front of it; light items up high and at the ends.
- Nothing heavy at the back: it is the main cause of snaking, even with a good nose weight.
- Check the nose weight with the caravan loaded, using a nose weight gauge, before every long trip.
Key terms
- Nose weight
- The part of the caravan's weight that presses down on the car's tow ball. Guide figure: 4 to 7% of the caravan's mass, without going over the car's limit.
- MTPLM / MAM
- Maximum technically permissible laden mass (caravans) or maximum authorised mass (cars, motorhomes): the most the loaded vehicle may weigh. It is on the plate or in the handbook. Going over it means you are overloaded.
- Gross train weight
- The maximum weight of the fully loaded car and fully loaded caravan together. It is usually on the car's VIN plate and limits what the car can tow once loaded.
- Mass in running order (MIRO)
- The weight of the vehicle ready to go: usually including a 75 kg driver and fuel for a motorhome. What is counted for water and gas depends on the manufacturer.
- User payload
- What you can still add: MTPLM or MAM minus the mass in running order, minus optional extras, passengers and luggage.
Frequently asked questions
What should the nose weight of my caravan be?
Aim for 4 to 7% of the caravan's actual loaded weight, so 50 to 90 kg for a 1,300 kg caravan, without going over your car's maximum nose weight (often 50 to 100 kg). Too little nose weight makes the caravan snake; too much weighs down the back of the car.
Why does my caravan snake?
Most often because the nose weight is too low or there are heavy items at the back. Crosswinds, being overtaken by a lorry, under-inflated tyres and too much speed make it worse. If the caravan starts to snake, do not brake harshly: ease off the accelerator and keep the steering straight.
Where should heavy items go in a caravan?
On the floor, over the axle or just in front of it. Gas bottles go in their locker; bikes preferably on the A-frame if the nose weight allows, otherwise in the car. Avoid heavy items in high cupboards and at the back.
How do I check my caravan's nose weight?
With a nose weight gauge, which is inexpensive: caravan loaded, on level ground, coupling head at towing height. Failing that, bathroom scales and a block of wood of the right height give a good idea. Check the total weight on a weighbridge.
Does a motor mover count against my caravan's payload?
Yes, if it was fitted after the caravan left the factory, which is almost always the case: its 25 to 35 kg come off your payload. As it is fitted near the axle, it changes the nose weight very little.
Can I tow with the water tank full?
It is best not to: 40 litres of water weigh 40 kg. If the tank is over the axle, the nose weight hardly changes, but your payload shrinks. Travel with the minimum and fill up on site.
What happens if my caravan is overloaded?
Going over the weights on a vehicle's plate is an offence under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, and the Highway Code says you must not overload your vehicle or trailer. You can be fined. On top of that come faster wear of tyres and brakes, longer braking distances, and an insurer that may reduce its payout after an accident.
Official sources (3)
A caravan's MTPLM and MIRO are on its plate or in its handbook. For cars and motorhomes, the maximum authorised mass (MAM) is on the VIN plate or in the handbook, and the car's maximum nose weight is in its handbook.
Rough estimate based on average weights: it helps you spread the load, but it does not replace weighing, the manufacturer's figures or professional advice.
Travelling by motorhome or campervan?
The same tool spreads the load between the front and rear axles.
Work out a motorhome's payload →