Considering purchasing a small caravan? Unsure if you'll be able to tow? Find out some helpful information on this blog about the weight of small caravans.
Firstly, the great thing about small caravans is... well, they're small! Being small in stature also usually means one thing – small caravans are far lighter in weight when compared to their traditional counterparts.
The Mink 2.0 Sports Camper below is one of the lightest campers on the market!
As with traditional caravans; small caravans still vary quite a lot in terms of shape, size and weight - so it's important to know the actual weight of your small caravan, along with the MTPLM and your car's towing limit.
For instance the Mink 2.0 Sports Camper has a net weight of just 540kg with an MTPLM of 750kg - this means that you can safely & legally store up to 210kg of gear in your Mink without negatively effecting the towing efficiency.
Looking for something a little more like a caravan, but smaller?
Go-Pods Micro-Tourer Caravans are small caravans that represent the traditional look and feel of standard contemporary caravans - without compromising on most of the important features and creatures comforts.
Go-Pods have a net weight of 540kg once fitted with all of it's appliances along with an MTPLM of 750kg - this again gives a generous 210kg of storage space in your Go-Pod whilst towing!
Are small caravans easier to tow?
Picture this; you're on the road, driving along to your holiday destination, music on the radio - no worries in the world. Suddenly you get the urge to look in your mirrors - you glance your eyes to the right and notice something small right behind you! What is it you may ask? .... It's your small caravan! You forgot you was even towing it..
This is the reality that so many owner's of small caravans face - an easy, stress-free holiday; without the worry of towing a huge trailer and draining costly fuel away.
The lightweight nature of small caravans really means that they're often a dream to tow - some are so light and aerodynamic that you forget you're even towing them. If you purchase a small caravan that is under the 'braked-trailer' category - it's likely your experience will be far smoother. This is due to the fact that 'braked-trailers' have their own independent brakes - which helps for emergency stops and an overall better feeling of control.
Before going ahead with buying a small caravan, it's likely you'll ask yourself - can my car tow a small caravan?
Luckily for you we've already compiled a helpful guide in the form of a blog on our website - this details how you can find out if your existing car is compatible with your potentially new small caravan.
A brief breakdown is that you need to make sure your MTPLM does not exceed either your 'braked or un-braked trailer' figure shown on your car's V5 - you must use the correct figure for the type of small caravan in question. Make sure to find out whether it is braked or un-braked first.
If the MTPLM exceeds the figures shown in your car's V5 - it would be illegal to tow the small caravan with your existing vehicle.
What is the best small caravan?
With so many options to choose from, it's also likely you'll ask yourself - what is the best small caravan?
Of course, the answer to a question like this is usually subjective and dependent on the person in question. It's important to assess your needs, lifestyle and holiday choices prior to purchasing your small caravan.
For instance; if you have an inclination towards traditional caravanning - but don't want the stress and fuss of dealing with a huge caravan, perhaps consider Go-Pods or the Aslan by Red Lion as an option. Both of these models have been designed with traditional caravanning in mind - reducing the overall size yet not compromising on any of the features a regular caravan provides.
If you want to immerse yourself deep into nature - the Mink 2.0 Sports Camper or the Cub Micro-Camper by Red Lion might be your preferred choices. Both the Mink 2.0 and the Cub offer amazing panoramic sky-roofs that allow you to stargaze on clear nights, or cloud watch on overcast days. The two port windows on either side means you can get closer to your environment than ever before - watch wildlife and fauna whilst laying in bed, it's really a photographers dream!
If you've got a pickup truck as an existing vehicle, then take a look at the Sabre by Red Lion. It's a demountable pickup truck camper - that fits onto all new double cabin pickup trucks. It's extremely lightweight and provides so many excellent features it really can't be ignored. From an on-board bathroom, to kitchen, queen size bed - seating areas and more! You can even upgrade it to a 4 berth option for those with families.
As you can see - there's such a wide range of options when it comes to small caravans, there's really something for everyone! If you want to learn more about small caravans please follow the link below to read some of our other blog posts.
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