CaravaningLinks.comChoosing a Car for Caravan Towing
If you are thinking of buying a caravan then you need to also put some thought into what kind of car you will use to tow the vehicle. You cannot safely simply hook any car up to any caravan.
Each car manufacturer will give a limit for their models in terms of how much they are able to tow. If your car was manufactured after 1998 then the manufacturer may also give you a measure that is known as the gross train weight. And, you may also be given a noseweight limit as well. Although these are all useful guidelines for you to use when choosing a car for caravan towing they are not the only measures to use.
For example, caravanning experts will generally recommend that the car that you choose to tow your caravan should be heavier than the van itself. The recommended ration here is that your caravan should not weigh more than 85% of the kerb weight of your car (when it is loaded up). If you do not manage this kind of weight balance then you run the risks of problems towing the caravan when you travel at faster speeds (i.e. on motorways).
In general terms - if you are towing a medium-large caravan - then you should aim for a more powerful engine as lower performance cars may not be able to cope with hills and so on.