Never had a caravan before! After doing our research and visiting NEC show last weekend we decided the Eriba Troll 540 is the one for us. With our Nissan qashquai (MTPLM of 1350kg) are we restricted to the 1300 kg chassis 540 troll or can we tow (legally and for insurance purposes) the upgraded 1400kg chassis 540?

I wouldn't have thought so but check your exact details here

https://towcar.info/GB/outfitmatch.php

Other towcar matching sites are available

If the maximum permitted towing load for the Nissan is 1350Kg then your insurance would be probably be invalid if in an accident towing something potentially heavier. They always assume worst case and even if you never loaded the caravan to that weight they woul not weigh it after a smash.

Check the Quishquosh's legal weight plate.

If your total rig weight exceeds the Gross Train Weight (biggest weight on the plate) then you'll be towing illegally.

The second highest weight on the plate is the Gross Vehicle Weight i.e the most that the car can weigh.

The difference between the two is usually (but not always) the Towing Limit of the car.

Exceeding the towing limit isn't an offence, though it could endanger your insurance and invalidate any warranty. However you must not exceed either of the above plated weights, or the other two lower weights on the plate, they are the front and rear axle load limits, as they are legally binding.

Maybe that last comment from Andy should be clarified. It wouldn't be an offence to tow a trailer plated with a greater max load than the max towing weight of the car, but, it would be an offence if the trailer actually weighed more than the cars max towing weight, or for that matter exceeding the cars maximum load capacity.
how the insurance would think about it however, is debatable.

Louiskindy,

a great deal will depend on the exact model of your Qashquai. The main concern is the weight of respective models as the this is the first thing to consider with matching a car/caravan. Secondly is the power of the towcar to be able to execute a hill start with the van connected. Too much weight on the tow bar can make the front wheels too lightly laden and then they will simply spin if a front wheel drive car.

If you visit a towcar/ caravan check site these factors will be considered. Your first port of call

.............and if you’ve never had a caravan before then it might be advisable not to have the caravan’s weight being more than 85% of the car’s weight.
You might also consider some towing course? Even the most experienced drivers still get some hairy towing moments, these being rather more dramatic if you are ‘on the limit’

I have just received my insurance renewal from Towergate and they have put in a clause that my caravan must not weigh more than 90% of the ULW of my tow car.

Do Towergate mean the the declared MTPLM or the actual weight of the caravan mustn't be more than 90% of the car's unladen weight? Most UK built vans have low payloads and therefore tend to run v near MTPLM. Eribas have larger payloads, though lots is usually taken up by added cost option fitment, but it usually leaves enough for most to run fairly well below their MTPLM.

And if your car's front wheels are not gripping because of the caravans noseweight on the rear then you will be substantially overloading the hitch and maybe exceeding the car's back axle weight limit too and you need to check the noseweight urgently before something bad happens.

Having worked once for an insurance company and had a spell on the Claims department my advise would be always err on the side of caution. The b*ggers will always find a way to wriggle out of paying if they can, don't give them the chance to.

From the practical caravan summer special issue 2018,https://www.practicalcaravan.com/news/77...van-on-sale-now
the one with the 530 ocean drive eriba on front pitched on a beach
miro 1008kg
payload 292kg
mtplm 1400kg
the useful info on page 77,
perfect partner, for an 85% match you need a tow car with a kerb weight of: 1650kg

page 91
legal towing limit, in the article it says something about vin plate.

The Hymer webpages say that a 530 Ocean Drive has a MIRO of 1059kg and the standard base model 530 has a MIRO of 985kg. That additional 74kg is accounted for by the items that are cost options on the base 530 and standard on the Ocean Drive, plus any additional weight that the Ocean Drive style furnishings generate.

However there are still cost options required to bring an Ocean Drive up to the normal UK spec., such as the Autonomy package, hot water boiler, pipes and taps etc, etc. These will add weight and therefore reduce available payload. However even then the 530's available payload at 1300kg (say 150kg) would be about the same as a similar size UK van. At 1400kg it would be about 100kg more than a similar sized UK van. Indeed I think you'd run out of space to put things long before the van got near 1400kg.

If you're running at the 85% recommendation for new towers then the 1300kg requires a car with a kerbweight of 1530kg or more and at 1400kg it needs one of 1650kg or more.

The towing limit isn't shown on the car's mandatory VIN plate but the Gross Train Weight is and any VIN plate weight mustn't be exceeded or you'll committing an offence. .