Hi Please help us, we would appreciate an early response please. The law has recently changed in France (where we live) and we have just bought an Eriba Troll 555GT. Our problem is the towing car. We need a new car, and as you probably know, cars are much more expensive in France. We do not want a brand new one. The plate on the Eriba (right hand side of the door) shows 1300 kgs, and the weight number on all the documentation is 1250 kgs. What is the recommended weight of the towing car we should purchase, bearing the new towing laws in France in mind? Thank you Dafydd and Beryl Williams

its recommended that caravans should be less than 85% of the towing cars mass.

So, using your largest plate number of 1300kg your towing car should at least be 1300/85% = 1530kg

Firstly I have to admit I know nothing about any new towing laws in France so I don't know how they affect your choices.

Not sure where the 1250kg fits in, but the 1300kg will be the MTPLM of the van, i.e. the maximum it can legally weigh when being towed.

A 2008 555 had a theoretical empty weight of 915kg and a Mass in Running Order of 945kg. The 30kg extra is an allowance for gas cylinders and water in the toilet. The standard MTPLM was 1200kg and it could be upgraded, like yours, to 1300kg. So in theory the overall payload for your van is 1300kg minus 915kg = 385kg if you remember to add in the weight of any gas cylinders you load. However that's theoretical and most vans, when they leave the factory, don't weigh exactly what the price list says. In addition Touring models weights are based on very low standard spec and most vans have factory, or retro fitted options that eat payload. It's very easy to use up 100kg of payload just by adding a few cost options. However with roughly 385kg available it's unlikely that you run your van at the full 1300kg, though it's probably a good idea to ensure your towcar can pull such a weight, just in case.

UK industry advice (not law) is that those new to towing should ensure that the MTPLM of their caravan is not above 85% of the car's listed Kerbweight. In your case that means a car with a Kerbweight of 1530kg or above. Those with some experience of towing are advised that that ratio can be increased up to 100% i.e 1300kg.

All car makers specify a towing limit for their models and whilst, in itself that is not a legal limit it would seem daft to exceed it and personally I try to use a towcar with a limit 200kg more than the van's MTPLM to provide a good margin.

You also need to be aware of the car's maximum weight limit which it is illegal to exceed and will include the noseweight imposed by the van on the rear of the car. In addition the combined weights of car plus van should not exceed the car's train weight limit.

Thank you all, we are looking at C5 or possibly Nissan Quasquai or however you spell it. The Dacia Duster is also in the frame, but the 4x4 is the one because of its higher weight ratio, we don't need a 4x4 but the 4x2 might not fit the bill. Exceptionally good value though. Any one passing by welcome to drop by for a swim or a glass of wine, and showing off your Eriba of course. Dafydd and Beryl

I agree with Colin. My Nissan is of poor quality construction. And it's got the Renault diesel engine. When I talked to my local independent garage he gave me 2 recommendations. 1 avoid all diesels, and 2 avoid French cars. Things you don't think is manufacture related, but is, like the coil springs breaking.
Steve

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Quote: eribaMotters wrote in post #3

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The 85% is a guide, but not law. If you have a look on www.whattowcar.com you can enter the vehicle(s) you may be considering and get a good guide.

Colin

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With all three of those vehicles mentioned you have to be very careful about model choice.

Some have towing limits below the MTPLM of the 555.

Some have very light kerbweights which won't make for a very comfortable tow.

And some you need to check the Gross Train Weight because it may not be the same as the Towing Limit plus maximum towcar weight. This is not uncommon on French vehicles, for some reason. It means that you get a towing limit of say 1500kg, and a car max of 2500kg, so you'd expect a maximum train weight of 4000kg, but you find that it's actually 3500kg. What that means is you can pull a 1500kg van, but the max the car can weigh is 3000kg, not 3500kg. Or you can load the car to 3500kg but if you do, the van can only be loaded to 1000kg, not 1500kg. With one model of C4 Picasso it meant a CT member couldn't actually have his wife in the car with him when towing their caravan. It wasn't that she was a big girl, but there wasn't enough car payload left for anyone other than a small child.

The best thing in my opinion is to go to the dealers and ask them what they think. I got top advice from Renault salesmen, and got a new car for 12000E in part exchange for an old clio.
As an aside, I was advised not to go for a Dacia duster.

i read in another post that they had more knowledge about the car they were buying than the salesman trying to sell it to them: this has been my experience with car salesmen too.

I'd never rely on a salesmans spiel to sell a car to me : they're just sales order proceessors as far as Im concerned:)

My advice: always do your own independent research :)

A thousand thanks for all the advice and details given on overcoming my jammed wheel on our Al-Ko 1300 which is fitted on our Eriba 555GT. What actually holds the wheel in place? On our 550GT there was a circlip, the old fashioned type with the two tiny holes where you place your special pliers to extract and refit. We are seriously considering a Qashqai, and whilst all my working life has been in the motor trade, Nissan's were always held in high esteem. I am a staunch Renault enthusiast having been selling them since the day of the Dauphine, importing a lot of original Twingos in left hand drive forms when I was living in the UK. In 2018 we bought a 6 thousand mile Scenic and this particular car has towed our caravan all over the place. One breakdown in its life due to a burst diesel pipe, and now with 95000 miles on the clock, an unbelievably comfortable car to do long towing trips in. Regrettably she will not pull our 555GT, so what do we get? Suggestions please. Dafydd and Beryl