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Caravan & Motorhome Rules And Regulations 2022
Whether you’re a seasoned motorhome driver or considering getting your first caravan, there are plenty of rules and regulations you must know to drive and operate these vehicles safely and legally. The rules can change, so it’s important to stay informed. You might also find that if you get a new vehicle or drive to another country, the rules are different.
In this article, you’ll learn about:
- Caravan and motorhome weight regulations
- How braking distances apply to these vehicles
- Regulations for travelling to Europe
- Fines, penalties and insurance implications.
Caravans: laws and safety regulations
Vehicle weight
There are 2 different weight types you need to be aware of:
- Unladen weight — the vehicle weight when empty (i.e. it’s not carrying passengers, luggage, fuel, or any other items)
- Maximum authorised mass (MAM) — the vehicle weight when full; this will vary for each journey you make. This is sometimes known as the Maximum Technical Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM).
An unladen small 2-4 berth caravan usually weighs between 800kg and 1,300kg. Larger caravans can weigh in excess of 1,800kg.
Your loaded caravan shouldn’t weigh more than 85% of the towing vehicle’s kerbweight. If you have a smaller car, it can be dangerous to tow a vehicle that weighs more than this. Find out your car’s kerbweight and the weight of the caravan in your owner’s manual.
Towing regulations
Towing weight isn’t just a matter of safety; there are legal limits you must consider, too.
The MAM is the weight you must consider when checking whether you can legally tow the caravan. The legal weight limit you can tow depends on when you got your driving licence.
- Before 1st Jan 1997 — the combined MAM of the towing and towed vehicles must not exceed 8,250kg
- After 1st Jan 1997 — you can tow a caravan with a MAM of up to 3,500kg.
For example, a Land Rover Discovery has a kerbweight of 2,437kg. The official Land Rover spec says it’s safe to tow a vehicle up to 3,500kg. However, unless you’re an experienced vehicle tower, try to ensure your towed vehicle doesn’t exceed 2,072kg (85% of the kerbweight).
The Bailey Unicorn Madrid — a 4-berth caravan — has a MAM of 1,496kg. So it’s safe and legal to tow this caravan with this car for all drivers, even if you fill the caravan to its maximum allowed weight limit.
However, if you drive a much lighter car, it may be unsafe to tow this mid-sized caravan. The Suzuki Swift has a kerbweight of 1,020kg. 85% of this is just 867kg, so only the smallest caravans are safe to tow.
Here’s a quick guide so you can see safe towing weights and suitable vehicles at a glance:
| Car kerbweight | 1,000kg | 1,500kg | 2,000kg | 1,000kg |
| Example cars | Suzuki Swift | Hyundai i30 | Volvo v60 | Land Rover Discovery |
| Towing capacity (85% of kerbweight) | 850kg | 1,275kg | 1,700kg | 2,125kg |
| Suitable caravans based on MAM | Freedom Caravans | Swift Sprite Compact | Swift Challenger 650 | Buccaneer Caravans |
To work out your exact towing limit, use a towing calculator app. Download the RV Tow Check app for Android and iOS devices from the app store.
All the weight information you need to calculate your safety and legal limits can be found in your owner’s manual. Look this up as part of your caravan rules and regulations checks before you invest.
Caravan loading tips
- When packing up your vehicle, distribute the weight evenly on both sides of the caravan to make sure there’s an even load on the wheels
- Load your car boot evenly to create greater stability and stop the caravan swinging
- Empty out any waste water, and don’t fill the fresh water tank fully
- Stow heavy items above the caravan’s wheel axles, where there is more support along the underside of the vehicle
- Store heavy items on the floor of the caravan to prevent movement when in transit.
Motorhomes: rules and safety regulations
Towing weight
Motorhomes can be driven, so it’s rare to tow one. However, some motorhome owners like to take a smaller car for ease of travelling when they’re on holiday, which they can tow behind the motorhome. In these cases, the rules above apply. But a motorhome is much heavier than the towed car, so it’s usually much easier to prevent swinging and swaying when you’re on the road.
Braking distances
One of the most important safety considerations when driving a motorhome is your stopping distance, especially if you’re used to driving a smaller vehicle. Motorhomes are much heavier than cars, so you must allow more time to stop, especially in rainy or icy conditions.
The Highway Code states:
“Large vehicles and motorcycles need a greater distance to stop. If driving a large vehicle in a tunnel, you should allow a four-second gap between you and the vehicle in front.”
Here are the typical stopping distances for a standard family car, according to the RAC:
With the extra weight behind you, you’ll need to allow more than this, especially at higher speeds.
The condition of your vehicle can also have an impact on your braking distance. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, a 1.6mm tyre tread — the lowest legal limit — increases stopping distances by up to 45%. Low tyre pressure can also increase braking distances. So it’s key to have your vehicle tyres checked regularly to make sure they’re roadworthy, and will give you enough time to stop.
Motorhome weight distribution and loading tips
- Distribute the weight evenly on both sides of the motorhome to make sure there’s an even load on the wheels
- Use the storage spaces within and outside the vehicle to ensure your items don’t move in transit
- Carefully consider where you mount bikes, kayaks, and other items outside the vehicle. Mounting them on top can make your vehicle too high to go through tunnels or under bridges. Mounting them at the rear is the more popular option, but be mindful about how much weight you’re adding to the rear of the motorhome, as this can increase the risk of swinging
- Adhere to your vehicle’s maximum authorised weight, which can be found in your owner’s manual.
European caravan touring: rules, regulations and restrictions
Many caravanners take their vehicles across the Channel to France — and beyond. Many European destinations are among the best places to go in your caravan. But there are restrictions you must be aware of when travelling outside the UK.
Eurotunnel restrictions
It’s easy to take your caravan or motorhome on the Eurotunnel. Vehicles over 1.85m high — including most caravans and motorhomes — are allocated a space on a single deck carriage. Your vehicle must not be heavier than 3,500kg to travel on the Eurotunnel.
Ferry crossing
Each ferry operator has its own rules about the length, height, and weight of your caravan or motorhome. Check with the operator and make sure you book the correct option, or you may not be able to board.
Parking regulations
In the UK, it’s illegal to park up your caravan or motorhome on private land without permission from the landowner. This includes Scotland — while wild camping in a tent is legal, wild camping in a vehicle isn’t. Make sure you book a campsite for overnight stays. For shorter stops, use authorised stopping points like service stations.
Fines and penalties
Fines and other penalties can be issued to drivers that don’t adhere to these caravan rules and regulations. This includes penalties for:
- Overloading your vehicle
- Parking or staying in an unauthorised area
- Flouting standard safe driving rules (such as driving without insurance and/or a valid MOT, driving too many hours, carrying dangerous goods, and dangerous driving).
Penalties for vehicle overloading are graduated to reflect the severity of the offence. Here are the current penalties according to the gov.uk website:
| Severity | Will you get points on your licence? | Fixed penalty amount |
| Less than 10% | No | £100 |
| 10% – under 15% | No | £200 |
| 15% and over | No | £300 |
If the excess weight exceeds 30%, a court summons is usually issued instead of a fine.
Regardless of the degree of overloading, if the excess weight is causing serious issues on the road — such as loss of control and danger to other road users — a court summons will be issued.
How the regulations affect your insurance
If you have a black box installed in your vehicle as part of your insurance package, this can measure your stopping distances. Your insurance provider collects information from this to inform your insurance premium, such as:
- Speeds you travel at
- Parking environments
- Stopping distances.
If you’re a careful, respectful driver, this can ultimately save you money. But if you regularly find yourself slamming your brakes on or parking unlawfully, your provider may raise your insurance premiums in line with their perceived risk.
Driving a vehicle that exceeds the weight limit allowed by your licence will invalidate your insurance.
Learn more about caravan safety and technology
Our blog covers all kinds of safety, security, and tech opportunities for caravan, motorhome, and campervan owners. Take a look at these articles to learn more: