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TOWING AND TOURING TIPS !
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CONTROVERSIAL TIP ?
We ’ re going to suggest something a little ‘ controversial ’. When choosing your van , aim for the towing capacity of your tow vehicle to be well and truly greater than the loaded weight of the van , rather than bang-on or within cooee . Generally speaking , the heavier the tow vehicle relative to the weight of the van , the better , making it harder for the ‘ tail to wag the dog ’, so to speak .
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GROSS COMBINED MASS
What does your tow vehicle ’ s manufacturer say about its Gross Combined Mass ? This figure refers to the total permissible weight of the van and vehicle combined . The vehicle might be rated to tow , say , 3500kg , but what if the vehicle ’ s Gross Combined Mass is 6000kg ( total weight of the trailer and vehicle combined )?
In this example , towing 3500kg would mean there ’ s only 2500kg left to account for the weight of the tow vehicle , its occupants , the fuel , luggage and aftermarket accessories .
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