Caravan Weights Explained (Without the Confusion)
Caravan weights are one of the most talked-about parts of caravanning — and one of the least clearly explained.
Most people don’t struggle because weights are complicated. They struggle because the information is often delivered as a mix of numbers, warnings, and half-explanations, without much context. It can feel like you need to “get it right” immediately, or risk doing something dangerous.
The reality is calmer than that.
This page explains caravan weights in plain terms, focusing on what actually matters and how the different figures fit together — without assuming prior knowledge or turning it into a maths exercise.
Why caravan weights cause so much confusion
Caravan weights are usually presented as individual numbers, but they don’t work individually.
People are often shown:
a maximum weight
an empty weight
a towing limit
a noseweight limit
…without being told how they relate to each other, or which ones deserve the most attention.
Add in myths like “you’d feel it if it was overloaded” or “that’s what stabilisers are for”, and it’s no surprise that many caravanners end up second-guessing themselves.
Understanding weights isn’t about memorising figures — it’s about understanding relationships.
The four caravan weights that actually matter
You’ll come across lots of numbers, but most real-world issues come down to four:
MTPLM
MIRO
Payload
Noseweight
Everything else is either derived from these, or less critical day to day.
MTPLM: the number most people misunderstand
MTPLM stands for Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass.
In simple terms, it’s the maximum legal weight of the caravan when it’s fully loaded — including everything you put inside it.
It is not:
what the caravan usually weighs
what it weighed when you collected it
a target to aim for
It’s a hard upper limit.
The mistake many people make is treating MTPLM as something theoretical, rather than something that can be reached surprisingly easily once food, clothes, gas bottles, awnings, and leisure equipment are added.
MIRO: useful, but not the whole story
MIRO stands for Mass in Running Order.
This is the caravan’s weight as supplied from the factory, usually including:
basic fluids
standard equipment
What it usually doesn’t include is:
optional extras
personal belongings
additional accessories
MIRO is useful as a starting point, but it’s not a realistic representation of how most caravans are actually used.
This is where many people underestimate how quickly weight adds up.
Payload: where problems usually start
Payload is the difference between MTPLM and MIRO.
It represents how much you’re allowed to add to the caravan.
This is the figure that quietly causes the most issues, because payload often looks generous on paper but disappears quickly in real use.
Awnings, movers, batteries, chairs, tables, food, clothes — none of these are unusual, but together they can eat through payload faster than expected.
Most caravanning weight problems aren’t dramatic — they’re gradual.
Noseweight: small number, big impact
Noseweight is the downward force the caravan applies to the towball.
It’s usually measured in tens of kilograms, which makes it easy to underestimate — but its effect on stability is significant.
Too little noseweight can reduce stability.
Too much can overload the car or towbar.
The key thing to understand is that noseweight is affected by how you load the caravan, not just how much you load it.
Small changes in loading position can have a noticeable effect.
How weights work together (not in isolation)
This is the part that’s often missing from explanations.
Caravan weights don’t operate independently:
You can be under MTPLM but have poor noseweight
You can have plenty of payload but load it badly
You can be within limits but still feel unsettled if balance is wrong
That’s why relying on a single number rarely tells the whole story.
Good towing comes from balanced loading, not just staying under limits.
Can my car tow this caravan? (the calm way to think about it)
Rather than asking “can my car tow it?”, a better question is:
“Is this a comfortable, sensible match for how I want to caravan?”
Legal limits matter, but so do:
power delivery
wheelbase
suspension behaviour
how the outfit feels at realistic speeds
Confidence usually comes from being comfortably within limits, not right on the edge of them.
Common weight myths worth letting go of
A few ideas that cause more harm than good:
“You’d feel it if it was overloaded”
“Twin axles don’t have weight problems”
“Stabilisers fix loading issues”
“If it’s legal, it’s fine”
These myths persist because they sound reassuring — but they remove the incentive to understand what’s actually happening.
A calmer way to approach caravan weights
You don’t need to become an expert or carry a calculator everywhere.
You just need to:
understand the key figures
load thoughtfully
avoid assumptions
stay comfortably within limits
Caravan weights aren’t there to catch people out. They exist to help caravans behave predictably — and predictability is what makes towing calmer and more enjoyable.
Once the basics are understood, weights stop being something to worry about and start being something you simply account for.
That’s the point where caravanning begins to feel easier.
A calmer way to approach caravan weights
You don’t need to become an expert or carry a calculator everywhere.
You just need to:
understand the key figures
load thoughtfully
avoid assumptions
stay comfortably within limits
Caravan weights aren’t there to catch people out. They exist to help caravans behave predictably — and predictability is what makes towing calmer and more enjoyable.
Once the basics are understood, weights stop being something to worry about and start being something you simply account for.
That’s the point where caravanning begins to feel easier.
Where now?
Towing Confidence – What Actually Matters