Caravan Weight Plate Upgrades
What is a Caravan Weight Plate?
Before we dive into the intricacies of caravan weight plate upgrades, if you can get one and what installing it involves, you might be wondering what exactly a caravan weight plate is.
Essentially, a weight plate is something that is found on the side of every caravan sold in the UK, in newer models it is normally a sticker by the door but in older models it might be a metal plate riveted to the caravan body.
The weight plate has to display two weights of the caravan, the MTPLM and the MRO.
Caravan MTPLM and MRO
MTPLM stands for ‘Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass’ - essentially the maximum weight of a caravan, fully laden, for it to be towed safely. The caravan MRO is the ‘Mass Running Order,’ this is the standard weight of the caravan with nothing on board.
If you minus the MRO from the MTPLM you can find the caravan’s total payload. The payload tells you the maximum weight available for everything that you might want to take away with you on holiday. Keep in mind that optional extras such as air conditioning, motor movers and solar panels also take their weight out of the payload total so you should always remember to subtract the weight of these items from your caravan’s total payload before you can work out how much weight you have for your belongings.
If you find that your caravan MTPLM, and by extension, its payload, is not high enough for you to take everything you need away with you, you might consider purchasing a caravan weight plate upgrade.
What is a Caravan Weight Plate Upgrade?
Put simply, a max weight plate upgrade for your Bailey caravan allows you to legally tow it at a higher weight than the original weight plate allows.
This is made possible by the fact that the declared MTPLM on many Bailey caravans is not actually the maximum capacity of the vehicle chassis. The caravan MTPLM on the weight plate is often set at a lower level to make the vehicles more accessible to those with restrictions on their licenses. As a result, the MTPLM on your caravan weight plate can possibly be increased by a weight plate upgrade.
Can I get a caravan weight plate upgrade?
It is important to note that the option of purchasing a caravan weight plate upgrade is only available to those whose driving licenses allow it.
The rules on what weight caravan you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test.
If you have a category B driving license and passed your test before 1 January 1997 you are normally allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM).
If you have a category B driving license and passed your driving test on or after 1 January 1997 you can tow trailers weighing no more than 750kg. You can also tow heavier trailers with a car as long as the total weight of the vehicle and trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg. If you want to tow anything heavier you have to pass the car and trailer test.
It is essential that you double-check the maximum caravan weight that you can safely and legally tow with your chosen car and caravan combination before you purchase a weight plate upgrade for your caravan. To check that your B license legally allows you to tow your caravan with your car and that you are not over your legal limit, head to the Towsafe website. Here you can pay a small fee to check that your caravan/car combination is safe and legal;
I want to purchase a caravan weight plate upgrade, how does it work?
If you are fully qualified to tow a heavier caravan and your car is capable of taking the extra weight then upgrading your Bailey caravan’s payload is incredibly easy. You can purchase a weight plate upgrade for your specific Bailey caravan model from PRIMA.
The Caravan Weight Plate Upgrade does not require any physical work to be carried out on the caravan. Purchasing a new weight plate for your caravan means that you will be sent a sticker with the new caravan MTPLM included. The cost of the weight plate upgrade covers the new weight plate sticker itself and the cost of processing this change in legal documentation.
Simply replace the existing sticker with a new one and you’re ready to go!
It should be noted that not all Bailey caravans weigh the same amount and the additional payload available with a weight plate upgrade varies between models.
if you have a recent Bailey caravan model you can check the extra payload available for your Bailey caravan using the Weight Plate Upgrade Search on the Bailey website.
To find the right caravan weight plate upgrade for your Bailey caravan model select the ‘search by Bailey model’ option, enter your VIN or model details, and then type ‘weight plate upgrade’ into the search bar. If you need any assistance in finding the correct weight plate upgrade for your caravan, email the PRIMA customer services team at info@primaleisure.com or give our customer services team a ring at 0117 457 6028.