Question
Can my Prado tow a 22ft caravan? How do I work it out?
Celso P.Roaming since Mar 2026July 2026
This is the question I can't get a straight answer on. I've got a Prado and I'm looking at a 22ft van, and everyone online gives a different opinion. How do I actually work out whether my car can legally and safely tow a particular van, rather than just guessing from the brochure towing number?
1 reply
Accepted answer
Celso P.July 2026
Don't rely on the headline "3,500kg braked" figure alone — the number that catches people out is GCM (Gross Combined Mass), the most your car and van are allowed to weigh together, fully loaded. Add your loaded van's real weight to your loaded car (people, fuel, water, gear, towball download) and it must stay under GCM. Also check the towball download limit and rear axle limit. A 22ft van loaded for travel can easily exceed what a mid-size wagon can legally carry once you add everything, so weigh the real loaded rig rather than trusting brochure tare figures.
More from Towing & Setup
Question
How do I level and set up the van at a site without the usual chaos?
Every time we pull into a site it's a scramble — levelling ramps, chocks, winding down, hooking up, and me second-guessing whether it's actually level. Is there…
Celso P.
July 20261
Question
Do I need a weight distribution hitch, and when does it actually help?
Some people swear a weight distribution hitch transformed their towing, others say it's a band-aid for the wrong tow car. When is a WDH genuinely worth fitting,…
Celso P.
July 20261
Question
How do I know if my car and van are overweight, and where do I get weighed?
I've done the sums on paper but I've got no idea what my rig actually weighs loaded up with water, gear and the family. How do people confirm they're under thei…
Celso P.
July 20261