Hitch List

Track your caravan payload, check towing weights, and manage trip checklists — all in one place.

⚖️ Payload calculator 🚗 85% rule checker ✅ Trip checklists

📱 Install as an App — Optional

🍎 iPhone / iPad (Safari)

Open in Safari and tap the Share button ⎙

Tap "Add to Home Screen" then Add

🤖 Android (Chrome)

Open in Chrome and tap the ⋮ menu

Tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Install app"

🖥️ Desktop (Chrome / Edge)

Click the install icon ⊕ in the address bar, or use the browser menu

Or just bookmark this page — works in any browser

✅ Works offline · 💾 Data stays on your device · 🔒 Nothing sent to any server · 🆓 Free to use

Disclaimer: Hitch List is a calculation aid only. You are solely responsible for verifying all weights and safety checks before towing. No liability is accepted for errors or reliance on calculations provided. Nothing in this app constitutes legal advice. The only way to verify your exact laden weight is to use a public weighbridge.

Set Up Your Profile

Hitch List · Step 1 of 1

Enter your caravan and vehicle details so Hitch List can calculate your payload, 85% towing rule, and noseweight correctly. You can update these any time in ⚙️ Settings.

🚐 Your Caravan

Make

Model

Year

Berths

MRO (kg) *

MTPLM (kg) *

Where to find these: Both are on your caravan's VIN plate — inside a locker, on the A-frame, or inside the front door. Also in your handbook.
• MRO (Mass in Running Order) = empty weight as manufactured
• MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass) = maximum legal laden weight
• Your payload = MTPLM minus MRO

⚠️ Note on MRO: Your caravan's MRO as stated on the plate typically does not include a leisure battery, may only allow a small gas bottle allowance (~10 kg), and will not include aftermarket accessories such as a motor mover, air conditioning (unless factory fitted), towing cover, bike rack, or satellite dish. These all count towards your payload allowance and should be added as items.

🚗 Your Tow Vehicle

Make

Model

Kerb Weight (kg) *

Max Tow Weight (kg)

Towbar Noseweight Max (kg)

Gross Train Weight (kg)

Total Passenger Weight (kg)

Gross Vehicle Weight (kg)

Where to find these:
• Kerb weight — door jamb VIN plate or vehicle handbook. If not shown, your V5C logbook lists G: Mass in Service — this includes fluids, standard equipment and a 75 kg driver allowance, which is a broadly acceptable figure for this purpose. Note it may be slightly higher than the true empty kerb weight.
— V5C location: Section G: Mass in Service
— Alternative: Owner's manual or manufacturer's brochure
• Max tow weight & GTW — vehicle handbook or door jamb plate
• Towbar noseweight max — towbar manufacturer's plate or documentation
• GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) — door jamb plate or engine bay. Maximum the car can weigh fully loaded including passengers, luggage and noseweight
• GTW (Gross Train Weight) — maximum combined weight of car + caravan together

🚗 85% Towing Rule

Your caravan should ideally weigh no more than 85% of your car's kerb weight. The bar below shows where you sit.

✓ Under 85% — ideal for all drivers

⚠ 85–100% — legal, but experienced drivers only

✗ Over 100% — caravan heavier than car, not recommended

—

85%

100%

Enter vehicle kerb weight in Settings to enable this check.

🚐 Weight Distribution (caravan items)

Load heavier items low down and close to the axle, then check the noseweight and adjust carefully as needed, moving some weight slightly forward only if noseweight is too low, or back towards the axle if it is too high, without exceeding the vehicle or caravan limits. Use the Front / Centre / Rear position on each item below to track this. Items without a position set show as Unset.

Front —

Centre —

Rear —

Unset —

🔩 Noseweight

The correct range is 5–7% of your laden caravan weight — never exceed the lowest of your car's towbar limit or your caravan's hitch limit.

—5% min

→

—7% max

5–7% of loaded caravan.

⚖️ Payload

Payload Used0.0 kg

Payload Left200.0 kg

In Car (not van)0.0 kg

Items in Van0

Payload used (% of allowance)

🚗 Towing

MTPLM (max laden weight)—

MRO (empty weight)—

👋 Getting started — Add items using the category rows below. Tick to include, use 🚐 / 🚗 / 🏠 to set where each item lives, and Front / Centre / Rear to track weight distribution. Your data saves automatically — tap 💾 Save / Export at the bottom to back it up.

⚠️ Note on MRO: Your caravan's MRO as stated on the plate typically does not include a leisure battery, may only allow a small gas bottle allowance (~10 kg), and will not include aftermarket accessories such as a motor mover, air conditioning (unless factory fitted), towing cover, bike rack, or satellite dish. These all count towards your payload allowance and should be added as items in the list below.

Disclaimer: Hitch List is a calculation aid only. All figures are estimates based on the data you enter. You are solely responsible for verifying weights, limits and safety checks before towing. Always confirm your caravan and vehicle specifications with official documentation. Nothing in this app constitutes legal advice or overrides any legal requirement, manufacturer guidance or highway code obligation. No liability is accepted for any errors, omissions or reliance placed on calculations provided. Towing safely is your responsibility. The only way to verify your exact laden weight is to use a public weighbridge — these are available at many lorry stops, recycling centres and agricultural merchants across the UK.

Checklists

🚐Caravan

🚗Tow Vehicle

📊Towing Compatibility

🌙Appearance

Dark Mode

Easier on the eyes in low light

💾Backup & Restore

Export all your data as a JSON file to back up or transfer to another device. Import a previously saved file to restore everything.

📥 Import Data (Restore File)

⚠️ Danger Zone

Clear all saved data and return to the welcome screen. This will erase your caravan profile, vehicle details, all payload items, and checklist state.

📖 Hitch List Guide

What is Hitch List?

Hitch List helps you calculate whether your caravan is safe and legal to tow. Enter your caravan and car details once, then add items to see your payload used, noseweight estimate, and how you sit against the 85% towing rule.

First-time setup

MRO (Mass in Running Order) — your caravan's weight when empty but ready to travel (water drained, no personal items). Found on the VIN plate, usually inside a locker or on the A-frame.

MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass) — the maximum your caravan is allowed to weigh when loaded. Also on the VIN plate.

Payload allowance = MTPLM − MRO. This is how much you can load into the caravan including water, food, clothes, and equipment.

Kerb weight — your car's weight with a full fuel tank but no passengers or luggage. Found in your handbook or on the driver's door jamb sticker.

Open ⚙️ Settings to enter your caravan and car details. The app will calculate everything automatically.

Adding items

Tap + Add Item to log anything you're putting in the caravan — food, clothes, water, gas, equipment. Give each item a weight in kg. Estimates are fine.

Location: In Car vs In Van

Each item can be marked as In Van (counts toward caravan payload) or In Car (shown separately, counts toward your car's loading). Moving heavy items to the car is an easy way to free up caravan payload.

Position (Front / Centre / Rear)

For van items, you can set a position. This feeds the Weight Distribution bar so you can see how weight is spread front-to-rear. Aim for more weight forward and low.

Payload gauge

The gauge bar shows payload used as a percentage of your allowance. Green = under limit, amber = close, red = over limit. Never exceed your MTPLM.

What is the 85% rule?

The 85% rule is a safety guideline recommended by UK towing organisations. It says your loaded caravan should weigh no more than 85% of your car's kerb weight. Heavier caravans are harder to control if they start to sway.

The two pins

● Guide — MTPLM ÷ kerb weight. This is the worst-case scenario: if your caravan is fully loaded to its limit, where does it sit? Use this to check whether your car and caravan are a suitable match before you even start packing.

▲ Live — estimated laden van weight ÷ your car's actual weight with passengers and car items. This is your real-time position based on what you've added.

The zones

✓ Under 85% — ideal for all drivers, including new tourers.

⚠ 85–100% — legal, but only recommended for experienced drivers.

✗ Over 100% — caravan heavier than car. Strongly discouraged.

What is noseweight?

Noseweight is the downward force the caravan hitch exerts on your car's towball. Too little and the caravan can start to snake; too much and the front of the car lifts, reducing steering and braking effectiveness.

The correct range

Aim for 5–7% of your laden caravan weight. Never exceed the lower of your car's towbar limit or your caravan's hitch limit — both are usually on a plate on the towbar or hitch assembly.

How to achieve the right noseweight

Load heavier items low and close to the axle first. Then measure the noseweight with a dedicated gauge and adjust: move weight slightly forward if too low, or back toward the axle if too high. Use the Weight Distribution panel to track where your weight is sitting.

Hitch List's estimate

The app shows a 5–7% range based on your estimated laden weight. This is a guide only — always measure with a proper gauge before you tow.

Using checklists

Switch to the ✅ Checklists tab to manage your pre-departure and trip checklists. Tick items off as you go — checks are remembered until you reset them.

Customising

Add your own checklist items and categories. Long-press or swipe an item to edit or delete it. Your checklists are saved alongside your other data.

Resetting for a new trip

Tap the reset button in the checklists tab to untick everything and start fresh for your next trip. This does not delete your items — just clears the ticks.

Where is my data stored?

All your data is stored in your browser's local storage — it never leaves your device and is never sent to any server. This means it is private, but it also means it is tied to this browser on this device.

⚠ Important: back up your data

Clearing your browser cache, clearing site data, or switching to a different browser or device will erase everything. Use the Export Backup button in Settings regularly to save a copy of your data as a file.

Importing a backup

To restore from a backup, use Import Backup in Settings and select your saved file. This will replace your current data with the backup.

Installing as an app

Hitch List works as a PWA (Progressive Web App). On iPhone/iPad, open in Safari and use Share → Add to Home Screen. On Android, use Chrome's menu → Add to Home Screen or Install App. This gives you an offline-capable app icon with no browser chrome.