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this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2023
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I'm nearly certain that camper is way over that car's tow capacity. If so this is dangerous and stupid. Drivers like this, who endanger everyone else even near the road for their inability to use common sense, should be banned from society.
The caravan looks to be a Wilk Sento, which has a maximum weight of 1300-1500kg depending on the model. The car is a Mk. 7 Golf, rated for towing 1300-2000kg depending on the model. This person could have opted for the cheapest Golf and most expensive caravan, filled the caravan to the brim and then you'd be right. But I think it's more likely that this is perfectly safe and you're just making snap judgements.
Every single caravan in Europe looks like this. That is the point of the post. From what I have understood so far, either American cars are intentionally built worse so that a much bigger car is needed for the same weight or car salesmen just lie about how big you need your car to be.
This absolutely isn't uncommon in Europe.
This is a completely normal towing setup for Europe, nothing out of the ordinary. No one would even question it, since this is how "everyone" tows in Europe. This is legal and safe.
You can look at Google Street View and you will see that most caravans are being towed by hatchbacks, wagons and (crossover) SUVs.
Nope, wrong. That the American regulations are biased to discourage normal cars to tow is not a safety issue, it is just the result of successful lobbying of the American car industry.
It probably would be in the US, but laws and regulations are different in Europe. The US favors huge heavy towing vehicles and higher tongue weights to allow for higher speeds, Europe limits speeds and allows for normal cars and more balanced trailers. We also have lower speed limits for semi-trailers and similar vehicles, so they fit right in.