In Sweden, there are no speed rules that apply specifically to caravans, but instead the usual rules for trailers apply.
Trailers may either be driven at 80 km/h or 40 km/h.
There are also caravans that can only be driven at 30 km/h, but these are not registered as trailers.
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These caravans can be driven at 80 km/h
In Sweden, the majority of all trailers are allowed to drive at the highest speed
80 km/h, and this also applies to caravans.
This speed limit applies to all braked caravans. A prerequisite is of course that the combination of caravan, driver’s license and tow truck is legal.
This can be calculated using the Trailer calculator service from the Swedish Transport Agency.
In some cases, you can also drive 80 km/h with an unbraked trailer. In these cases it applies that the total weight of the caravan must not be higher than half the service weight of the towing vehicle, or that the caravan is unloaded and that its unloaded weight does not exceed half the service weight of the car.
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These caravans may only be driven at 40 km/h
In some situations, however, the maximum speed you are allowed to drive is only 40 km/h.
40 km/h is also the highest speed that you are allowed to drive with an unbraked caravan whose total weight is higher than half the towing vehicle’s service weight. This also applies to an unloaded, unbraked caravan whose curb weight does not exceed half the car’s curb weight.
This also applies if the caravan is equipped with an articulated drawbar and push brake. This could, for example, be about a caravan with a steering front axle, which is not a very common arrangement.
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A 30-caravan is not a trailer
You can also have a caravan that falls into the category that is often referred to in everyday speech as a “30 trailer”, and lacks both a registration plate and suspension. In the sense of the law, these are not trailers, but trailing vehicles.
The basic rule is that a rear vehicle is not intended to transport goods, for example a skylift. In some cases, however, a rear vehicle may be intended to transport a specific type of goods, for example a caravan or a boat trailer.
Aftermarket vehicles do not need to be inspected or registered, and no special driver’s license is needed to tow it beyond what is needed for the towing vehicle.
A rear vehicle may be driven at a maximum speed of 30 km/h and must be equipped with an approved LGF rear triangle.
Complete rules for aftermarket vehicles can be found on the Swedish Transport Agency’s website.
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