Am I right in thinking that a leisure battery on a caravan is not included in the weight of the van and must be taken into account with your personal user allowance

Battery is now part of the user payload and thus, is not included in the Miro. 12 Kg of toilet fluids and fresh water is included in the Miro but travel with empty tanks and the 12 Kg saved will offset 50% or so of the battery weight.

Don't get too hung up on MIRO* though - MTPLM** is the important figure that you should not exceed.

Best thing is take your new caravan to a public weighbridge and get a starting weight with empty tanks, battery, full Calor Lite gas bottle, 25m hook up cable, jack etc. (everything that will always be on board as essential operating kit) and weigh the van.

That weight deducted from the plated MTPLM will give you your real life user payload that you can use up with items of your choice.

*MIRO = mass in running order (has no legal meaning and is pretty meaningless other than as a pre-loading guide. As stated by the manufacturer, it is also likely to be inaccurate,

**MTPLM = Maximum technically permitted laden mass (has a legal meaning and your caravan should never exceed it).

Towing weights can be an absolute minefield at the outset but keep it simple, do not exceed any plated maximum weights on the caravan or car and you will be ok.

Most of all, enjoy your new caravan