Towing Stupidity

[Sundayjumper]

It might just be ok with the trailer unladen...

Which reminds me. There was* a constant bickering on the Vito Facebook group about towing limits. People were divided between:

a) The figure stated in the handbook and on the V5 (2000kg).

b) The gross train weight as stated on the chassis plate, minus the actual kerb weight of the van including all its contents at the time of towing, which for a mostly empty van would mean being allowed a trailer of around 2500kg gross.


* probably still is, but I stopped going there because it was mainly focussed on what lowering springs were cheap and what were the biggest wheels you could fit, which isn't why I bought a van.

[Mito Man]

I was surprised that the Defender is rated to tow 4000kg in its handbook. Some further research shows that in the UK that’s not possible with the standard set up and needs fancy brakes on the trailer etc. I imagine you’d be going up any slight hills in low gear though

[V8Granite]

I was surprised that the Defender is rated to tow 4000kg in its handbook. Some further research shows that in the UK that’s not possible with the standard set up and needs fancy brakes on the trailer etc. I imagine you’d be going up any slight hills in low gear though

3 tons is a comfy tow, I had the over 6 tons total train weight once and it was fine……..

Drop below 60mph though and it took forever on a flat road to get it back

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

3500kg and under is allowed to use inertia brakes, which mechanically is a very elegant system but only works if the trailer weighs a similar-ish amount or less than the tow vehicle. Above 3500kg you are required to have coupled brakes, so you're into the realm of pneumatic systems like HGVs use. I think American-style electric brakes are allowable in some circumstances but I'm not really familiar with those.

5th wheel setups can't use an inertia system, so will definitely be coupled of some kind.

And a minor point, under UK regs to qualify as a braked trailer, all the wheels of the trailer need to be braked, that's why the 2-wheel recovery dollies you see aren't legal as even if the dolly has brakes the other end of the car being towed doesn't*, ergo it's an unbraked trailer and limited to 750kg. The exception being if it's an emergency. Which is why AA/RAC/etc can use them. People mistakenly insist that AA/RAC/etc using them means it's totally fine and they can use a dolly to transport their POS BMW to drift events.


* if you want to put someone in the car being towed and argue the toss whether that makes it a braked trailer or not, take it up with VOSA, not me

[Sundayjumper]

3 tons is a comfy tow, I had the over 6 tons total train weight once and it was fine……..

Drop below 60mph though and it took forever on a flat road to get it back

(willy waving)

My Touareg was c.2500kg kerb weight and the trailer + Compact is almost 2000kg at a guess, so with me driving, one passenger, and some spares & tools in the boot it must have been approaching 5 tonnes and it did not even bat an eyelid

I do miss it. The Cayenne is a better car but the Touareg was an awesome tow vehicle.

Cayenne with trailer. It coped OK but it dropped down the gears at the slightest incline. The Touareg would have stayed in 6th and just beasted it with the waves and waves of torque

A6906891-F820-4129-9C90-2EA65D088FF8.jpeg (124.92 KiB) Viewed 719 times

[JonMad]

It might just be ok with the trailer unladen...

Which reminds me. There was* a constant bickering on the Vito Facebook group about towing limits. People were divided between:

a) The figure stated in the handbook and on the V5 (2000kg).

b) The gross train weight as stated on the chassis plate, minus the actual kerb weight of the van including all its contents at the time of towing, which for a mostly empty van would mean being allowed a trailer of around 2500kg gross.


* probably still is, but I stopped going there because it was mainly focussed on what lowering springs were cheap and what were the biggest wheels you could fit, which isn't why I bought a van.

I deduce from that, that the correct answer is (b)?

[Mito Man]

Ah yes, coupled brakes, looking online it seems like quite an extensive modification so you'd really want to tow that extra 500kg to turn your car into a mini lorry and I can only find this one pic on google images so I don't think many people bothered Also may require a tacho.


The American trucks have their own system with an electric brake controller to tow over 3500kg. Might be useful for coasting down mountain roads in South France though as I've seen quite a few trailer brakes smoking on mountain passes.

[Sundayjumper]

I deduce from that, that the correct answer is (b)?

Nobody knows !

Well that's not totally true. Traffic police, and DVLA, and VOSA, and a couple of people that posted to say they had been stopped & fined by VOSA all think they know, but that's just internet heresy. You can actually tow anything you like.

[Sundayjumper]

Also may require a tacho.

Tacho only needed for commercial - i.e. paid - work. So depends what you're towing, prob easier to avoid if you're towing a caravan than a digger, or 3 tonnes of hardcore.

[Mito Man]

3 tonnes of hardcore, now that's something I'd pay to do

[Sundayjumper]

I work with large construction projects, the word "hardcore" obviously refers to a layer of material in a foundation and plays havoc with our email filth filters

[Rich B]

I work with large construction projects, the word "hardcore" obviously refers to a layer of material in a foundation and plays havoc with our email filth filters

you'd be screwed if you had a project in Scunthorpe!

[scotta]

This just in...

[Rich B]

It's fine, he's tucked the straps in his door!

[Sundayjumper]

Won’t somebody please think of the door seals ?

[V8Granite]

Door strap door slammers are simply for folk who cannot fathom a nice neat knot and tidy.

SJ, if I had the torque of a V10 Touareg my transmission. Would instantly turn to shrapnel, gearboxes and diffs simultaneously !!

Dave!

[Peterlplp]

Jeez.

Post it on Twitter - look at the hammering this got yesterday…

I've seen that centre lock business on race cars before:



Watch the rest of the vid for some Toyota goodness. Love the overlander soarer at 6:25

[integrale_evo]

Yeah, a lot of racers have adapters they screw on instead of the nut which has loops built in.

Actually look like the trailer hasn’t got any of the usual holes or lashing points in the bed

[Gavin]

I wonder how on earth that Micra ended up towing? Do you think someone's car blew up and that was the only mate with a towbar?

Worst thing I have towed was a horsebox with horse with a transit tipper over 20 years ago, I suspect now it would be far easier but it was somewhere in Perthshire back to the Borders with a horse for an ex.

The Merc has only towed the caravan once, from Fife to Home and barely noticed the thing was there, I think it is at least as good as my Grand Cherokee was, that you really didn't notice anything behind.

[mik]

back to the Borders with a horse for an ex.

I didn’t realise your ex was a horse.