How much horse can a 940 tow???

[Laney760]

A forum member called by my house in the summer towing a small 300/400 series on a trailer with a 940 estate. He later got stopped by Police

[migrator]

The towing car was a 960 estate with four people up. The trailer was a purpose built twin axle braked trailer and the car being carried was a 360 GLT. The trailer was plated (empty) about 550 kg.

I have in the past used the same car to tow the same trailer with other 960 estates on the trailer (separate runs) up and down the M1.

The 360 incident was the first time I was ever stopped by police regarding towing weights etc. I have often passed parked police cars on motorways etc and have even been overtaken by patrolling police cars and never even a 'flash of the lights' from them.

Why the '360 stop' I do not know - but it was about 0200 and north of Leeds on the M1).

[rippedoffagain]

Why the '360 stop' I do not know - but it was about 0200 and north of Leeds on the M1).

They may have thought you were nicking it.

[migrator]

That point did cross my mind at the time but all of the docs were present and OK. Perhaps he was just miffed at not having a case so felt that another tack might get him some brownie points. His parting shot was to remember to build up speed on the shoulder before joining the carriageway proper.

[Laney760]

That point did cross my mind at the time but all of the docs were present and OK. Perhaps he was just miffed at not having a case so felt that another tack might get him some brownie points. His parting shot was to remember to build up speed on the shoulder before joining the carriageway proper.

I wonder if they'd have taken you to a weighbridge how you might have fared. 85% of the kerb weight of even a diesel 960 is less than that of the 550kg trailer and the 360's weight (only by a few kg). Not meaning to be a killjoy but just delving into the legalities of towing as I am interested as I have a tow bar and the Police around here are seriously on the ball!

[migrator]

He did comment that had the weighbridge been open we would have taken a trip there. Perhaps the answer is to tow only at night when the public weighbridges are closed.

[Laney760]

He did comment that had the weighbridge been open we would have taken a trip there. Perhaps the answer is to tow only at night when the public weighbridges are closed.

Well, I'm glad you made your journey, I got to meet your lovely family! Does make you wonder though if a 360 plus trailer is borderline maybe a large horse and horse box would be over the legal limit

[minesa240x3]

He did comment that had the weighbridge been open we would have taken a trip there. Perhaps the answer is to tow only at night when the public weighbridges are closed.

I like that Idea but were I live they quite often open up the public weighbridge and pull HGV's in,Anyway I don't think anyone really knows just how the law stands on towing.There are a lot of experts who think they know what you should tow.
I for one tow at the limit shall we say,as my owners manual states what I can tow so until I get stopped and fined I will continue doing so.
For instance if a trailer when empty weighs 600kg but can carry a total of three tons,can you tow it empty if your car can only legally tow one ton.
And yes the trailer in theory could be loaded to the max but it isn't??
So a trailer that weighs 600kg that can carry fully laden one ton is being towed by your car that can legally tow two tons but alas it's actually got two tons of volvo 240 parts in it(not many bits then!!)So you must be breaking the law?
Right now I'm really confused and someone is going to come on here and explain to me again just how it works OH joy,85% and all that and don't forget the 75kg noseweight and by the way loading apparently makes a difference.And don't get me started about sway bars,and even the correct tyres for a caravan seeing as you can buy special tyres with stronger side walls with loads more ply rating.I need to go lie down.

PS I know it can be very dangerous but this has rumbled on for as long as I can remember,
Take care all and drive safely regards Brian.:hidesbehindsofa:

[Laney760]

@minesa240x3

So do the owner's handbooks say you can tow over 85% of your kerbweight? If so then it is confusing!

[Laney760]

I've just read on the National Trailer & Towing Ass that the police force use the car manufacturer's recommended towing limits as their guide

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/preparing/preparing.htm

[minesa240x3]

Hi laney it actually say's I can tow 1500kg at 50mph and 1600kg at 45mph,My caravan is MTPLM 1600kg but 1258kg unladen weight.The car weighs kerb weight between 1280kg and 1400kg,I will scan the owners manual one day just for folks to see.
Well hope your well and I'm off to do some work (I'm late Lol) :clock::animal-smiley-040:so catch you nice folks later TTFN Brian.

[craig8661]

it would have been over weight but my diesel 940 it could tow very well used to pull a rice eropa trailer with 2 big horses. sadley i miss the car but i use a grand vitara for the towing work now

[RAW]

our '89 740gl has an unladen weight of c1450kgs, and happily tows a caravan with a weight, once all of the stuff for a holliday is in it, of around 1100, even when four up with two dogs in the boot. i should think it would be fine to tow more seeing as the later 940s have a larger curb weight but im not sure about the laws on trailer weights, i thought it was just that it had to be less than 3500kgs, and had to have brakes if over 500kgs.

the manual says that at less than 45mph it can tow up to 1800 (a massive 120% of its curb weight) if you avoid steep slopes! having said that, i wouldnt want to tow more than our caravan with it!

Richard

[Chesh740R]

I towed this 850 back from Brighton to Bedford without any trouble, plenty of power even with a headgasket kinda on its way out. Allthough I'm 100% sure I was completley illegal. Luckily my Nivomats made it look not too illegal, and we passed a few police cars and were passed by a few.

Stopping required some forethought though, the brakes were 100% excellent on the 940 as i'd overhaulled them fully a couple of months before hand, but braking effiency with all that weight was crap, whilst lost we missed a turning and despite braking hard we overshot by quite a way.

I usually borrow a friends Isuzu trooper to do all my towing needs as that has a towing ability of 3300kg and makes light work of anything and i know its completely legal.

I recently took my old Jeep to be scrapped and the Trooper was unavailable and as it was only 2 miles to the scrapyard and it was 7am i took the chance and towed it with the 940. I never went above 40mph as i didnt feel comfortably doing so. Empty the 940 tows the trailer fine at 60-70mph.

Total train weight on the scrapyard weighbridge was 3860KG, once the jeep was lifted off my exit weigh was 2100kg for the 940 and the trailer.

I would imagine with the all the other crap I had in the back of the 940 it weighed in at 1500kg, so my trailer weighs a staggering 600kg.



My advice yes the 940 cars can manage heavy loads, but god knows what the fine is if your overweight, so don't exceed the 85% rule.

I've been stopped once in a transit tipper and the policeman said if the weighbridge had been open we'd have been taking a trip there as he thought i was overloaded, but as i was about to tip the load he just gave me a warning.

[LankyTim]

Hey Chesh, your pic reminded me of the time I weighed in my LWD datsun patrol, I loaded it with scrap, loaded it onto my trailer and towed it to the scrapyard with my J reg 2 litre granada estate. Gross train weight was 4.3 tons!

It towed it ok, but never again!