1.6 ok for towing a caravan?

[vanbeck1]

I am sorry but I have to assume this is a bit of a wind up. Most 440's are of such a vintage that no one in their right mind would consider it safe. Even when new a 440 of this engine size would struggle with a small caravan as the existing body was not the lightest.

If it is a real post then stick with a tent or a B&B

[sarge]

Originally Posted by DavieC

She travelled all of the country in it. The only problem she found with it was going up the hill on the A9 south out of Inverness!!

Well, that is a long climb!

Sarge
'99 V70 AWD

speaking as a innocent bystander common sense says that a 1.6 is way to small to tow a large van.

[Alec Dawe]

I towed a lightweight 5 berth (just under 1 tonne fully laden) with a 1600 Mondeo. Weight ratios were OK for the 85% rule, but it was a real struggle round the peak district, and we soon gave up with that car. 1800 Mondeo (these were company cars, so not a lot of choice at that time) was marginally better, then I got a 1.9 Diesel Galaxy, and towing problems became a thing of the past, and I have not gone back to petrol for a "main" car since.
Its all the torque that makes life so much easier!

I would not be happy towing anything much above a camping trailer with a 1600, 440.

[ivor940]

Hi, I would check out the BHP per 1000 kg for the combined unit. It should not really be less than 40 BHP per 1000 kg (or 40 BHP per Ton in real weight ). If the caravan meets the 85 to 100% rule ( ie 85% if you are new to towing and 100% max if you are an experienced tower) and is within the car max towing weight, add the loaded caravan weight to the loaded car weight. If the car is say 1250 kg and the caravan is 1000 kg, the gross train weight is 2250 kg. The car would need to have 90 BHP ( ie 2.25 X 40 ) to be ok to tow. I have towed a 1000 kg Monza 480ct with a 1.6 ( 75 BHP ) Sierra Est, a 2.0 Sierra Est ( 115 BHP ) and a 1.6 Mondeo Est ( 90 BHP ). The best car was the 2.0 Sierra. The Mondeo 1.6 was ok except for some steep hills ( and it had FWD ). The 75 bhp 1.6 Sierra was slow at times but still was able to keep to the legal limit for towing most of the time. Its BHP per Ton was 31.9 ( Its most difficult time was a hill restart in Rathfrieland, Co Down --a bit of burnt clutch smell ). The 2.0 Sierra was 49 BHP per ton. My 940T is 61 BHP per Ton with the same cavavan, nearly twice the figure for the 1.6 Sierra.

ivor940

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Originally Posted by ivor940

Hi, I would check out the BHP per 1000 kg for the combined unit. It should not really be less than 40 BHP per 1000 kg (or 40 BHP per Ton in real weight ).

This sounds a useful guideline but is this, or is there, an official guideline for this anywhere?

Des. . .

[ivor940]

Hi Des, Following is from "Practican Caravan" magazine:
• Make sure you know the details of your towcar: manufacturer’s towing limit, kerbweight, noseweight, gross vehicle weight, gross train weight (older cars only) and maximum authorised mass (newer vehicles only).
• Obtain the relevant details for the caravan you are considering: most importantly the maximum technically permissible laden mass (MTPLM), which includes user payload.
• Ensure the MTPLM is less than the car’s towing limit. Check the car’s limit doesn’t reduce when it’s significantly loaded.
• Ensure the MTPLM is less than the car’s kerbweight, and ideally no more than 85 percent of it.
• With car and caravan fully loaded, will the car’s maximum authorised mass be exceeded?
• The sum of the car’s gross vehicle weight and the caravan’s MTPLM must never exceed the vehicle’s gross train weight.
• Can your car withstand the van’s noseweight?
• Is the car powerful enough. Aim for at least 40bhp per tonne of train weight. • If the car fails any of these criteria by a modest amount, check the van’s user payload allowance. Is this sufficient for you to use the caravan appreciably below its maximum weight?
• If it fails by a significant margin, you should look for a different caravan.

I had come across the 40 BHP reference in a Caravan Club article

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Thanks for that, so it is as much a guideline as the old 85% rule.
I had not seen that before...
If my father had known these things when we towed our caravan with a 1200 beetle!!!!
The 'van was a massive 5 berth!!

Des. . .

Towing a caravan depends on :
1. the power of the engine of the car. Especially the torque.
The more Nm the better.
My diesel has 210Nm at 2000 rpm. (1.9 TDI turbo. Yes it's no Volvo)
That's good for driving at 90kmh in 5th gear.
2. the weight of the caravan (loaded)
The total weight of the caravan must no be more than 90% of the
weight of the car (without passengers)
And how good are the shock absorbers/tire pressure?
And do you have an anti breakaway safetymechanism on the tow hook?
If not you can loose the caravan at 40 miles/hr (60kmh) already.
I am an experienced caravan user and lost it almost 2 times because the
break away system was not funtioning well anymore.
This at 110kmh in France. That's not funny, I can assure you.
Have fun Piet

[vanbeck1]

I agree we seem to be getting lost in a sea of rules nowadays. In the 50's my parents towed their first van, a Bluebird with a Riley 9. The towbar was homemade and when we hit some steeper hills in Oxfordshre my mother and I had to get out and push. Then we had to walk back down the hill to push the motorbike, no sidecar, towing a small van up as well, ah!, the good old days.

However, with the density, and speed of traffic nowadays some of the rules are very sensible, to ensure you don't get caught out in a mistake yourself. The main priority is to ensure you have the 'tail wagging the dog' so always keep the car heavier than the loaded van. Getting into a snake can be a scary experience as panic usually takes over and that can make it worse. Avoidance is the best option. Anyone who really wishes to know the best way to tow can do no worse than try one of the Courses offered by the 2 main caravanning organisations. They are fun and do tell you a lot.

Otherwise a lot of it is very similar to a 'Defensive Driving' Course, in other words avoidance of potential problems leads to safer driving. Commonsense really.