Towing

Grandad Gwynne
Grandad Gwynne Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited January 2017 in Club Membership #1

Having read this months magazine I got to the " car select " page and read all about the the new car details and was disgusted to find there was no mention of the towing capacity of any of the cars reviewed as a caravanner looking for a new car soon this is the first thing I look for is it possible to put this data on next time please 

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  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #2

    The car select page is part of an advert for Lex Autolease and the content is theirs. I assume it is a standard advert used in other magazines where towing is not a consideration and is basically there to give you an idea of costs. It would be costly for Lex to set up an advert just for the club magazine rather than a general one for a variety of them. It is however nothing to do with the club.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #3

    Some of the cars on that advert are clearly not towcars, and not everyone will want to buy a towcar even if they are members of the club and it was in a club magazine? When we come round to change our smaller car if the price was right I would look at using them. Surely its up to you to work out the 'towing capacity (what do you mean by that? doesn't it depend on the weight of your particular caravan) of any car you are thinking of buying as a towcar?

    Also while it might be annoying for you ,it's hardly disgusting?

  • JCB4X4
    JCB4X4 Forum Participant Posts: 466
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    edited January 2017 #4

    Re: “ … towing capacity (what do you mean by that? … )

    I am fairly certain that Grandad Cwynne will be referring to the figure quoted by the manufacturer, after having carried out the required legal tests to gain ‘Type Approval’ as being the maximum weight that can be legally towed the particular model in question.  This figure can range from zero for some models to considerably more than the actual kerb-weight of others.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #5

    Yes, that should be checked but that could lead to thinking an outfit was safe to tow (in the case of being above the kerb weight) but not a good idea, Surely if something as to be included in the adverts it should be the kerb weight ?

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #6

    I seem to recall they used to advertise the XTrail as able to tow 2.2 tonnes. It certainly says that is the maximum permissible towable on the V5. However, it a fairly meaningless figure, personally there is no way I would even want to tow 85% of that with it. It is a very capable tow car with our U 2 Cadiz but I would not want to go much heavier. So to publish what a car can technically leagally tow would be somewhat misleading and potentially dangerous in my opinion. Things like kerb weight and tow hook load would be useful though.

  • crusader
    crusader Forum Participant Posts: 299
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    edited February 2017 #7

    Cornersteady I think what Grandad Gwynne was saying they dont give the manufacturer tow limit for the individual cars which is different to the kerb weight. The legal bit is the train weight e.g. if the cars tow limit is 2500kg then the laden trailer braked cannot be more than that

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2017 #8

    Ok, thanks for the replysmile