Towing capacities

commeyras

So does mine Milo.  Only ever had to do one emergency stop when towing: all I can say I stopped VERY quickly!!!  Stick to the guidelines and you will have no problems.  Why raise a problem that should not exist - unless someone knows better.

Tinwheeler

Problem? I thought Cushie was passing on advice.🤔

Hallsontour

Not in all cases Vulcan. My last company paid me a car allowance but also supplied a list of 'rules' that my car had to adhere to in order for me to keep claiming my allowance....and be paid expenses for.

Back to the original topic I personally wouldn't like to tow anywhere near the 100% mark. It'll probably be OK 99% of the time but it's that 1% where the extra weight of the car can make all the difference. Some might say that they tow X with Y and it's 110% of tow weight and they have no worries as they take the tins out the top cupboard but it's basic physics. Of course lots of other factors come into play, and I do understand your predicament, but when the cookie crumbles the extra stability of the car can make the difference.

Go for the heaviest car you can with the lightest caravan, that's my advice for what it's worth.

Wildwood

The choice of vehicle with a company car depends on the company policy on this. At one time we were stuck with being given a date to be in and a new car would turn up but you had no choice as to what it was. The company moved to a single supplier and the choice was more or less any thing you wanted from Vauxhall. The limitation was workable but does show it is not always straightforward.

lornalou1

that's a bit of a contradiction Wildwood as you state " a new car would turn up but you had no choice as to what it was"  then state " any thing you wanted from Vauxhall "  so you did have a choice of any Vauxhall.

Tinwheeler

WW explained that "The company moved to a single supplier…". This means things changed from the first arrangement to the one it moved to. Hence the two different scenarios.👍🏻

EasyT

It is not so much the braking that is the problem but the situation when braking alone is not enough and a sharp evasive manoeuvre at speed is needed to avoid a smash.

Milothedog

So how does that work on an artic then, the trailer, when loaded, weighs more than the unit does.  

EasyT

Have you never seen a trailer jacknifed after the tractor unit has lost grip and skidded? 

JVB66

I think that is why when the tractor unit loses it it is normally the trailer that then jack knifes 

Tinwheeler

As I’m sure you know, Milo, it’s a totally different towing system. 

Milothedog

Its still a case that the trailer has brakes controlled by the towing vehicle. the only difference is there is a (predominance / trailer control valve)   to, in effect, stop the trailer braking before the tractor. Not unlike the overrun actuation on a caravan.   You still have a trailer that when loaded weighs more the the tractor so I cant see how it can be put forward as a reason ? 

I would suggest the 85% guidelines, and that's all they are , are to allow for the misgivings of inexperienced drivers and nothing to do at all with stopping distances and   stability when taking avoiding actions.

Just my 2p's worth  

Milothedog

Yep,  I also used to drive 18m Artics as part of my job, and a large  tow truck towing other large vehicles.  Thats why tractor units used to have a handbrake valve with more than one function that will prevent it in an emergency but the weak link is the driver And nowadays with ABS, ESC, and other clever systems the driver has been taken out of the equation.

Suggesting you cant control an emergency stop when the caravan is more than 85% of the car is not correct. 

Milothedog

Far less common now though JV as explained in my other post when the human part of the problem has been taken out of the equation.

EasyT

Suggesting you cant control an emergency stop when the caravan is more than 85% of the car is not correct. 

I never said it was although somebody may have. I think I said that it was not braking that was the problem

Milothedog

"It is not so much the braking that is the problem but the situation when braking alone is not enough and a sharp evasive manoeuvre at speed is needed to avoid a smash."

Thats how i read it 

Lutz

I don't see a conflict between the two statements. Obviously as the weight ratio increases so does the degree of intervention needed to regain control an outfit that has become unstable, but that doesn't mean that it is inherently unmanageable if 85% is exceeded.

Wildwood

The towing characteristics of an artic are very different to a car and caravan and are of very doubtful relevance.

Basically controlling the car and caravan in an emergency stop is not the normal problem with caravans jacknifing, but if the caravan is too heavy for the car it can be a problem. The main problem, and I dealt with the accident investigation, is usually caravans traveling too fast or being caught by side winds or bow waves or a combination of these. In those cases because of the way the out fit is set up the heavier the car the better it is in controlling the situation.