About bloody time too...

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 11 Aug 2006, 13:35

http://www.whatcar.com/news-special-rep ... EL=3171789

Yayyyyyy

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 11 Aug 2006, 16:59

Time for what?

Running an Omega or A6 estate instead of a Xantia!? Or are you the "friend" the questioner wasn't pepared to listen to?

Help me, I don't understand!

Andrew

weety · Post by **weety** » 11 Aug 2006, 20:43

andmcit wrote:Time for what?

Running an Omega or A6 estate instead of a Xantia!? Or are you the "friend" the questioner wasn't pepared to listen to?

Help me, I don't understand!

Andrew

i like the way he assessed the weight of the xantia by looking at it.....there cant be that many cars that weigh more than xantia though..........

2.1td · Post by **2.1td** » 12 Aug 2006, 00:09

Thing is (IMO), the Xantia "tricked" him! Most cars will sag at the rear when loaded up in this way but as we all know a Xantia will keep level regardless of the weight! He also didn 't say if it's a four wheel trailer, nor if it's braked. He should get a BX 4x4 estate!:roll:

weety · Post by **weety** » 12 Aug 2006, 18:27

2.1td wrote:Thing is (IMO), the Xantia "tricked" him! Most cars will sag at the rear when loaded up in this way but as we all know a Xantia will keep level regardless of the weight! He also didn 't say if it's a four wheel trailer, nor if it's braked. He should get a BX 4x4 estate!:roll:

if it weighs as much as a xantia i would hope its braked!

Post by **CitroJim** » 13 Aug 2006, 22:05

2.1td wrote:Thing is (IMO), the Xantia "tricked" him! Most cars will sag at the rear when loaded up in this way but as we all know a Xantia will keep level regardless of the weight! He also didn 't say if it's a four wheel trailer, nor if it's braked. He should get a BX 4x4 estate!:roll:

Xantias, along with all hydropneumatic Citroens I expect, are great towcars though, simply because the suspension looks after the extra burden so well. I only know that I have a caravan on the back of mine due to the engine lacking a bit of its usual urge

Trailers above 750Kg must be braked by law and never should the "85% rule be broken". The trailer, fully laden, should weigh no more than 85% of the towcar kerbweight (and no cheating by loading the car with 5 fatties either!).

It is though legal (or was) to tow to 100% provided the speed was kept down and the driver is well experienced.

"Snaking" referred to in the link is not down to the towcar kerbweight par-se. It is usually down to poor loading and weight distribuiton in the trailer, e.g. heavy items high-up or toward the back rather than to the front low-down or over the axle. Hiding the problem by using a stabiliser is not recommended. Get the outfit stable with no artificial aids and then only use a stabiliser for a bit of additional peace of mind.

Only last week, my daughter and I followed a relatively small caravan being towed by a big car that was snaking alarmingly everytime an HGV or coach went past. We got past it ASAP. This is not an unusual occurrance at all and shows a certain lack of understanding of the basic principles.

There is no doubt in my mind that if anyone wants to tow, a test should be taken. Towing a large trailer or caravan is in a different league to normal driving.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 14 Aug 2006, 10:39

citrojim wrote: never should the "85% rule be broken". The trailer, fully laden, should weigh no more than 85% of the towcar kerbweight

That's not strictly true.

Vehicle manufacturers publish recommended towing limits for their vehicles, and these are often more than 85% of the kerb weight of the car. My 405 for instance has a recommended max. of 1200kg, but only weighs about 1250kg (or less if I empty it of all the junk I carry around!)

Equally, a series land-rover has a kerb weight of about 1500Kg, but can tow 4000kg. (except that the UK legal max. for a braked trailer is 3500Kg.)

Even then, the recommended max. weights for towing are simply that... Recommended. The legal maximum comes from licencing. The details are quite technical, and I can't remember what they are at the moment, but it's not actually against the law to tow 1500Kg with a saxo. It is damn stupid, a police officer might well ask you just how insane you are, and it may be considered dangerous driving, but it's not actually unlawful in terms of weights.

Far more important is the towball downforce, and your tyre pressures. Get these right and you can tow anything in a very stable and controlled manner.

Post by **CitroJim** » 14 Aug 2006, 12:39

fastandfurryous wrote:
Far more important is the towball downforce, and your tyre pressures. Get these right and you can tow anything in a very stable and controlled manner.

Yes, absolutely. Two very important points, again often missed and overlooked.

Thanks for clarification on other points too. That is the great thing about this forum, so much knowledge. On manufacturers towing limits though, is that not based on the ability to make a standing start on a given steep gradient (1:4 IIRC)?

I've towed 1200Kg several times behind our old 405 TD. Apart from being a bit soggy at the back, it coped very well with it.