Towing capacity.

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Jetjockey
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Towing capacity.

Post by Jetjockey »

:? Hello, just a quick query.

I’ve looked online trying to find a guide to towing capacity. Guides are telling me to subtract the max vehicle laden weight from the gross train weight. I’ve done this using the plate found on the door pillar on my 2008 C5 2 Ltr Hdi Auto exclusive tourer estate and this gives me 1200Kg! ☹️

This doesn’t seem a lot to me and I’m sure I’ve seen up to 1500 or 1700Kg quoted somewhere. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks.
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

The maximum total weight (before needing a different driving license) is, I believe, 3.5 tonnes shared between the towing vehicle and the trailer. There will be different weight limits for a vehicle depending on whether the trailer is unbraked (therefore relying on the brakes of the towing vehicle to stop it) or braked (typically when a plunger in the towing arm of the trailer is depressed when the towing vehicle applies its' brakes, causing the trailer to also apply ITS' brakes (there may be another mechanism to do this)).
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Jetjockey wrote: 04 Jul 2019, 13:51 :? Hello, just a quick query.

I’ve looked online trying to find a guide to towing capacity. Guides are telling me to subtract the max vehicle laden weight from the gross train weight. I’ve done this using the plate found on the door pillar on my 2008 C5 2 Ltr Hdi Auto exclusive tourer estate and this gives me 1200Kg! ☹️

This doesn’t seem a lot to me and I’m sure I’ve seen up to 1500 or 1700Kg quoted somewhere. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks.


Look at the table and you'll see that the towing weights vary dependent upon engine type and gearbox / Saloon / Estate. Yours is column 3.

You have both an Estate and an Auto box, so the towing capacity is less. Compare to the manual.

This are the weights for the Estate diesel only:
Citroen C5 (X7 Estate) Marketed versions1.6 HDi 16v2.0 HDi 16v2.0 HDi 16v2.2 HDi 16v2.7 HDi 24v
Engines:DV6TED4DW10BTED4DW10BTED4DW12BTED4DT17BTED4
GearboxBE4RML6CAM6ML6CAM6
Payload641621631587574
Unladen weight (MVA) (EEC)15371655169517651802
Gross vehicle weight (MTAC) (EEC)21782276232623522376
Gross train weight (MTRA)31783778352639523676
Maximum braked trailer weight (Incline < 8 %)10001800120018001300
Maximum braked trailer weight (8 % < incline < 12 %)10001500120016001300
Maximum braked trailer weight with load transfer within the limit of the gross train weight (Incline < 12 %)13001800150019001600
Maximum unbraked trailer weight750750750750750
Maximum weight on the tow ball5272607764
Maximum weight on roof bars8080808080
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Jetjockey »

Please excuse my ignorance, but what do they mean exactly when they talk about a max towing weight of 1500Kg taking into account load transfer?
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by mickthemaverick »

Have a look at the following and it should clarify load transfer for you. Basically it is the Tow Ball Mass which is the load "transferred" to the towing ball:

https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-ad ... -trailers/

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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by RichardW »

My interpretation is that you can tow up to 1500kg, but must deduct the extra above 1200 kg from the car's payload.
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by bobins »

A bit more on Weight Distribution (Load Transfer) systems.
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-par ... ystems.htm
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Stickyfinger »

They are crap with an Auto box, no wonder the Snailers stopped buying them....another FAIL from Citroen.
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Jetjockey »

What are crap with an auto box and what are Snailers? :?

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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by mickthemaverick »

I think he's referring to 2.0HDi auto C5's being crap at towing and I presume the French public would be the snailers!! :) :)
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by GiveMeABreak »

I don't tow myself and have the slightly more powerful 140 variant but 6 speed manual - however, the dealer removed the towbar for me at my request when I bought it, and all I can say was that the previous owner wrecked the clutch and dual mass flywheel as that went at 40k and the DMF was really bad on inspection.

I thing towing should be left to these, or get a Winnebago.
towing.PNG
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Paul-R »

I guessed that snailers are people towing caravans as they generally slower than the rest of the traffic.
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Stickyfinger »

Paul_R wins the peanut....Yep: snailers = box towers :)
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Jetjockey »

Snailers! You’ve not seen my brother towing!! 😣
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Re: Towing capacity.

Post by Jetjockey »

Just how bad is crap?

Should I be looking to get rid of this from a towing perspective? I’m sure that I’ve read some customer reports and they’ve been quite happy?

Cheers.
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