Towing capacity.

[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.

[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)).

[GiveMeABreak]

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 versions	1.6 HDi 16v	2.0 HDi 16v	2.0 HDi 16v	2.2 HDi 16v	2.7 HDi 24v
Engines:	DV6TED4	DW10BTED4	DW10BTED4	DW12BTED4	DT17BTED4
Gearbox	BE4R	ML6C	AM6	ML6C	AM6
Payload	641	621	631	587	574
Unladen weight (MVA) (EEC)	1537	1655	1695	1765	1802
Gross vehicle weight (MTAC) (EEC)	2178	2276	2326	2352	2376
Gross train weight (MTRA)	3178	3778	3526	3952	3676
Maximum braked trailer weight (Incline < 8 %)	1000	1800	1200	1800	1300
Maximum braked trailer weight (8 % < incline < 12 %)	1000	1500	1200	1600	1300
Maximum braked trailer weight with load transfer within the limit of the gross train weight (Incline < 12 %)	1300	1800	1500	1900	1600
Maximum unbraked trailer weight	750	750	750	750	750
Maximum weight on the tow ball	52	72	60	77	64
Maximum weight on roof bars	80	80	80	80	80

[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?

[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/

[RichardW]

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

[bobins]

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

[Stickyfinger]

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

[Jetjockey]

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

Cheers.

[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!!

[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.

[Paul-R]

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

[Stickyfinger]

Paul_R wins the peanut....Yep: snailers = box towers

[Jetjockey]

Snailers! You’ve not seen my brother towing!!

[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.