Towing a Trailer - First Time hints and tips
Discussion
cptsideways said:
That combo must be borderline on the towing cars limit - that has to be 2200kg + of train weight there.
I thought that based on what I know from the train weight I will haveIn my case
Trailer =, 600kg, car (plastic body) 1200kg total 1800kg against max towing weight for 6 cyl 4wd SUV of 2100kgs
Most Golfs are 1500kgs max towing the highest is 1750kg
Lets say the trailer in that train is 400kgs and a typical Golf weighs 1400kgs so total train weight is 1800kgs and exceeds even the highest train weight allowed behind a Golf
Edited by blueg33 on Friday 17th May 19:37
ETA just realised the tow car isn't a Golf
Edited by blueg33 on Friday 17th May 19:55
R0G said:
cptsideways said:
That combo must be borderline on the towing cars limit - that has to be 2200kg + of train weight there.
What is that towing vehicle - exact model ?blueg33 said:
The tow car is a Subaru Outback 3.0 which can has a maximum tow weight of 2100kgs, Alp and trailer all up will be 1800kgs.
blueg33 said:
kambites said:
Indeed, and towing something that heavy and unaerodynamic has a pretty nasty effect on your fuel economy.
Thanks guys, the Outback only does 26mpg unladen, so will def be low teens when towingI have BE on my licence by a pic of a car towing a trailer. I anticipate one fuel stop so will plan ahead to an easy access forecourt - probably have to bite the bullet and go gof a motorway one.
My biggest worry is manouvering, its quite tight on my drive and the narrow lane to my house, so the tip about the kink is useful.
Any tips for using tie down straps on wheels?
Above all allow yourself time and space to ensure all/most of your braking is in a straight line. Also, do not enter a roundabout or bend slowing so that the trailer is trying to jack-knife. That can be asking for trouble if you have to brake as some plonker jumps out in front of you. Lose speed BEFORE the roundabout or bend and pass them at a level even speed, never slowing. Very slight acceleration is OK out of a curve but slowing on any curve or bend can be asking for trouble.
Straps are remarkably secure if fitted correctly. I use at least four. On efor each wheel and key suspension components. Drive the first mile carefully then stop somewhere conveniently and check all those straps are secure AGAIN.
Make sure the trailer's lights are ALL working. A trailer board works well.
Finally, good tips about tanking up with fuel fully before hitching the trailer. Carry a couple of five litre cans too as these may get you out of trouble if like me, you recover a car from a remote part of the country.
On the road, treat EVERY vehicle and the driver as a potential real danger much more so than you normally do.
I've used Turbo charged Rovers and MGs over the years for towing. Call me a liar if you wish, but my uber smooth driving style when towing means I get better fuel consumption returns than when driving normally. Much better even the low thirties mpg! Brim-to-Brim tank fills indicated these remarkable mpg figures when towing so much so that at first, I thought I must have miscalculated. I had not as subsequent fuel checks confirm this every time:~
Here's some towing set ups used in the past until some kind soul stole my braked trailer :~
Keep 'em peeled all the time.
EDIT to ADD @ 13:00
GreigM said:
jagracer said:
Fuel consumption may not be as bad as you think, don't forget you will be driving steadier than normal and probably not going so fast.
This - when towing my (very lightweight) Westfield I've been known to get better mpg than normal 
Edited by MGJohn on Saturday 18th May 13:00
GreigM said:
jagracer said:
Fuel consumption may not be as bad as you think, don't forget you will be driving steadier than normal and probably not going so fast.
This - when towing my (very lightweight) Westfield I've been known to get better mpg than normal 
Fishtailing whilst towing.
Even with a perfectly set up and balanced trailer, this can happen and can be quite scary.
Nearside lanes ( tarmac ones ) of major motorways which have been pounded incessantly by countless heavy goods vehicles leave longitudinal grooves in the lanes. These can be quite severe and go on for miles. What can then happen is that the towing vehicle straddles those endless grooves whilst the trailer, often with a much wider track, tries to fit over or within them and that's when oscillation occurs as all the wheels try to fight the sideways pressures those grooves subject them to.
Also watch for this:~
About fifteen years ago, I borrowed a good quality trailer from a friend to collect an MG Montego Turbo located about one hundred miles away. Took my older son with me and on the return journey, my car an MG Montego EFi coped so well it was as though the loaded trailer was not there. On the motorway, my son who was well below driving licence age then, drew my attention to the speedometer. Will not state what speed I was doing but lets just say that will be my fully loaded 'record' towing speed for all time.
When the set up is ideal. Motorway speeds can steadily creep up so concentration on this is essential. Turn that phone off for the whole journey too. Any form of distraction can be bad news in more ways than one.
Even with a perfectly set up and balanced trailer, this can happen and can be quite scary.
Nearside lanes ( tarmac ones ) of major motorways which have been pounded incessantly by countless heavy goods vehicles leave longitudinal grooves in the lanes. These can be quite severe and go on for miles. What can then happen is that the towing vehicle straddles those endless grooves whilst the trailer, often with a much wider track, tries to fit over or within them and that's when oscillation occurs as all the wheels try to fight the sideways pressures those grooves subject them to.
Also watch for this:~
About fifteen years ago, I borrowed a good quality trailer from a friend to collect an MG Montego Turbo located about one hundred miles away. Took my older son with me and on the return journey, my car an MG Montego EFi coped so well it was as though the loaded trailer was not there. On the motorway, my son who was well below driving licence age then, drew my attention to the speedometer. Will not state what speed I was doing but lets just say that will be my fully loaded 'record' towing speed for all time.
When the set up is ideal. Motorway speeds can steadily creep up so concentration on this is essential. Turn that phone off for the whole journey too. Any form of distraction can be bad news in more ways than one.
Don't slow down using the gears, come out of gear and brake with the weight of the trailer, be gentle, allow enough space to do this, like a train would, likewise if you drive over speed humps, gear up to and roll over them out of gear, it puts a lot of strain on the box and clutch otherwise.
oldpara said:
Exactly why the new "trailer test" is pointless and a joke.
People with no experience can drive a trailer as and when they please, so long as they are old enough, yet a young lad who's been driving round with trailers all his life on a farm has to pay £500 for the privilege.
despite the fact that 'freebie' B+E leads to the carnage seen on every road to the coast every year as idiots over / mis load caravans and demonstrate that their ego exceeds their ability with a trailer on the back.People with no experience can drive a trailer as and when they please, so long as they are old enough, yet a young lad who's been driving round with trailers all his life on a farm has to pay £500 for the privilege.
no doubt you'll say the same aobut 7.5 tonners despite the sagas that Horseboxes and spot hire 7.5s cause ...
MX51ROD said:
R0G said:
What is that towing vehicle - exact model ?
VW Tiguan TDi 170 Sport, 4 Motion, Manual 6spd KW 1646kg R32, KW aprox 1347kg
Aprox 94% of max train weight
Interesting thread... I'll be taking the B+E test sometime over the summer (passed my test in 2004) and have never towed anything before, so I'm sure the tips on here will prove to be useful! On the subject of reversing, Land Rover's Tow Assist looks amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgwe2gAkO0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgwe2gAkO0E
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