2010 MkII Scout 103TDI towball query

[Skooter]

Thanks again. Still in a quandary about this biz. Did more reading on a few forums last night. Seems a Subaru Forester (weighs approx 1500kg, same as the Scout) has a towing capacity of 1600kg (same as the Scout) but a towball weight limit of 160kg!!! Work that one out ... does the Forester have a couple of RSJs welded under the body?!!

And the thing that really bugs me is that if my car is rated to tow 1600kg, why would a 1200kg loaded Jayco compromise it's body construction (rip the towbar right out of it like a Pathfinder!) - that has nothing to do with towball weights. I'm willing to bet that the system for setting towball capacities in Europe is different from that in Japan, Oz, N Am. Nothing else can explain why a Subaru weighing the same as the Scout with the same towing capacity as a Scout has a 160kg towball limit???!!! The Skoda can either tow a 1600kg braked trailer or it can't. If you are right, Hillbilly, then if there were such a thing as a 1600kg trailer with a towball limit of 80kg (and obviously there isn't!), my car would handle it and be within all VAG limits.

Following Gerrycan's suggestion, does anyone know of Euro style low profile (poptop) vans that will accommodate two adults and two kids (10 and 14) as well as the Jayco Eagle will?

[Guest001]

We already said to look at Euro vans like Bailey, Unicorn (offshoot of Bailey), Geist, York, Adria, Jurgens (Not actually Euro but similar) Not sure about poptops but do a Google search and you will find out.

Just dont buy a privately imported one that is being onsold because it may not be Aussie compliant which we wont go into here yet.

As far as why your car is concerned we are not engineers and merely pointing out what COULD happen not why.
Ask Skoda why they have the limits They make them.

The Pathfinders were pulling heavier weights and mostly using a Weight distributing hitch when the separation occurred

Quote "I'm willing to bet that the system for setting towball capacities in Europe is different from that in Japan, Oz, N Am" Unquote

Oh good the light has gone on.

And no there probably isnt in an Aussie made van.

[brad]

Skooter

Have you contacted Jayco about your issue?

Maybe they could provide a solution. VW/Audi /Skoda sell 100,00 cars per year in AU don't they? Plenty of those purchasers probably want to tow a van or boat.

If I was a manufacturer and losing sales because my "add-on" product didn't suit a sector of the market I'd make some changes to get that piece of the pie.

If nothing else, make them aware they are losing sales

[Gerrycan]

If you look on the NRMA website there is a fair amount of information and tests on caravans and towing vehicles although not all of it is necessarily recent.
In 2012 NRMA were using an Adria caravan for most of their testing purely because there were no Aus built light towball weight available..
They indicated that one might be available 'soon' though. Might be worth contacting NRMA for an update?
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