Do you Tow a van?

[gerhard]

im pretty sure towing ratings arent based on how much power the vehicle has.

besides a 500kg camper trailer is barely more than having the car with 5 ppl +baggage

I think towing ratings are specified by the manufacturer, based on various things like the weight of the vehicle, how big the brakes are, how soft the suspension is, how strong the drivetrain is, track width, tyre load rating, distance from axle centreline to towball, and so on.

Then there are some ADR rules applied which might reduce the manufacturer's "requested" rating.

There's a fierce battle in the 4WD ute segment for the best towing rating, usually those vehicles with a chassis win out, and most often the achilles heel of the vehicle is how much downforce on the towbar it can handle on top of its carrying capacity.

There are many 4WDs including Prados out there towing trailers/vans which far exceed the allowable downforce on the towbar, and then they are loaded to the hilt with jerry cans, etc as well, so they fare exceed the vehicle GVM as well.

[Virgil Tracy]

That sounds like typical 4WD owner mentality.

The Golf can tow 1200kg braked and 620kg unbraked.

I have a 4wd and you want to classify me in particular group, nice way to make me feel like contributing to this discussion and the forum. I have a MKV GTI and a Prado am I now classed as an environmental terrorist for owning gas guzzling cars.

There are many 4WDs including Prados out there towing trailers/vans which far exceed the allowable downforce on the towbar, and then they are loaded to the hilt with jerry cans, etc as well, so they fare exceed the vehicle GVM as well.

As a past and current owner of a number of camping trailer set ups and now planning for my next caravan. I have spent a lot of time looking at tow weight, ball weight to suit my current and future tow vehicles. The biggest mistake I have seen and made before myself is under estimating the fully loaded weight of the trailer. So if the trailer is 400 kg empty and you start to add water, tables, chairs, esky or fridge, food, gas bottles, tarp, poles, pegs, clothes, spare wheel. maybe a generator it would not be hard to be over the unbraked tow weight and ball weight of the car.

My suggestions would be to look for the lightest type of camping trailer either with plastic or aluminum base on a steel chassis. Another alternative is a Tear drop camper if there is only tow of you as these are a very quick to set up.

Do you plan to tour, that is stop for one or two nights and then keep moving or is it for longer terms such as one week at a set location?

If you are looking at touring look for the quickest possible time to pack the camping trailer, they all talk about quick 10 minute setups but it always takes longer to pack it up.

These Links might help

http://www.backtrax.com.au/

http://www.campertrailers.org/manufacturers.htm

http://www.aussieteardrops.com/

[WEDEL.1]

Thanks for the links Virgil Tracy;

The font runner is an Austral Camper, with a weight of "a bit over 400kgs". I agree that it is easy to overload, something the I have made Julia aware of.

She will now decide what is in the current trailer that we can do without (like the microwave). We only take a 15L container of water, the Waeco will be in the Golf, some soft drinks, beir and we'll have the usual lightweight tables, shelves etc.

I intend to weigh everything we think we are going to need to keep the wight down and the any stress to the Golf kept to a minimum.

Maris

[gerhard]

I have a MKV GTI and a Prado am I now classed as an environmental terrorist for owning gas guzzling cars.

I have a Golf GTI and a Jackaroo (and a Sirion GTVi) and am wondering who is the "authority" that has the authority to classify you as an "environmental terrorist".

Did you get a letter from someone or something - because I haven't. I'll bet the person you rescued on the Birdsville track doesn't see you this way. Half the environment police have never been far from the dole queue, so take no notice of them. Next time a Prius driver looks up their nose at you in the Prado, remind them of the well known environmental damage their battery manufacture causes, just before you nudge them out of the way with your bull bar. You can always claim the birds were chirping so loudly you didn't hear the Prius.

Last time I looked this was a free country, and you could choose whatever vehicle(s) you like to go about your life.

So next time some "authority" gives you a hard time about you choices, send them to me and I'll educate them

[mikinoz]

My little 1.6 mkiv towed her fair share of items. Some weightier than others.

[vanDub]

The Golf can tow 1200kg braked and 620kg unbraked.

That may be true but if my Passat experience is anything to go by you may be severely limited by the drawbar download limit.

My Passat is quoted as being able to tow 1500 kg but the its not until you pay megabucks for the genuine towbar that you find out that the drawbar download is limited to 85 kg. With Aussie van manufacturers adopting the 10% rule (drawbar download is 10% of maximum weight) this effectively limits me to towing an 850 Kg van unless I adopt dangerous loading practices in the van by putting moveable weight behind the van axle.

[WEDEL.1]

I have stummbled across this thread tonight, and I am happy to report we have bought a camper trailer earlier this year.

We have had NO PROBLEMS towing it (6 X 4 trailer) and the Golf doesn't know the trailer is on it.

I keep the speed to an indicated 100KMH (around 92 actual) and get 6.2 L/100KM fuel usage. And yes, we did have it chipped, but I don't think I needed to.

Mat have to post some pics soon.

[yowie]

My partner's '09 Golf V towed a friend's camper trailer from Brisbane to Yamba and back at the start of the school holidays, including lumping in said friend and a total three kids and their gear, when the friend's ever-reliable VOLVO did an intercooler something at the last minute. She said she didnt notice the camper trailer was there, even going up the big hill near Byron. No idea what it weighed. Had no noticeable effect on economy she said. Our 2.0TDI is stock.

[John Deere]

My wifes Audi Q5 has the same engine as a GTI, it has towed a 1500kg van. My GTI doesn't have a tow bar, but it is solid enough and has plenty of down low torque!

[Mickey Black]

I intend on buying a Mk V GTI with the specific intention of towing with it - about 3 - 400kg - small dirtbike and light trailer. I currently have a V8 which is awesome for towing but rubbish around town so it will be interesting to try the opposite.
Keep the positive towing stories coming I say!

[jazd]

I intend on buying a Mk V GTI with the specific intention of towing with it - about 3 - 400kg - small dirtbike and light trailer. I currently have a V8 which is awesome for towing but rubbish around town so it will be interesting to try the opposite.
Keep the positive towing stories coming I say!

Get a GT Sport TDI (I'm not biased or anything)

[WEDEL.1]

Definately diesel the way to go towing

[Mountainman]

I saw a Hyundai i30 diesel with 85kw towing a 15' van at Litchfield Nat Park in the NT earlier this year. If it can do it any Golf can too. I tow a Stockman Podtrailer camper with a loaded weight of 450kg with my Forester and I reckon my 90TSI would not be too challenged by it either. Diesel would be the better way to go though.

[WEDEL.1]

Time to put some picture & show what you tow.......


Our Camper Trailer.






Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Mickey Black]

Get a GT Sport TDI (I'm not biased or anything)

I dunno actually, either has plenty enough NM for 400kg, the GTI's peak torque is 1800rpm V's the Diesel at 1750, so not much in it, below that the diesel probably falls away more severely too. Towing with a turbo is all about trying to keep it off boost - case in point my mates regularly tow with either an XR6 Turbo or an SSV, the XR6 Turbo is a complete PITA even tho on paper it has more torque lower down than the V8, it just keeps building boost against the extra drag then trying to surge forward, sucks a heap more fuel than the V8 too.
One of those things you just have to try before you can really know for sure I reckon...