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Quote: Originally posted by bessie500 on 13/5/2021

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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 13/5/2021

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Quote: Originally posted by keith p on 12/5/2021

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How did your 1.5 tsi engine cope with towing a 1500kg caravan. I would have thought it would really struggle. I ask because we have been considering this engine but for a much lighter van

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Can't comment on that particular car/engine, but just because it's petrol doesn't automatically mean it'll struggle or be thirsty!

I tow my 1310Kg MTPLM van with a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder petrol car, it'll exceed the 60mph speed limit with ease (usually have to use speed limiter or cruise control, otherwise it's far too easy to exceed limit! - car's solo top end is near 130mph, once accidentally hit over 70 with the van on and it was still increasing!), cruises in 6th gear much of the time, never met a hill it wouldn't go up and I've been to Lake District, Wales and North Devon so not noted flat country, and just back from Devon, where it averaged 34.5mpg at ave 50mph over couple of hundred miles. Worst ave fuel consumption it's ever returned was 27mpg and that was on mostly winding hilly A/B roads. Yes you change gear a bit more than you would with a diesel when you hit the hills, but it's no great hardship. Wouldn't say all petrol engines are great, but there are some out there that ain't bad, especially the latest generation! Lot of factors that determine whether a vehicle is a good tow car, like well matched engine power curve and gear ratios, that's true of either diesel or petrol engines.

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34.5mpg from a 1.2 petrol whilst towing, What car is it monty ?

Bessie

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Quote: Originally posted by TrigGLX on 13/5/2021

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How can a 1.2 3cyl petrol vehicle be heavy enough to tow a 1310 Kgs MTPLM van.

Our adria is 1300 KGS you would need a 1529 Kgs vehicle to tow this Kerbweight for 85% (guideline/sensible/stable) car /van ratio.

Our first car for towing was a 2006 Fod Focus 2.0ltr diesel estate at (1425Kgs kerbweight( Weigh bridge at work), we had to reduce the caravan loading to approx 1200 Kgs to maintain 85%.
Just asking not starting a deep route conversation about towing etc. !!!

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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 13/5/2021

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Quote: Originally posted by TrigGLX on 13/5/2021

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How can a 1.2 3cyl petrol vehicle be heavy enough to tow a 1310 Kgs MTPLM van.

Our adria is 1300 KGS you would need a 1529 Kgs vehicle to tow this Kerbweight for 85% (guideline/sensible/stable) car /van ratio.

Our first car for towing was a 2006 Fod Focus 2.0ltr diesel estate at (1425Kgs kerbweight( Weigh bridge at work), we had to reduce the caravan loading to approx 1200 Kgs to maintain 85%.
Just asking not starting a deep route conversation about towing etc. !!!

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I wasn't too bothered about the 85% 'rule', I've plenty of towing experience in an assortment of vehicles with a range of trailer types over 40 odd years. With a car legal towing capacity of 1350Kg and not loading the caravan to it's limits (it's been weighed to ensure it's well within MTPLM) I've got a working match of around 91-92%. It's a good stable tow car, I load the van carefully and sensibly, and overall it's an incredibly stable towing unit that has never given me the slightest concern under any conditions. Done many thousands of miles all over the country on all types of roads, so whilst never complacent, quite assured that it's a good set up, and should the unexpected 'wobble' catch me, hopefully between experience and the fitted ATC it can be brought under control without great drama.

Not accusing you, but people can get a little too obsessed with the 85% figure, regarding it as protecting them from all evils whilst ignoring other factors, there are far more important things like good loading of van and correct noseweights, correct tyre pressures etc. to ensure stability, it's perfectly safe to tow a correctly loaded and stable trailer right up to the capacity of the tow vehicle. I have know people with vans well under 85% match who have badly loaded them and daren't do more than 40mph for fear of losing control! 85% guide is not a bad thing for novices, but really needs to be kept in context with other safe towing practices for real safety on the road, sadly it's often promoted in isolation a little too much IMHO.

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Quote: Originally posted by martin734 on 14/5/2021

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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 13/5/2021

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Quote: Originally posted by TrigGLX on 13/5/2021

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How can a 1.2 3cyl petrol vehicle be heavy enough to tow a 1310 Kgs MTPLM van.

Our adria is 1300 KGS you would need a 1529 Kgs vehicle to tow this Kerbweight for 85% (guideline/sensible/stable) car /van ratio.

Our first car for towing was a 2006 Fod Focus 2.0ltr diesel estate at (1425Kgs kerbweight( Weigh bridge at work), we had to reduce the caravan loading to approx 1200 Kgs to maintain 85%.
Just asking not starting a deep route conversation about towing etc. !!!

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I wasn't too bothered about the 85% 'rule', I've plenty of towing experience in an assortment of vehicles with a range of trailer types over 40 odd years. With a car legal towing capacity of 1350Kg and not loading the caravan to it's limits (it's been weighed to ensure it's well within MTPLM) I've got a working match of around 91-92%. It's a good stable tow car, I load the van carefully and sensibly, and overall it's an incredibly stable towing unit that has never given me the slightest concern under any conditions. Done many thousands of miles all over the country on all types of roads, so whilst never complacent, quite assured that it's a good set up, and should the unexpected 'wobble' catch me, hopefully between experience and the fitted ATC it can be brought under control without great drama.

Not accusing you, but people can get a little too obsessed with the 85% figure, regarding it as protecting them from all evils whilst ignoring other factors, there are far more important things like good loading of van and correct noseweights, correct tyre pressures etc. to ensure stability, it's perfectly safe to tow a correctly loaded and stable trailer right up to the capacity of the tow vehicle. I have know people with vans well under 85% match who have badly loaded them and daren't do more than 40mph for fear of losing control! 85% guide is not a bad thing for novices, but really needs to be kept in context with other safe towing practices for real safety on the road, sadly it's often promoted in isolation a little too much IMHO.

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I agree, towing is a major part of my job and tow everything from a 3/4 ton Sankey to a 4 ton agri-tipper, also including various flatbeds and livestock trailers. My tow vehicle is a Defender 130 with a coupled brake system for trailers over 3.5 tons. Most of the time my Landy is loaded to 2500-3000 kg, occasionally up to the full 3500 kg. Most of the trailers I tow weigh 2500 kg to 4000 kg and my towing ratio is usually at least 100% of my unladen weight which is approx 2350 kg. In over 20 years of towing I have never had an accident caused by an unstable trailer. How you load the trailer and how you drive has a much greater effect on stability than just how much it weighs. I do a professional towing refresher course with LANTRA every 3 years and never once on any of those courses do they mention an 85% towing ratio.

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Quote: Originally posted by takisawa on 06/5/2021

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Hi all.
We are looking at changing our Tiguan for a Ford Kuga.
In particular the 225PS hybrid with the 2.5 engine.
Is anyone using a hybrid Kuga for towing ?
Or any hybrid for that matter ?

The performance looks average I just wondered how they are in the real world for towing. We tow a 1500kg MTPLM Swift.

We are currently towing with a 1.5 petrol Tiguan which actually tows well but is very thirsty so looking at the 200hp TDi model if we stick with VW.

The new Kuga looks like it could be an alternative.

    

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