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Just bought a X Trail Aventura 2.2DCi 5 Dr 2006 as a replacement for our 2 year old Rav 4.  We're thinking of upgrading our caravan next year and are starting to shop around.  We have just noticed that the kerbweight isn't quoted anywhere just 1525 - 1650.

Does anyone out there know what the actual weight is, and what caravans do you pull with X Trails??

Butbys

This is off of Honest John

Kerb weight of 2.2 diesel is 1,525kg and maximum braked trailer weight a useful 2,000kg.

Please make sure you get the turbo checked thoroughly, they are known for going wrong unfortunately.  I own 3 Nissans and belong to two Nissan forums and there are a lot of unhappy diesel owners out there.

Ali

Yes the 2000 kg is higher than the kerbweight and you'd have to be suicidal to tow above the kerbweight.  Quite a few of the bigger vehicles have kerbweights lower than their maximum tow weight but this figure is based on the ability to pull something on a very slight gradient if I remember correctly and not its ability to pull it up hill and down dale.

Ali

89% of the max tow maybe, but not 89% of the car's kerbweight!  Therefore your van is surely heavier than your car?  85% of kerbweight is the general rule of thumb and up to 100% for an experienced tower but over 100%???????

Mad.

Ali

Rubbish, over 100% is quite common, especially once you enter the realm of the 4x4, My disco has a max vehicle weight of 2720kg, and I have a trailer rated at the discos max tow of 3500kg (a legal limit for the disco, not a physical one) that once loaded up and put on the weighbridge comes in at 3300kg give or take a little. To be perfectly honest I much prefer dragging my heavy race trailer than my <900kg sprite, it is far more stable in even quite nasty crosswinds.

Remember that 44tonne 55foot artic doing 56 in the inside lane has a tractor unit that weighs a whole lot less than 22tonnes;)

Edited to add.....

A 4x4 often has a large tow capacity designed in from the drawing board, rather than towing being an afterthought as is possibly the case with the average family car.

 dirtydisco you canot compare a 44 tonne artic to a car towing a cararavan, it,s a different kettle of fish, for a start it,s sitting on a 5 wheel coulpling which is a plate roughley 2ft in diamter with a kingpin in the midlle, you have 3 axles under the tractor unit and the weight imposed on these 3 axles 10+6+6= 22tonnes thats a lot different than say a 1700kg caravan behind a 4+4 with 120kg nose weight on a 50mm ball, theres no comparison in my opinion.

The point was simply that the tow vehicle was considerably outweighed by the trailer. Even when you watch the electric board transit haul their mini digger along the highstreet there is a not un-reasonable chance the trailer outweighs the tow vehicle.

85% is a guideline, a recommended practice, a rule of thumb, no more than that, it is initially for the individual to decide that they are competent to haul a legal combination, it is not the place of anybody to call a particular combination of tow vehicle and trailer mad because it does not match their particular idea of an ideal combo.

Hey up Dirty Disco

Now you are talking plain common sense !

when you going to go all the way and swap the disco for two balloons and a goldfish ?

Quote: Originally posted by dirtydisco on 29/5/2007

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The point was simply that the tow vehicle was considerably outweighed by the trailer. Even when you watch the electric board transit haul their mini digger along the highstreet there is a not un-reasonable chance the trailer outweighs the tow vehicle.

85% is a guideline, a recommended practice, a rule of thumb, no more than that, it is initially for the individual to decide that they are competent to haul a legal combination, it is not the place of anybody to call a particular combination of tow vehicle and trailer mad because it does not match their particular idea of an ideal combo.

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At no time did I say 85% was the law, I am well aware it is a guideline only but any guidance you read on towing does not advocate exceeding 100% of the tow vehicle's weight.  An X Trail is hardly a proper 4 X 4 either, in comparison to Amazons and Landcruisers it is a mere lightweight.

I was not the only one to comment on the guy with a 530D BMW towing a massive double axle super scirroco on a site last year either!  How can that be safe just because the max tow on it is something like 1800 or 2000 kg I'd hate to be in his shoes when it starts snaking.

Ali

 dirtydisco i can see where you are coming from, but you cannot compare it with a Artic, the unit and trailer are a combination, one cannot fucntion without the other, they are build to go together, you are right about the Transit with the mini digger on a trailer, it,s on a 50mm ball been pulled by a transit, roughley only 7% of the weight is on the towing vehicle, same as a car and caravan, the artic as got 1/2 the weight on the tractor unit, the car manufactura should not be allowed to put a towing weight on the vehicle, which is heavier than the kerb weight of the vehicle, thats my personnel opion, 85% guideline is a good thing.

Quote: Originally posted by Big Al on 29/5/2007

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Hey up Dirty Disco

Now you are talking plain common sense !

when you going to go all the way and swap the disco for two balloons and a goldfish ?

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Thats easy, when 2 ballons and goldfish come with permanant all wheel drive, difflocks allround, a 3300kg tow capacity and a roll cage to MSA specification I will consider the trade in, untill then the best 4x4xfar will continue hauling the jap stuff out of the little muddy puddle