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14/5/2017 at 1:31pm
Location: Herts
Outfit: Eriba Troll & Mitsubishi Outlander
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Quote:
I am new to towing (and slightly nervous!) so looking for advice on stability etc for towing with this size of car. Would I be better sticking to lower than 85% or would I notice little difference?
A lighter trailer, other things being equal, is always going to be more stable but at 85% you are following the the advice for a reasonable tow.
In its favour the A3 has a short rear overhang which is good. If you want to keep the odds on your side then I would say:
- get as near to 7% noseweight as you can without exceeding limits. For the A3 and your proposed van that probably means 75Kg, which I think is the towball limit.
- pay close attention to tyre pressures for both car and caravan. Adjust the car pressures for towing according to the handbook. Don't guess at the caravan tyre pressures of course, look them up too - mine are c. 50psi on a 1200Kg caravan. Check the tyre pressures before every trip. I'm convinced that low pressures are the biggest cause of blowouts and instability on caravans.
- To the extent that you can, considering noseweight, load any heavy stuff over the caravan axle, or between it and the front. Heavy stuff at the back is bad for stability.
- never exceed 60mph. It's your maximum legal limit here anyway. A well loaded outfit may be stable at a higher speed but you are eating into your safety margin.
- take note of wind (the meteorological kind). It's fairly obvious that sidewinds can be dangerous, but headwinds are just as bad. It's airspeed as much as ground speed that affects stability, so slow down a bit if it's windy.
- on motorways and similar roads, watch out for large vehicles which can create disturbing airflows. Those large car transporters are known for being among the worst.
- don't forget the caravan is there:)
I seem a bit obsessive about this but that isn't because I am worried by towing - I enjoy it - it's because I don't want to be worried about it, if that makes sense.
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Topic: Towing with A3
