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 Topic: Towing up hills : 750kg folding camper
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15/11/2023 at 12:25pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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No two cars are exactly alike so direct comparisons aren't straightforwards, lots of factors like power bands and gear ratios to take into account, but I tow a 1310Kg MTPLM caravan (1.75 times heavier than your trailer!) behind a 130PS petrol front wheel drive manual gearbox Citroen, and yet to encounter a hill that's a real problem! Towed thousands of miles, in places like Cumbria, Wales, North Devon, Peak District, none noted for flat terrain! Had to do a standing start on a 1:5(20%) hill in Peak District on recent visit, bit of a challenge to driving skills/technique, but achieved without drama.
As previously suggested, maybe too much clutch slipping is the problem (and that can happen with any engine size/power!), assuming of course that the clutch is in good working order and not inclined to slip even when foot off the pedal.
My technique is to use minimum revs, just enough to stop engine stalling, get the outfit just rolling, then fully engage clutch and let the engine power/torque do the rest (I do benefit from quite high torque at low engine revs compared to many petrol engines), my car is happy to pull from just above tickover revs in first gear. If I do have a problem on steepish inclines it's keeping traction on the front wheels, which can scrabble a little on poor/wet surfaces, but traction control tends to stop that getting totally out of hand.
The minimum power to weight ratio for towing is recommended to be 40bhp(PS)/Tonne GTW (Gross Train Weight), yours appears to be around 59bhp/Tonne, which is more than adequate, mine's around 49bhp/Tonne and not found to be inadequate. You don't appear to need a more powerful car.
Suggest you try to change your driving technique and see how you get on before leaping towards a new car.
I think Diesels will be around for a while yet, BUT penalised in so many ways, even a brand new 'clean' Diesel has to pay a premium rate to park in my local council run car parks! The restrictions and penalties will sadly only get worse, the reason I swapped from a Diesel to Petrol on my last car change, would have preferred a Diesel for many reasons, but saw the writing on the wall!
Good luck.
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via mobile 14/11/2023 at 6:19pm
