Car With Maximum Towing Capacity

Lagnagoushee

What diesel car (under 2.0 litre and over 5 years old) has the greatest towing capacity?

_Brian

Define “car”, I’ve seen people refer to a Land Rover as their car, I presume your eliminating SUV’s

Practical towing capacity in diesel cars is actually declining as the kerb weight of diesel saloons declines to drive efficiency.

Anything that’s not 2.0 now is back to 1.6 amd while they are turbo’d up to good torque and bhp, they lack weight to be serious tow cars.

djmc

Lagnagoushee wrote: »

What diesel car (under 2.0 litre and over 5 years old) has the greatest towing capacity?

I think the skoda kodiaq has a towing capacity of around 2000kgs but it might depend on what licence you have.
I wrote a longer version about this last month https://blackfieldfarm.com/what-is-the-law-on-towing-a-trailer/

alps

Audi A4 avant ...1968cc....towing capacity 1900kg..

Green farmer

Lagnagoushee wrote: »

What diesel car (under 2.0 litre and over 5 years old) has the greatest towing capacity?

Do you mean barely under the 2.0litre as in something like 1988 cc etc or smaller as in a 1.6cc. For towing it's all the 2.0d cars have the good towing capacity. Like a skoda superb, Mercedes e class, bmw 520d, seat Alhambra, ford galaxy , Audi a6. All around 2 tonne towing capacity. Big drop in towing capacity when you go back to the 1.6d litre engine.

bogman_bass

Capra wrote: »

Why does it matter? The odds of you being weighed with a car and trailer are next to zero? I've been driving with a Land Cruiser for years never once been weighed. If you have a car they are even less likely to weigh you as they will most likely assume you are a private user. I can't see this ever in a million years being an issue. If you actually need to tow heavy weight then get a proper 4x4 like a Pajero or Land Cruiser because a car will not suffice.

It doesn’t matter untill it matters and then it REALLY matters

tabby aspreme

Op, google car towing capacity, and a few UK based website's will appear, which list the info you want, some of them are connected to caravan clubs etc.

cute geoge

Without a trailer licence what weight could you have on board a twin axel 8 x5 cow box pulled behind a berlingo van

ChuckieEgg

Capra wrote: »

Why does it matter? The odds of you being weighed with a car and trailer are next to zero? I've been driving with a Land Cruiser for years never once been weighed. If you have a car they are even less likely to weigh you as they will most likely assume you are a private user. I can't see this ever in a million years being an issue. If you actually need to tow heavy weight then get a proper 4x4 like a Pajero or Land Cruiser because a car will not suffice.

Doesn't matter until you have an accident, then they'll be looking at the trailer plates and the car plates to see if you are over the limit.

alps

cute geoge wrote: »

Without a trailer licence what weight could you have on board a twin axel 8 x5 cow box pulled behind a berlingo van

You cant.

Green farmer

alps wrote: »

You cant.

The answer depends on when you got your licence as well. But berlingo has a towing capacity of about 1.3 tonne, I think ? Take off the trailer weight of about 725kg and your left with 575kg of cargo, also that's loading the berlingo to 100% of its towing capacity. I've always thought it bizarre you can legally tow more with a berlingo then a land cruiser without the licence. But there you go.

Dakota Dan

Is it legal to tow an 8x5 double axle cow box with one cow behind a 1.8L car? Two people have said to me that you cant tow a double axle trailer behind a car.

Green farmer

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Is it legal to tow an 8x5 double axle cow box with one cow behind a 1.8L car? Two people have said to me that you cant tow a double axle trailer behind a car.

You should ring the rsa, but afaik, you can. But with limitations. For peace of mind, its arguably easier to get the trailer licence. It's what I did in the end. With towing, it's better to err on the side of caution and be sensible about the capabilities of whatever vehicle and trailer you have as your disposal. Also gives you peace of mind to know you've everything right and not looking over your shoulder. I tow a 8x5 twin axle livestock trailer, fill it with sheep. Trailer empty weight 725kg , load in 750kg of sheep. Total around 1500kg. Capacity of my 2.0l diesal saloon car 1800kg. So well under limit. Also means car isn't put under excess strain. suits my needs, as I couldnt afford nor have the need for a full time jeep.

Dakota Dan

Green farmer wrote: »

Afaik, you can. But with limitations. For peace of mind, its arguably easier to get the trailer licence. It's what I did in the end. With towing, it's better to err on the side of caution and be sensible about the capabilities of whatever vehicle and trailer you have as your disposal. Also gives you peace of mind to know you've everything right and not looking over your shoulder. I tow a 8x5 twin axle livestock trailer, fill it with sheep. Trailer empty weight 725kg , load in 750kg of sheep. Total around 1500kg. Capacity of my 2.0l diesal saloon car 1800kg. So well under limit. Also means car isn't put under excess strain. suits my needs, as I couldnt afford nor have the need for a full time jeep.

I have the BE licence as I did the driving test before 1989.

alps

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Is it legal to tow an 8x5 double axle cow box with one cow behind a 1.8L car? Two people have said to me that you cant tow a double axle trailer behind a car.

Nothing to do with Axle numbers. You can tow a 750kg load or a trailer where the MAM of the car and trailer do not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

Tour car could have a MAM of 1.9 tonnes which will only leave you capable of pulling a trailer with a max load capacity of 1.6 tonnes.

Any cow box will exceed this, I would think.

The law is governed by the MAM (maximum authorised mass) of the vehicles and not by what you are actually weighing

White Clover

alps wrote: »

Nothing to do with Axle numbers. You can tow a 750kg load or a trailer where the MAM of the car and trailer do not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

Tour car could have a MAM of 1.9 tonnes which will only leave you capable of pulling a trailer with a max load capacity of 1.6 tonnes.

Any cow box will exceed this, I would think.

The law is governed by the MAM (maximum authorised mass) of the vehicles and not by what you are actually weighing

Alps, what you're saying is, once the combined mass of the car, trailer and contents of trailer do not exceed 3500kg, A category B licence is sufficient.
Have I that right?

_Brian

alps wrote: »

Nothing to do with Axle numbers. You can tow a 750kg load or a trailer where the MAM of the car and trailer do not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

Tour car could have a MAM of 1.9 tonnes which will only leave you capable of pulling a trailer with a max load capacity of 1.6 tonnes.

Any cow box will exceed this, I would think.

The law is governed by the MAM (maximum authorised mass) of the vehicles and not by what you are actually weighing

The mam of the trailer can exceed 750kg as long as the combined mam does not exceed 3500kg.

So the car could have a mam of 2000kg and the trailer could have a mam of 1500kg. The difference being that above a mam of 750kg the trailer must be breaked

I know our superb combi is rated to tow 2 tonnes (legally) I doubt many if any car will have anything higher.

Green farmer

_Brian wrote: »

The mam of the trailer can exceed 750kg as long as the combined mam does not exceed 3500kg.

So the car could have a mam of 2000kg and the trailer could have a mam of 1500kg. The difference being that above a mam of 750kg the trailer must be breaked

Suppose, that's what I'm getting at. Get the trailer licence and it takes away alot of calculating weights and mams. All you've to worry about at that stage is the towing weight of your car plus trailer and sticking sensibly within them.

_Brian

Green farmer wrote: »

Suppose, that's what I'm getting at. Get the trailer licence and it takes away alot of calculating weights and mams. All you've to worry about at that stage is the towing weight of your car plus trailer and sticking sensibly within them.

Agreed.
I got the BE provisional, with covid and all the crap I left the idea to one side. Need to get back and do it.

I’ll need to take a few lessons.

Capra

bogman_bass wrote: »

It doesn’t matter untill it matters and then it REALLY matters

Fair enough, didn't really think of that side of things.

Green farmer

_Brian wrote: »

Agreed.
I got the BE provisional, with covid and all the crap I left the idea to one side. Need to get back and do it.

I’ll need to take a few lessons.

I went back and did it a few years ago. Was a pain having to do so. I twisted all the weights around in my head to try and avoid it, but in the end was easier to do the test. No regrets since. Alot to be said for having peace of mind when driving.

ChuckieEgg

A BE licence allows you to tow a trailer with a MAM > 750kg provided the combined MAM of car and trailer doesn't exceed 3500.
But the car must be capable. Every car has a towing capacity and loading rating for front and back axles. If you go over the limits you are breaking the law.
I don't know any car on the market that has a rear axle loading of anything near 1500kg. The VW passat for example has a rear axle loading weight of 1050kg max.

tabby aspreme

A trailer shouldn't add much weight onto the towing vehicles rear axel , 50-80 kgs max

alps

The MAM of this car is 2025kg

The MAM of this trailer is 2000kg


If you do NOT have a BE licence, you cannot pull this trailer with this car even if they are all empty....

If you DO have a BE licence, you CAN pull this trailer with this car so long as the weight of the the trailer and its load does not exceed 1370kg..ie

3395kg minus 2025kg = 1370kg

selectamatic

2.0tdi 140bhp vw sharan is rated for 2200kg the seat alhambra is too.

518d/520d/525d/530d are 2000kg

Diesel E class mercs are 1900kg in manual and 2000kg in auto

2015-2018 207bhp 2.0tdci powershift auto mondeo estate is rated for 2000kg


Loads of others are 1800kg or 16/1500kg

Green farmer

Heres a link to all the details around towing, click into the booklet. Have a read of it, particularly pg 14 where it sets out things clearly.



https://rsa.ie/ga-IE/RSA/DFheithicil/Maidir-le-DFheithicil/What-Category-is-my-vehicle/Motor-Caravans-/