Towing and weights!

[chappy]

Basically a while ago I used my 3.0CDTI Vectra C to tow my S13 to Wales to get some work done on it.
The Vec can tow between 1500 and 1600kg depending on which page you view. Apparently 02-05 can tow 1500, and 05-08 can tow 1600. At first I thought this would be a clear cut pre facelift and facelift jobbie, but since then I've seen Facelifts on 05 plate like mine, and with stuff from prefacelift in as standard, where my pre facelift has facelift stuff in as standard (so mine must have been one of the last off the line before facelifting)

Sorry sidetracked....

So apparenly a tow limit of 1500 (worst case scenario)
My S13 apparently weighs 1200kg (it has no back seats and was mostly rust at that time so probably a fair bit lighter but i'd like to be towing it back 100% metal, and maybe back seats if I can find some.
The trailer I used to take it down there, I was told had a MAM of 1500, and could carry 1200 so I presume it weighed in at 300kg (its plaque was blank)
I drove past 3 police cars but no VOSA

Atm I am trying to work out if I broke the law, and if when I tow it back I could end up loosing my car, trailer and getting points on my licence, especially if I dont get the ultra light weight trailer again and get something that weighs a bit more.

Alot of people have told me not to worry as my Vectra is clearly a clean and maintained car, if they scan the reg they will see I have my B+E licence so can can tow heavier weights (up to 7.5 train weight or something?) and rumour has it if youre driving along and they look at your car and trailer and nothing is falling apart or hanging off they usually let you crack on, but I dont wanna risk it.

Say when coming back I have a trailer that weighs in at 400kg (apparently thats the average trailer weight) Plus a 1200kg car (It should be engine/gearbox less by this point so should weigh less) thats potentially 1600kg, add that to the weight of the Vectra which is 1600kg ish, I'm still legal being at 3.2 tonnes?
More importantly the combined trailer weight is equal to the tractor weight?
Even though some cars (530d for example) can actually tow more than their own weight legally some how? The 530d is roughly the same weight as the Vectra but can tow half a tonne more? Thats almost half a tonne more than tractor weight?!


Or is it true that vehicle weights are all guidelines and as long as you done take the piss by trying to tow a Discovery 4 with a Vauxhall Astra you'll generally be alright?

Im worried I may have broke the law and I dont wanna risk my cars and do it again haha

[immy21]

The max tow limit of the Vectra will be on the VIN plate.

[Chriscooke]

If it's got a limit of 1500kg you'd of been over the vectras limit. Get a proper tow car

[chappy]

Yeah I have a 320d touring too which also can tow 1500kg, thinking of selling them both and getting a 330d apparently they can tow 1800kg

Surely one of those can tow an S13 WITH its seats and a trailer (even a heavy 500kg one) legally without any real worries from being caught short

[Chriscooke]

Get a 530D, 2.5 ton limit iirc

[chappy]

E60 530d which is my price range is 2000kg tow weight, which I was looking at because of the extra wiggle room with weight capacities but an 1800kg limit shpuld be more than enough. It's not a drift slash so it wont need spate tyres and everything everywhere it goes, literally just the car.
Plus I dont really want another bmw and there's very few non 4x4s that can tow 2t. 530d, 3.0tdi audis etc... 1800kg is much more common for a tow limit. I may be able to get a nice jap tow car or something lol

[jumpbike]

Grey area but technically the MAM of the trailer can not exceed the tow weight of the car, loaded or unloaded. Best bet is just get a 4x4, try stopping at 60 mph in the rain with a 2 ton trailer behind a 1500KG car when most the weight is over the back wheels.
3.5 ton tow weight, can tow anything legally, job done.

At least you knew you have to have a tow licence, its amazing how many people don't know that.

[chappy]

Lol I have C+E and B+E come with it complimentary

The car will only be used to tow occasionally (talking a couple of times a year tops) and I cant justify 4x4 running costs to tow so few times. Especially as im doing 20k a year so as my DD needs to be economical too, which 4x4s are not. Thats why im trying to find a heavy ass "normal" car. Even contemplating a Subaru Legacy 3.0R spec B with LPG conversion atm, they can tow 2t, and when you take into account mile per £ instead of mile per gallon theyre on par with 50mpg petrols and near 55mpg diesels

Its a shame as id prefer a smaller engined boosted legacy but they cant tow as much lol



I get what your saying about towing a big weight with a not so big car, I lost about a stone in sweat when towing the s13 it was such a stressful and nerve racking drive lol

[green_rs13]

could you not just rent a van/trailer or a recovery truck when you need to move the s13 around? the money saved in better running costs offsets the rental costs.

I bought a cheap decent mpg daily and a recovery truck just for my track car, although im thinking of selling my daily and just buying a van to use as a daily then rent a trailer as and when needed.

[jumpbike]

what bout a van like a VW transporter, get one of them with the seats in the back and the twin captain chairs up front for comfort, they can tow 2.5 ton. If I didn't like having a car that I can just bump into curbs and drive over anything then id be sold on that as a tow car

[chappy]

I do like the transporter but I think id be more into a vito or something. Every man and his dog has a t4 or t5. Although they are cool so I can see why but the t4 is old now and my mates is anything but reliable. How et my other mates t5 is rock solid and gets 700 miles to a tank :O

May have to talk the mrs into letting me get a van lol

[Alex B]

It's not really a grey area, pretty much every car has a Max tow weight on a plate, generally on the passenger door shut, that is the maximum weight you can legally tow. It's worked out by some basic tests and is nothing to do with the vehicle weight, our transit can only legally tow 1.5t whereas a landrover can legally tow 3.5t, (which is the maximum towable weight with over run brakes).

But yes generally if it looks ok you'll get away with it, we towed our old triple axle cage sided 17' trailer carrying a 1.5t tractor with 6' finishing deck and a commercial ride on mower behind the transit, (signwritten as a grounds maintenance company), all over the place and never had a problem.

Alex B

[chappy]

The plaque on my car says 3725kg. Above it, it says 2125kg which should be its "gross vehicle weight rating" which is 500kg heavier than what Parkers, Autotrader and Wikipedia say the car weighs so this confuses me?! But theres 1600kg difference in weight which matches up to the tow limit they each say.. :s

[Alex B]

Yeah it may only have max train weight and vehicle gross weight, 2125kg is massively heavy though! The 530d is 1700kg and my GMC Suburban is only around 2100/2200kg, can't see a vectra weighing the same as a full size American SUV!

Alex B

[chappy]

I may get on the vauxhall forum and ask about this as its mental, as you said it's no where near going to be heavy as a 4x4, hell the Disco 3 is only 3T and that has 2 chassis and is longer wider and taller than the Vectra too

[chappy]

Instantly want a Suburban lol

[Alex B]

I want mine back! Been off the road for a year now and looking like it'll be another year so I'm having to buy another car to use!

Alex B

[kxruss]

I would have thought the vin plate would have
maximum front axel kg
Maximum rear axle kg
Maximum car kg
Maximum train weight kg so car pluss trailer
Thats how i understand it anyway. I think the towing 85% and 100% o tow vehicle is just a recommendation for towing noobs.
I recently towed about 3 ton 150 miles with my shogun that weighs 2.3 ton and it was ok but i couldn't go anymore than 50mph without it wagging about. I suspect that was just because the front of the trailer was to heavy.
How about running a Mercedes ml55 for towing duties and the weekend and then some cheapo diesel hatchback pos or a motorcycle in the week?

[skyshack]

If you are within the gross train weight but the trailer is overweight then you can unbolt stuff from the car on trailer and move it into the tow car.
Battery, seats.

Make sure the petrol tank of car on trailer is empty.

S13 can tow 1200Kg.
VIN PLATE
3: Gross vehicle weight = 1675Kg
4: Gross combination weight = 2875Kg

For this age of vehicle (1994), Towing weight is Gross train - Gross vehicle. If you have a newer vehicle the towing weight will be stated.

So gross vehicle weight is 1675Kg, as the kerb weight (what parker's says) is around 1200-1220Kg this means it can have about 420Kg of passengers, fuel and cargo. If you have a difference of 500Kg between gross and kerb then that's how much blubber you can haul (75/80Kg = about 1 person).

Some cars the load depends on what wheels and tyres are fitted. 910 Bluebird estate could only carry 300Kg on 165SR13 but 500Kg on 185/70R14 rear tyres.

[shaboy]

Need to be careful with the trailer, from what I remember if you do get stopped and they look at the plate on the trailer, the weight of the trailer plus the maximum capacity is what they'll use to determine whether you're within the capacity of your car/licence - if you've got a car on the back, they're not going to get it weighed to see if it's 1200kg or 1500kg. If the vin plate puts the car weight under then you'll probably be fine but if there's other stuff on the trailer you might have issues.

As said above though, if the towing car and trailer all look in good condition and everything is obviously secured safely and you don't look like a pikey then you'll be fine.