Support VWWC

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 29

Thread: Towing with Multivan

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Queensland
    Posts
    64
    Users Country Flag

    Towing with Multivan

    Does any boy out there tow anything bigger than a box trailer with a Multivan? The reason I ask is that I find the tow ball weight limit of 100kg very restrictive in terms of what can be coupled to the vehicle.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Adelaide hills, SA
    Posts
    9,708
    Users Country Flag
    What do you intent to tow Wandy?

    There should be some HD towbars for the T5s. Also the HD springs and shocks would be good if you tow a horse trailer and similar.

    I'm using my towbar as a step and the protection for the rear bumper - not many will do a touch parking against the towbars.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Queensland
    Posts
    64
    Users Country Flag Thread Starter
    Quote Originally Posted by Transporter View Post
    What do you intent to tow Wandy?

    There should be some HD towbars for the T5s. Also the HD springs and shocks would be good if you tow a horse trailer and similar.

    I'm using my towbar as a step and the protection for the rear bumper - not many will do a touch parking against the towbars.
    I intend to tow a lightweight caravan something well under the 2 tonnes towing limit quoted for the Multivan The problems as I see them are that:

    (a) Even with a van that is around 1500kg the ball weight exceeds 100kg. Recommended is 10% of the van weight.
    (b) Reading other threads in the forum there seem to be problems with wiring in the electronic brake controller that would be necessary to tow something in excess of 750kg.

    The ball limit would seem to be a function of the vehicle rather than the tow hitch and is presumably to do with structural issues in the van. Many European vehicles seem to have very light ball weights perhaps it is a reflection of the fact that European built vans are lighter than their Australian equivalent and also I don't believe there is a requirement to fit electronic brake controllers there. I'm prepared to be corrected on the last point.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Adelaide hills, SA
    Posts
    9,708
    Users Country Flag
    The weight limit that the T5 (2.5TDI) can tow is 2,500kg. The rests are variables you can work around.
    Understanding the dynamics of towing | Caravan Chronicles

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Queensland
    Posts
    64
    Users Country Flag Thread Starter
    Quote Originally Posted by Transporter View Post
    The weight limit that the T5 (2.5TDI) can tow is 2,500kg. The rests are variables you can work around.
    Understanding the dynamics of towing | Caravan Chronicles
    My apologies I should have made it clear that my vehicle was a 2012 TD1340 hence the quote of 2,000kg towing capacity.

    Many thanks for the link I will read and inwardly digest!

  6. #6
    IN2VWS Guest
    Many people do not understand the 100kg ball weight.
    This is not the weight of what you are towing. It is the weigh that is put o the tow ball. With careful weight shifting in your caravan or trailer, the 100kg ball weight is easily achievable. I regularly tow a tandem car trailer with cars on them.

    This was the best $100 I have spent for my trailer. Well worth the investment.
    Towing Load Indicator

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Pacific Paradise QLD
    Posts
    7,151
    Users Country Flag
    Having had a bit of experience with towing I would say that altering weight to the rear to lower ballweight can be fraught with danger.

    Euro vans are designed different to Aussie vans and have the heavy things like kitchens etc centred to lighten the ball weight.

    Aussie vans frequently have a lot of weight toward the ends and that ups the ball weight.

    It is accepted that Aussie vans should have at least 10% of GVM as ball weight.

    My van was 2850Kg loaded and had a ball weight of 300kg. I wouldn't like to have towed it with a 100 kg removed
    Moving weight to the rear can bring on fishtailing with catastrophic results.
    I have seen what happened to a nearly new van that was incorrectly loaded and jackknifed because of the tow vehicle suddenly having to brake and the van decided to swap ends. Poor brake settings also contributed to it as well... I would not tow an Aussie spec 2000kg van with a ball weight of 100kg as it would be prone to instability.

    Also the manufacturers recommended weight should not be exceeded for obvious reasons Pulling towbar bolts out of car body for instance or twisting rear of vehicle.

    Also despite some thinking it does, Fitting a weight distribution hitch does NOT LIGHTEN BALL WEIGHT.

    The ball weight of a trailer is weighed disconnected from the tow vehicle and that weight is always that weight. The only way to lighten it is with a Jack under it or a skyhook above it.
    Last edited by Hillbilly; 19-02-2014 at 08:13 PM.
    2021 Kamiq LE 110 , Moon White, BV cameras F & B
    Mamba Ebike to replace Tiguan

  8. #8
    IN2VWS Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Hillbilly View Post
    I have seen what happened to a nearly new van that was incorrectly loaded and jackknifed because of the tow vehicle suddenly having to brake and the van decided to swap ends. Poor brake settings also contributed to it as well...
    Can you share what the incorrect loading was?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Pacific Paradise QLD
    Posts
    7,151
    Users Country Flag
    Quote Originally Posted by IN2VWS View Post
    Can you share what the incorrect loading was?
    It was loaded rear heavy to the extent it had hardly any ball weight at all and when a B double went past the whole rig got the snakes and jacknifed and broke apart and rolled the Patrol and killed them all.

    Caravan continued for about 100m without the A frame digging in due to weight in the rear.

    It got the wobbles and the guy hit the picks and away it went. If it had been properly balanced it wouldn't have wobbled when the truck went past.

    There is a big report from the SA Coroner available on the net. This happened about 4 years ago now.

    Further to my previous post a Van or trailer of 751kg --2000kg must have override brakes as a minimum 2001kg up must have electric brakes ON ALL WHEELS. (In all states)

    So a car trailer with a car on it if over 2001 kg must have electric brakes to be legal. Same with a boat trailer.
    Last edited by Hillbilly; 16-02-2014 at 09:27 PM.
    2021 Kamiq LE 110 , Moon White, BV cameras F & B
    Mamba Ebike to replace Tiguan

  10. #10
    IN2VWS Guest

    A similar thing happened recently to VW guy........He was towing a Kombi on a trailer behind a Commodore. The kombi was driven on the trailer with the nose to the front. As you know, most of the weight on the old Kombi's, is in the rear.
    It was on the news, as he blocked a major highway.

    As for my car trailer, it is only rated to 2000kg, so no electric brakes on it. The trailer itself weighs 440kg.

    Now, if you are towing a heavy caravan etc, the standard towbar is not correct for your van. You should have a class 4 or heavy duty towbar fitted.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
| |