Towing Limits on MY18 TIGUAN 140TDI

[Sydneykid]

Basically adding weight to the rear as well as unbalancing the rig lightens the ball weight and as you alluded to swapping fuel out of the tug into towed vehicles boot I figured that was what meant Is basically the same as what the Prof did
Quote
ever so easy to move the car back a few mm and get down to 100 kgs. Or swap 40 litres of race fuel from the Tig to the race car boot.

If that isnt shifting weight rearward I dont know what is.

The proper choice is use a vehicle that allows the weights you have
We bought a Patrol which we thought was ideal and then bought a van which both exceeded allowable ATM of Patrol and also ballweight.

Did we say stuff it She'll be right. No we went and spent another $23,000 and bought a Cruiser that had plenty of capacity and is what we should have bought in the first place. We were very happy we did in the end.

I think you aren't reading what I actually wrote, I'll try and spell it out. The "move the fuel" reference was about passing some random tow ball weight test carried by someone, somewhere, not a permanent answer. As per the previous post I don't know who "they" would be, but if "they" ever did, then I have an easily reversible solution to pass the test.

Actual measurement and testing of the load distribution is far from "she'll be right". Based on real world experience I believed that more than 100 kgs would be necessary to give safe towing, together with load equalisation, using the Tig. I tested it and any less than 145 kgs at the tow ball could be felt as an instability. Once I had established what performed best I used my corner weight scales to measure it so that I could duplicate it in the future. We do have different load requirements for interstate race meetings compared to local ones (more spares, fuel, tyres etc).

Indirectly related, the Tig isn't my usual tow vehicle, I normally use a Stagea Waggon which, being 20 years old, has no weight limits on how much it can tow or how much weight its tow bar can handle. So experience and testing together with regular checking and maintenance is the only method of determining it's limitations.

Cheers
Gary

[Sydneykid]

Just on the load equalisers; The manual specifically prohibits the use of load equalisers as the chassis cannot handle the weight transfer

What does "can't handle the weight transfer" actually mean. Is it that the chassis can't handle 50 kgs of weight transferred from the back wheels to the front wheels? Isn't that the same as having, say, an 80 kgs person in the back seat and moving them to the front seat? Or starting off with 60 litres of fuel and running it down to zero? Does it mean that the chassis can't handle 50 kgs more weight on the front axle from a load transfer hitch but it can handle an 2 x 80 kgs passengers sitting in the front seats? What if I take one of the front seat passengers and move them to the rear seat and then use the hitch to move 50 kgs from the rear to the front? What's the difference?

Load hitch weight transfer is more about the capability of the tow bar and its mounting rather than the chassis's capability, let's face it we aren't talking about tonnes here.

FWIW I worked for 5 different car manufacturers and I have asked everyone that I know similar questions and none of them have an answer. The most common response is it's their risk minimisation.


Cheers
Gary

[Hillbilly]

What does "can't handle the weight transfer" actually mean. Is it that the chassis can't handle 50 kgs of weight transferred from the back wheels to the front wheels? Isn't that the same as having, say, an 80 kgs person in the back seat and moving them to the front seat? Or starting off with 60 litres of fuel and running it down to zero? Does it mean that the chassis can't handle 50 kgs more weight on the front axle from a load transfer hitch but it can handle an 2 x 80 kgs passengers sitting in the front seats? What if I take one of the front seat passengers and move them to the rear seat and then use the hitch to move 50 kgs from the rear to the front? What's the difference?

Load hitch weight transfer is more about the capability of the tow bar and its mounting rather than the chassis's capability, let's face it we aren't talking about tonnes here.

FWIW I worked for 5 different car manufacturers and I have asked everyone that I know similar questions and none of them have an answer. The most common response is it's their risk minimisation.


Cheers
Gary

And what is the towbar attached to Yes thats right the subframe of the vehicle. Which is engineered to take certain stresses and as found out by Nissan the subframe collapsed when those stresses became too much. That is why manufacturers have limits and recommend you dont overload them.
A WDH does put extra stress on chassis components and has been exhaustively debated on the Caravanners forum.

By the way it operates it pulls the rear of the car and the towbar to a straighter position and when the rig tries to bend that joint as in going through a dip in the road it puts increased force on the towbar and A frame. Thats why its recommended you do not use one in offroad conditions or going through spoon drains Your analogy of shifting passengers means nothing as there is no force on the towbar when doing that.

Also to say a Stagea because no limit is set can tow anything is a false premise

From NSW law

If the vehicle manufacturer has not specified the maximum towing mass, the maximum towing mass is:

One and a half times the unladen mass of the towing vehicle, provided that the trailer is fitted with brakes which are connected and in working order, or
The unladen mass of the towing vehicle if the trailer does not require brakes.

So how does that go towing 1900kg with your Stagea

[Alex31]

Wow, feel sorry for Original post.
Just ensure the boat is no more than 2125kg (85% of 2500kg) including trailer and everything in the boat and you will be fine.
Don’t drive like a muppet, and when you go to leave the boat ramp don’t stuff around (DSG won’t like that)
Seriously


Mk7.5 Golf R DSG. White Silver
Mk7 Golf TDI Highline. Limestone Green.

Family member VAG’s:
Amarok TDI420 Auto
Skoda Superb TDI140

[Sydneykid]

And what is the towbar attached to Yes thats right the subframe of the vehicle. Which is engineered to take certain stresses and as found out by Nissan the subframe collapsed when those stresses became too much. That is why manufacturers have limits and recommend you dont overload them.

On the Tig and my Stagea the tow bars are attached to the chassis rails, not the subframe. The closest is the rear suspension subframe which is a long way from where the tow bar is attached.

Tow bars have widely different attachment methodology, for example together with the tow bar manufacturer we over specified the hell out of the bolts, brackets and reinforcement in the Stagea. On the Nissan example, I believe that the factory tow bars had problems but the aftermarkets did not. That indicates a weakness in the Nissan OE tow bar attachment, not the Nissan chassis.

Which is kinda my point, how does VW know how well (or otherwise) an aftermarket tow bar manufacturer has spec'd the attachment hardware so that they (VW) can specify the maximum tow ball weight? Sure they can specify a maximum tow ball weight for their tow bar, but not for others.

A WDH does put extra stress on chassis components and has been exhaustively debated on the Caravanners forum.

As per my post above that's just nonsense if referring to the OE chassis in general. In reference to the tow bar attachment methodology and hardware that's more palpable.

By the way it operates it pulls the rear of the car and the towbar to a straighter position and when the rig tries to bend that joint as in going through a dip in the road it puts increased force on the towbar and A frame. Thats why its recommended you do not use one in offroad conditions or going through spoon drains Your analogy of shifting passengers means nothing as there is no force on the towbar when doing that.

I think you are agreeing with me that the chassis is more than capable of handling the load transfer and that the tow bar (and its attachment) is what is in fact relevant.

Also to say a Stagea because no limit is set can tow anything is a false premise

We were was talking about tow ball weight and the Stagea has none specified.

From NSW law .....

Not relevant to this discussion, nice diversion though.

So how does that go towing 1900kg with your Stagea

At ~1650 kgs, wet and empty, towing 1.9 tonnes is a doddle.


Cheers
Gary

[tomskiboy]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the replies guys. Sorry for the delayed reply as life's been a bit hectic.

We've decided on a Stessco Gulf Runner for our boat. The problem now is deciding which size. The 550 comes on a single axle trailer and it would weigh 1360kg fully laden BMT + fuel + gear. The 580 model comes on a dual axle trailer and wheighs 1570kg fully laden.

I must state that I am a novice when it comes to towing (but I am a quick learner).

Based on the Tigs specs from owners manual
Tare weight = 1735kg
GVM = 2340kg
Max GCM = 4460kg
Max trailer weight up gradients 12% = 2200kg (owners man pg 350)
Max Towball weight=100kg

Based on this info and feedback here. Towing 1570kg should be safe (<80% GVM) as long as the trailer is balanced and Towball weight is under 100kg.

We plan to drive from Sydney down to Gippsland lakes and as far North as Hervey Bay. So I do want a safe and reliable tow setup.

Do you guys agree that 1570kg is safe and would recommend dual or single axle? I was thinking the dual would have better load distribution (even though I'll be loosing some maneuverability in tight places)

Thanks again all
T

[Redfernpoint]

https://www.carsales.com.au/editoria...-review-113131