I tow my 2005 Bessacarr 495SL ( at 1420 kgs) with a 2005 Mondeo 2 litre TCDI Estate (6 speed box, Euro 3) at 1600 kgs unladen, but normally loaded to 1000kgs front axle and 950kgs rear axle. My concern is to improve the traction of the otherwise powerful front-wheel-drive Mondeo - wet grass slopes are a particular problem. I use Mud & Snow tyres all year (Avon approval obtained) but there does not appear to be a Limited Slip Differential available for this particular gearbox. Can I do any more? I do not want to change this superb car just yet.
Improving traction.
- Thread starter MartinD
- Start date
My friend has the same problem with his Mondeo and Senator Virginia
Any grassy sites are a problem when its rained
Any grassy sites are a problem when its rained
It is possible that tyres with a different tread pattern or narrower tyres could result in an improvement. M&S tyres are not necessarily ideal. Perhaps someone has tried a different set of tyres and you can benefit from their experience.
This was the reason I swapped my mondeo to a 4x4.
Wet grass can be more slippery than snow or ice.
The alternative is a motormover - leave the car on a harder surface and move the caravan to the car
Wet grass can be more slippery than snow or ice.
The alternative is a motormover - leave the car on a harder surface and move the caravan to the car
Hi Martin.
Here's a couple of tips that I've used with my Laguna estate when towing our caravan which is max weight for the car.
Firstly, lower the tyre pressure in the front tyres to 10 to 15 psi. This puts a larger footprint of tyre on the grass which aids grip. Don't drive on hard surfaces (tarmac/gravel) as this will damage tyre. When you ae on level ground, pump the tyres back up to the road pressure with the 12v pump you should be carrying.
The second tip is to lace some 8mm cord through the spoke holes of the wheel and round the tyre to simulate snow chains. To do this you will need to jack the car up. When you have laced the rope round the wheel, rotate it to ensure nothing fouls the wheel. To remove this rope simply cut away craefully without catching the tyre, pick up the deris and dispose of in the bin.
These two ideas have got me out of my sticky situations quite easily, hope you have simlar success.
Steve L.
Here's a couple of tips that I've used with my Laguna estate when towing our caravan which is max weight for the car.
Firstly, lower the tyre pressure in the front tyres to 10 to 15 psi. This puts a larger footprint of tyre on the grass which aids grip. Don't drive on hard surfaces (tarmac/gravel) as this will damage tyre. When you ae on level ground, pump the tyres back up to the road pressure with the 12v pump you should be carrying.
The second tip is to lace some 8mm cord through the spoke holes of the wheel and round the tyre to simulate snow chains. To do this you will need to jack the car up. When you have laced the rope round the wheel, rotate it to ensure nothing fouls the wheel. To remove this rope simply cut away craefully without catching the tyre, pick up the deris and dispose of in the bin.
These two ideas have got me out of my sticky situations quite easily, hope you have simlar success.
Steve L.
Whenever I have experienced this issue I have just reversed of the field on to the harder surface. Going backwards transfers some of the weight to the front wheels and enables better traction. Failing this I use the Mover. Obviously you need to have the space to move backwards, but most sites I have been on where this issue occurs are CL's or CS sites with loads of room.
I'd like to add another tip that also helps if you try to move off on a slippery or loose surface and with the caravan hitched up. Try to place the car as far as possible at right angles to the caravan. This drastically reduces the effort to get the caravan moving.
Lutz is absolutely correct, and his tip works just as well on a steep hill start where fwd may not give sufficient traction.
My additional tip to prevent the mover nosewheel digging into soft ground is to ask 'The navigator' to enter the van, turn right and move rearwards (UK vans). It offloads the nosewheel suberbly. I got the van off of a sloping CL with fresh mown wet grass ( and it was muddy too) when the 4wd just span its tyres.
My additional tip to prevent the mover nosewheel digging into soft ground is to ask 'The navigator' to enter the van, turn right and move rearwards (UK vans). It offloads the nosewheel suberbly. I got the van off of a sloping CL with fresh mown wet grass ( and it was muddy too) when the 4wd just span its tyres.
hi martin one tip I learned a few years ago has got us out of some sticky situations,
use a tow rope, simply attach one end to the front towing eye of the car and the other to the A-frame, the van can then be moved easily by reversing on to a better surface
use a tow rope, simply attach one end to the front towing eye of the car and the other to the A-frame, the van can then be moved easily by reversing on to a better surface
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