towing with zafira 1.6

[linda_5129989]

we have recently accqired a zafira 1.6,through mobility after being told it would tow, we now find that we are limited in the extreme,do you tow with this car or a similar one,if so what sort of van do you pull,at present we have a bailey pagent which were told we can tow with our car

 

[Bri-C]

My wife has a Zafira 1.8 ( Y reg )and we have towed a two berth for about 1000 miles and a 6 berth Pageant(1400Kgs) for 3000 ish miles with it, before I changed my Transit van for a car. As a solo car it has a very light front end and with its fly by wire system will spin its wheels with no encouragement what so ever and with a caraven behind is not good at hill starts. The clutch is really quite small, weak and expensive to replace so be carefull.

Depends who you talk to as to towing weights but Vauxhall quoted us 1300 Kg but sugested it was better not to exceed 1100. 1200 Kgs is the recommended 85% but legally you could go upto 1400Kgs ish but this is towing at 100% They are OK on standard roads and motorways but best to avoid steep inclines and Mountains. Remember to pack a set of grip tracks as they spin their wheels almost without the engine running on grass.

Regards Brian.

 

[Lutz]

Brian, if Vauxhall told you that 1300kg is the limit, how come you say you can legally go up to 1400kg?

I presume that Linda is talking about the current 1.6 Zafira, in which case the maximum permissible towload is 1000kg, which is right on the limit for a 2 berth Bailey Pageant.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Linda

The only source you can trust regarding the permitted towing capacity of your car is the cars manufacturer or francised dealer.

The Mk1 Zafira was noted for having low mass towing limits, but it depend on the specific model, as the limit changes for different engine/gearbox options.

Lutz is usually very good with these figures, but for real confidence recheck with manufacture/dealer.

Brian - for the reasons above, your own experience of using a 1.8 model has little relevance to Linda whose model is a 1.6 and you are illegal if your tow a greater mass than the car manufacture states.

 

[Bri-C]

You are all of course right that the manufacturer is the only true source for this information but if they cant tell you then you have to look elsewhere. Vauxhall supply an almost information free document with this vehicle so check the weight plate inside the drivers door.

The GTW of the 1.8 is 3350 Kgs and the max for the vehicle alone is 1990 Kgs ( 1970 Kgs for the 1.6 ). But that is not the point. In reality it has at least got Linda some answers to her question even though it has only been posted for a month.

Bri