Im towing a friends caravan down toLondon for him and its quite an old van without a stabiliser i have never towed without one before has anyone got any tips or is it o.k. there is nothing in it apart from the battery and gas bottle
Towing without a stabiliser
- Thread starter MonkeyHanger
- Start date
P.S
im towing with sorento and the caravan weights are 990 as left factory and 2000 fully laden
Thanks andy
im towing with sorento and the caravan weights are 990 as left factory and 2000 fully laden
Thanks andy
Hello Andy and Jue,
Providing the caravans running gear is correctly adjusted (Brakes, tyres etc) and good weight distribution and the optimum nose weight is achieved then the outfit will probably tow quite happily.
As with any new outfit it is wise to keep speed down until you have a good idea of its towing characteristics, and only then start to explore the higher speeds. If you have any doubts about its handling - SLOW DOWN.
A stabiliser should only be fitted to an outfit that already has adequate handling as a belt and braces approach. It is dangerous to solely rely on an untested add on device to control a bad outfit. - what happens if the stabiliser fails? you are immediately into trouble!
The Sorrento has a good reputation as a two car, and based on your weight figures, it should have little trouble with the caravan.
Just take things easy and you will probably be alright.
Providing the caravans running gear is correctly adjusted (Brakes, tyres etc) and good weight distribution and the optimum nose weight is achieved then the outfit will probably tow quite happily.
As with any new outfit it is wise to keep speed down until you have a good idea of its towing characteristics, and only then start to explore the higher speeds. If you have any doubts about its handling - SLOW DOWN.
A stabiliser should only be fitted to an outfit that already has adequate handling as a belt and braces approach. It is dangerous to solely rely on an untested add on device to control a bad outfit. - what happens if the stabiliser fails? you are immediately into trouble!
The Sorrento has a good reputation as a two car, and based on your weight figures, it should have little trouble with the caravan.
Just take things easy and you will probably be alright.
I echo what John says. My experience using 6 cars to tow 3 caravans with 3 different stabilisers tells me they make little difference to a poorly configured outfit.
Funnily enough, the heavyest load towed behind any of my cars was done without a stailiser.
I towed a 2000Kg Jaguar on a 500Kg (tare weight) Ifor Williams goods trailer, behind a 2 Litre Renault Espace, from Glasgow to Herefordshire. Sure the trailer loaded was way over the tow rating for the car and so I naturally did not want to break any speed records.
On loading I paid particular attention to how much nose weight I had on the hitch but with only a 14 foot deck to play with we were at about 90Kgs on the hitch. The trailer being primarily designed for carrying goods and not cars was about 300mm taller than a purpose built car trailer.
However we still managed to tow at a steady 50Mph with no bother at all.
Now while I'd not encourage this sort of practice and I only took the task on as I'd got 20+ years of towing experience of shifting the most awkward loads. Towing a caravan within the cars tow capacity should present no real problems solong as it is loaded correctly. Take things steady at first and increase speed gradually so that you can observe the behaviour of the outfit.
I tow a 20ft twin axle van with a 2Ltr Laguna estate at 100% of the car's capacity, admittidly I use a stabiliser but the only real advantage is that it assist's more with up and down yawing rather than swaying. (being the leaf spring type). The other thing I use to aid fuel economy is a 1980's whale tail roof spoiler for the car. This attempts to sweep air to either side of the van aswell as over the roof. This also has a stabilising affect on the van. The biggest gain is in my wallet, 5Mpg better with the soiler fitted.
I towed a 2000Kg Jaguar on a 500Kg (tare weight) Ifor Williams goods trailer, behind a 2 Litre Renault Espace, from Glasgow to Herefordshire. Sure the trailer loaded was way over the tow rating for the car and so I naturally did not want to break any speed records.
On loading I paid particular attention to how much nose weight I had on the hitch but with only a 14 foot deck to play with we were at about 90Kgs on the hitch. The trailer being primarily designed for carrying goods and not cars was about 300mm taller than a purpose built car trailer.
However we still managed to tow at a steady 50Mph with no bother at all.
Now while I'd not encourage this sort of practice and I only took the task on as I'd got 20+ years of towing experience of shifting the most awkward loads. Towing a caravan within the cars tow capacity should present no real problems solong as it is loaded correctly. Take things steady at first and increase speed gradually so that you can observe the behaviour of the outfit.
I tow a 20ft twin axle van with a 2Ltr Laguna estate at 100% of the car's capacity, admittidly I use a stabiliser but the only real advantage is that it assist's more with up and down yawing rather than swaying. (being the leaf spring type). The other thing I use to aid fuel economy is a 1980's whale tail roof spoiler for the car. This attempts to sweep air to either side of the van aswell as over the roof. This also has a stabilising affect on the van. The biggest gain is in my wallet, 5Mpg better with the soiler fitted.
Steve,
By considering your figures a 2Tonne Jag on top of a 0.5Tonne trailer makes 2.5 Tonnes.
I am not aware of any Espace that is rated to tow that mass, and thus it was a highly illegal tow.
I cannot condone your actions at all. Not only were you grossly overloading the Espace, by doing so you were illegal, and as a consequence driving without insurance.
As a responsible tower you should have known better.
By considering your figures a 2Tonne Jag on top of a 0.5Tonne trailer makes 2.5 Tonnes.
I am not aware of any Espace that is rated to tow that mass, and thus it was a highly illegal tow.
I cannot condone your actions at all. Not only were you grossly overloading the Espace, by doing so you were illegal, and as a consequence driving without insurance.
As a responsible tower you should have known better.
Oh come on John, you mean to say that your a goody two shoes and have not flown the confederate flag occassionally.
Sure as I said in the thread, I do not condone this practice and also pointed out that it's not one for a novice to try.
It was without doubt totally illegal.
The whole point of me relaying this story was to emphasise that even a massively (well 35% actually)overloaded outfit can tow without "drama" without a stabilizer so long as it is loaded correctly.
Over my years of towing I have shifted some very peculiar loads with the humble family car. The most obscure was a summer house that was so complex to dismantle that we moved it wholesale. It was 9ft 8ins wide and 27ft long. I loaded this onto a flat bed trailerand towed it with a 2.9 Ltr renault 25 v6 turbo. We only had to go five miles and had an escort vehicle both front and rear. I also consulted our local police and they advised that as long as it was secured to the trailer and we drove at an appropriate speed then they would accept the moement as a "one off".
See you can get a practical and nice policeman occassionaly.
Sure as I said in the thread, I do not condone this practice and also pointed out that it's not one for a novice to try.
It was without doubt totally illegal.
The whole point of me relaying this story was to emphasise that even a massively (well 35% actually)overloaded outfit can tow without "drama" without a stabilizer so long as it is loaded correctly.
Over my years of towing I have shifted some very peculiar loads with the humble family car. The most obscure was a summer house that was so complex to dismantle that we moved it wholesale. It was 9ft 8ins wide and 27ft long. I loaded this onto a flat bed trailerand towed it with a 2.9 Ltr renault 25 v6 turbo. We only had to go five miles and had an escort vehicle both front and rear. I also consulted our local police and they advised that as long as it was secured to the trailer and we drove at an appropriate speed then they would accept the moement as a "one off".
See you can get a practical and nice policeman occassionaly.
I must admit I have a certain sympathy for John L's view here. It doesn't really concern me so much what the police said or allowed, after all, I agree with you that we all step over the line of legality now and again, but the fun stops when disregard of the rules is so blatant that insurance coverage is at risk and that, in the case of towing so excessively over the limit, would be the case.
Hello Steve,
I am not disregarding or disputing the technical issue here, yes a well-loaded heavy trailer can tow quite happily. But I am amazed that an experienced tow-er would even contemplate yet alone execute such a gross breech of limits.
The dangers of making the trailer heavier than the tow car has often been discussed on this forum. Under normal acceleration and manoeuvres the outfit can be quite manageable, but what happens when you need to make an emergency stop or make some other high speed manoeuvres, the heavier trailer will influence the handling. A significantly heavier trailer will significantly affect the handling and may make a manoeuvre unsafe. I consider that 50mph and loaded as you describe as recklessness.
As I said previously I cannot condone your actions, and whilst I can't claim to be free from transgressions, when it has happened it has never been premeditated or sustained. To my credit I have been points free for 34 years of driving.
I am proud of that, and I would prefer to called goody two shoes than a dangerous driver.
Are you proud of putting your self deliberately on the wrong side of the law, driving without insurance, and endangering yourself and others? I sincerely hope not.
I am not disregarding or disputing the technical issue here, yes a well-loaded heavy trailer can tow quite happily. But I am amazed that an experienced tow-er would even contemplate yet alone execute such a gross breech of limits.
The dangers of making the trailer heavier than the tow car has often been discussed on this forum. Under normal acceleration and manoeuvres the outfit can be quite manageable, but what happens when you need to make an emergency stop or make some other high speed manoeuvres, the heavier trailer will influence the handling. A significantly heavier trailer will significantly affect the handling and may make a manoeuvre unsafe. I consider that 50mph and loaded as you describe as recklessness.
As I said previously I cannot condone your actions, and whilst I can't claim to be free from transgressions, when it has happened it has never been premeditated or sustained. To my credit I have been points free for 34 years of driving.
I am proud of that, and I would prefer to called goody two shoes than a dangerous driver.
Are you proud of putting your self deliberately on the wrong side of the law, driving without insurance, and endangering yourself and others? I sincerely hope not.
Yes John what I did was outside the law and certainly not a task I undertook lightly (pardon the pun).
Subsequent to the event I later progressed to using Diahatsu F70's for majority of our towing using an Ifor Williams 3500Kg trailer. I've got to say that the only time we had jacknife situations were with that vehicle.
However I have been at pains to stress that such heavy towing is only for those who are somewhat advanced in their driver training and have probably had several years experience to draw upon.
The old cleeshey in the transport industry is "must have several years experience" but where does the "green horn" get his/her experience? Only by being allowed to try the task and learn from it. At least that is what I thought hands on experience meant.
Subsequent to the event I later progressed to using Diahatsu F70's for majority of our towing using an Ifor Williams 3500Kg trailer. I've got to say that the only time we had jacknife situations were with that vehicle.
However I have been at pains to stress that such heavy towing is only for those who are somewhat advanced in their driver training and have probably had several years experience to draw upon.
The old cleeshey in the transport industry is "must have several years experience" but where does the "green horn" get his/her experience? Only by being allowed to try the task and learn from it. At least that is what I thought hands on experience meant.
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