Towing 1 tonne trailer with focus car van

waxon-waxoff

Theres no commercials forum so i suppose this is the nearest thing. Im thinking about buying a car van, a Focus, Golf, Corolla etc, and want to tow a trailer with it occassionaly. Have to get a trailer yet but it will probably be an 8x4 double axel with mesh side panels so about 500kg. The loads in the trailer will be 300-500kg approx. So thats about 1 tonne for both.

Anybody got any idea what this will be like to drive, will it be a bit of a handful? The car will range from 90 to 130 bhp so should be enough.

101sean

You need to check the the manufacturers towing figures for the particular model you buy but 1 tonne isn't a lot, the cars you mention should handle it with a properly braked trailer.

Does your driving license entitle you to tow over 750kg? (almost a sign of how old you are )

dhog4n

You will need a towing licence (EB) as the trailer will be over 750kg gross vehicle weight. Also, the trailer will need to be braked as it is over 750kg gvw. From personal experience, double axle trailers tow a lot better behind a car than single axle and properly working brakes make the whole experience terror free by ensuring the trailer doesn't start to steer the car when you are forced to brake in a corner.

The maximum towing weight is variously the unladen weight of the towing vehicle or the maximum permissible braked trailer weight. Both of these should appear on your vin plate or in the handbook. I have seen both of these weights quoted as the maximum towing weights and it can be unclear which is actually the maximum, so take the lesser of the two. Strangely, the limit for 4x4's is one and a half times the unladen weight or the manufacturers maximum braked towing weight. I don't really see why, as nearly all 4x4's are driven in 2wd on tarmac.

JohnBoy

I've a focus tddi and it'll pull a tonne alright, brakes would be important