Towing

[fishyjoe]

Hi all,

I am a little perplexed at this tow rating thing! and need a little help understanding how cars are rated for towing.

I have a Toyota Klugger 3.3 lt V6,with a braked towing limit of 1500kg and a tow bar rated to take this fitted. #The Rav 4 is also rated at 1500kg and has a 4 cylinder which produces less torque and kw than my car. #

I am sure that my car can tow more than 1500kg and I have been given differing advice in reference to the above.

The main reason for trying to get a handle on this is that I would like to safely tow a boat, both short and long distances, that is 5.5mt (plate alloy) and not run the risk of doing damage to either the boat, car or bank account. :'(

I would appreciate any feedback in regards to this and especially to members that own a Klugger and tow on a regular basis. :exclamation

Many Thanks

Joe

[GBC]

Joe,
The most important thing the kluger has in common with the rav is the monocoque chassis that the thing is made of. Believe it or not power is one of your least concerns when towing - stopping is high on the list as well as controling the load. There are some high rated mono vehicles around but in the main they aren't really designed for that sort of thing. Your biggest problem however, is that you've bought from Toyota. These guys are great at not letting reality get in the way of price points and capabilities. EG my hilux is on a prado chassis with a prado engine and higher rated brakes and payload but with a lower tow rating. Why? Toyota figures I should get into a prado or cruiser to tow anything substantial, so they don't miss out on a bigger $ sale.
Final point: you can't change the tow rating on your car, and if you tow bigger your insurance is void, not to mention your rear coil overs which will also probably be void.

[fishyjoe]

Thanks GBC,

Your explaination is very good and thanks for confirming the insurance issue.

I appreciate you taking the time ;)

Regards

Joe

[magicpudding]

You can actually get a larger tow rating for your car in theory. However, it involves getting a full engineering assessment of the structural components then getting approval from the manufacturer (the hardest part) and finally getting approval from the government.
I've met a couple of people who have done it for their big ford pickups, but it is expensive.

CJ