I have a lightweight sailing dinghy, which I occassionally tow to events. Total weight, trailer and dinghy, is less than 200Kg. Behind my Sierra you barely know it's there, however I'm shortly changing to smaller car, probably a peugot 106 1.4 Diesel.
Does anyone have experience of towing with a car this size. The towed weight is well below the cars maximum (700Kg), and I would only be towing 3-4 times a year, usually between 5 and 30 miles, with perhaps one journey of 150 miles.
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Weight wise and power of car wise (good its a diesel) should present no problems at all. You may find however that it will be different to tow due the lighter weight and shorter wheelbase of the new car. Assuming its a longish trailer it will exert some more "rear steer" effect on the car than you are used to.
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Thanks for the advice. What do you mean by rear steer?
Might add that I've done lots of towing, caravan, trailer, and boat, but always with large estate cars.
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Rear steer. The 104 is a very short car. The length of the trailer may well equal or exceed the length of the car. So any movement side to side of the trailer (snaking for example) will be felt more in the car. As your trailor is light I doubt you notice much tho. If you carry out all the normal (obviously well practised for you) nose weight checks and load balancing I dont see a problem.
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Alan,
Agree with RF
You shouldn't have any problems - I have towed a caravan(admittedly a lightweight one!) to Greece a couple of times with a Renault 5 (yes 5, not 25!)
Your car weighs in at about 900 kilos and despite length of trailer, which shouldn't be too bad anyway given that it's a dinghy you are towing, you shouldn't experience snaking if you get the noseweight right. Trailer is only 25% of car's kerbwieght and you would be OK up to 85%.
You will also discover that reversing is much easier with shortcar/long trailer than with long car/short trailer combination!
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Mmmm, well an occasional short trip with a trailer won't do any harm.
But is an R5 really up to the job of going to Greece with a caravan? If nothing more dangerous, I should think that Messrs Ferrodo would love you!
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You will also discover that reversing is much easier with shortcar/long trailer than with long car/short trailer combination!
How true that is. The longer the trailer the easier it is to reverse. 7.25m caravan goes in sweet as a nut wherever I want it to. P0xy little 5 ft trailer to the dump and it has a mind of its own!
Terry
"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand"
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Check
www.towsafe.co.uk
www.towsure.co.uk
Some useful info, before you need to part with £$£$
VB
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go for a 1.8 peugeot 205 diesel instead, the sister in laws 106 diesel I drove felt horribly underpowered Not a good tow car
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When I had my 205 diesel I used it to tow a variety of trailers.
It was great - no worries.
I can't see you having any trouble with a dinghy.
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I remember my neighbour using a car trailer to tow a LWB Mitsubishi Shogun with his peugeot 205 diesel van..highly illegal i suspect!
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