What vehicle will I need ?
Submitted: Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 at 06:33
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johno59
I have just traded a camper for a discovery 16ft jayco. I have a x trail. 2.5 litre vehicle. Is this car going to be adequate to tow the van thanks buys ?
Reply By: K&FT - Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 at 10:00
Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 at 10:00
Johno59, there are a couple of numbers you need to
check to work this out.
there should be a VIN plate on the caravan. On this plate will be a number with a label called ATM xxxxkg
find out what that is and then go to your Nissan manual and look up "towing" and in there will be the max towing load and max download(ball weight)
The ATM on the caravan will need to be equal or less than the max towing on your vehicle.
If the caravan has electric brakes you will also need a brake controller-highly recommend the tekonsha P3 as it is set and forget(almost)
hope that helps
frank
AnswerID:
523858
Follow Up By: KevinE - Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 at 10:56
Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 at 10:56
You also need to
check the GCM (gross combined mass) of the XTrail in the Nissan owners manual.
If the weight of your car (loaded, with the fuel, passengers & luggage you intend traveling with), plus the weight of the van (loaded with water & whatever else you are taking away with you) = more than the GCM in your owners manual, you cannot legally tow the van regardless of whether the van is under your car's towing weight & ball weight limits.
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Reply By: Tony F8 - Sunday, Jan 05, 2014 at 09:22
Sunday, Jan 05, 2014 at 09:22
Morning johno.
To begin with, engine capacity is not the first issue you need to deal with. As stated above,
check the plates for the rated capacities, nearly all accidents involving caravans are due to the fact the vehicle does not have enough purchase on the road. The weight of the van under braking causes the whole rig to jack knife or improperly loaded vans (not sufficient weight on the towball) can cause the van to pig root, unfortunately when this happens, most people apply the anchors, rather than accelerate out of it creating more sway.
Many motoring organisations run courses on van towing,
well worth the investment. I did 4wd
driver training for some years, and always willing to learn more. I understand I didn't answer your question, but believe its better to put the horse before the cart.
Cheers and safe motoring.
Tony F8
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523912