Towing an 18' tandam wheel caravan with a Ford Courier 4WD Supercab ute

Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 04, 2010 at 20:11

ThreadID: 80515 Views:10019 Replies:5 FollowUps:2

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Spitfire

We have just bought a preloved Jayco Destiny 18' Outback model (dual wheels) with an ATM of 2154kg / ball 134kg. We told the dealer what we tow with and they also arranged to have the electric brakes installed on that vehicle, so they saw the tow vehicle firsthand. The van was hitched up at delivery and home we went. It was not until I was looking at the compliance plates on the van and then the towpack, that we saw that the Ford Courier max tow is 1800kg/ball 120kg. We don't have an owner manual for the Ford (secondhand vehicle!) but I do have the sister manual for Mazda and it states that maximum towing capacity is 1800kg.
We are now wondering if the van is destined to be housed in the driveway forever because it is too heavy for the towbar........I am cranky at the dealer as I specifically asked it they checked the weight masses for compatability and was told 'of course'. I am gathering information about the current situation before calling the dealer to get their spin on the story. I will contact Ford and our mechanic ASAP, but in the meantime I was wondering what you guys out there think????? We are terrified that we have done our dough on a gorgeous van that we can't tow :(

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Reply By: Member - Tony V (NSW) - Wednesday, Aug 04, 2010 at 23:11

Wednesday, Aug 04, 2010 at 23:11

Spitfire,

Although some here don't like Redbook, mainly because of pricing, it does provide details about size, capacities etc. These details are from the manufactures.

So have a look at Click here for Redbook go to "used vehicles" and enter you vehicle and you will find all you need.

I think that this could go both ways, from what you wrote that that you did not specifically ask if your vehicle was suitable to tow this van, or what van can I tow with this vehicle.

This might sound harsh but, I suspect you think that there should be a duty of care, but you did not ask them for advise, it appears that you just told him what you were going to tow with.

Example:- if I got to a tyre place and tell them to fit 285 x 75 x 16" tyres on my care, even though the tyre placard does not show them, they will fit them even though in NSW they are not legal. If I say to the tyre place, I would like to fit 285 x 75 x 16", what do you think? They will tell me that they are not legal...

Go back, plead your case and cross your fingers.

Good luck.

AnswerID: 426223

Reply By: Isuzumu - Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 06:07

Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 06:07

I would think that not only you would have trouble with the max tow weight but also the power of the Courier to tow it efficiently as well.

AnswerID: 426230

Reply By: jeep cherokee - Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 15:21

Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 15:21

Rekon you might have done you dough there Spitfire.Not being an authority on it, but i would have to agree with the others that really the onus would be on the purchaser to make sure the vehicle towing the van is capable of doing so in all respects. Unfortunalely some dealer would be only too happy to sell you a van even if you arrived in a Mini, just to make the sale whereas other dealers would advise you if they felt you were towing beyond your limits.
Good luck though.

AnswerID: 426261

Reply By: Roughasguts - Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 18:16

Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 18:16

Mate I think that's the caveat empter may the buyer be ware rule apply's.

Even at Bunnings I can buy power points light fittings Etc and maybe put them in........ If I am a Licensed sparky to do it legally!
The onus is on you to make it legal.

Cheers.

AnswerID: 426278

Reply By: Gazal Champion - Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 20:50

Thursday, Aug 05, 2010 at 20:50

Hi Spitfire, I live in NSW and while talking to a caravan dealer employee in Port Macquarie a couple of years ago he said they could not sell me a caravan which was heavier than the towing capacity of the vehicle I intended to tow with as there were legal issues for them. Now as I said that was NSW and the dealer was Watsons Caravans who are a very reputable mob so that might explain their brutal honesty, so to speak, but I was impressed.

You may have a case to get your money back if it is in NSW but of course the best option is to get on to the Dept of Fair Trading in your state and see what they say. Better still, if it is the van you want and like, get an 80 series Landcruiser to pull it. They can be had at some very reasonable prices if the funds are a bit tight, as they usually are for most of us.

The 80 series is as tough as nails and will outlast your courier 3 to one in my opinion. But then I am no courier expert. (boy am I going to cop some flack for that statement)

Cheers, Bruce.
Cheers

At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

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AnswerID: 426295

Follow Up By: Spitfire - Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 15:28

Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 15:28

Thankyou so much for the comments.
The situation is this - Ford is totally clueless (no surprise there!!) The towbar place was knowledgable but the bottom line is that we cannot tow the new van with the Ford Courier SuperCa 4x4 ute we currently have......
Now whilst we admit to not knowing anywhere near as much as we thought we did, or should have about tares/atm's etc, the fact is we went to a dealer in the belief that they would look after all this for us. Don't forget we actually verbally asked at delivery if they checked the compatability with the tow vehicle and they replied 'yes'.
So I contacted the Office of Fair Trading to ascertain if there is in fact any 'duty of care' or whether the onus is completely on us as the buyer.
The answer from them is that the dealer does have a 'duty of care' and a 'legal responsibily' to ensure that we are the correct tow weight/combination and that they are actually in breach of Transport laws by letting us drive out the driveway, not to mention also breaching their code of conduct.
So armed with this knowledge, I have calmly rung the dealer and the sales manager is stunned to say the least.
He is going to talk with the dealership owner and "get back to me".
At the moment we are faced with the prospect of having to upgrade the tow vehicle at a prospective cost of $10,000 upwards (second house mortgage I guess) to get something with the right tow rating and comparable to what we have set up now, something that was never going to happen as we have actually just sold our large 4WD at xmas and downgraded to a smaller vehicle as our second car and leaving the Courier ute as my everyday work vehicle (building contractor!!) and tow vehicle - all to save money!!!!!
I will keep the thread updated on the dealers reply. We are sick to the stomach and haven't slept for three days.
Boy, have we have had one big learning curve...... :(

FollowupID: 696936

Follow Up By: Gazal Champion - Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 17:28

Friday, Aug 06, 2010 at 17:28

Good on you Spitfire. Nice to see we sometimes get the right info.

But mate I still reckon you would be better off with an 80 series. But I am very, very biased. LOL.

Cheers mate and hope it all comes out in the wash for you.
Cheers and all the best.
Bruce.

At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.

Lifetime Member
My Profile Send Message

FollowupID: 696942