MY towing a car trailer

JP147 · Post by **JP147** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:02 pm

It would be nice if I could use my MY wagon to tow a car trailer, the car that I want to tow is a Datsun 910 weighing about 900kgs. The furthest distance would be around 60km.

I have done some searching and some sources say a Brumby can tow
1,000kg with trailer brakes, others say it can tow up to 1,500kg.

Can wagons tow as much as a Brumby?

Anyone have experience with towing car trailers with Leones?

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 9:37 pm

I towed a car trailer behind the Brumby. That's 700kg or so. The power was seriously lacking and anymore weight would not of been safe under braking, but people have different opinions of what safe is... My brother in law towed a 2.2 tonne Humber on a 750kg rental trailer behind a Magna.......

JP147 · Post by **JP147** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 10:31 pm

You towed an empty trailer or one with a car on it?

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:02 am

Redbook says L series has a braked towing capacity of 700 kgs, doesnt have towing data for a MY

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:33 am

Towing an empty car trailer would be pushing the limits of safety...most are around 700+kg. Put a car on that and you'd be over 1600kg. Towing a load that far exceeds the weight of your actual car (whether it's braked or not) is a recipe for disaster. You can make it from A to B but if something unexpected happens like having to do an emergency stop or manuver to avoid something, you will become a passenger.
I've towed a liberty on a car trailer with my L series wagon back when it was ej20turbo. The power was fine, but every other aspect (mostly safety) was severely lacking.

JP147 · Post by **JP147** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:29 pm

Thanks, I will go slow then.

I doubt the car will do much over 60 with that kind of load anyway.

If I have to, I could pull out a rear driveshaft and put a stub in and then I can use low range.

Tweety · Post by **Tweety** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:42 pm

You would be illegal of course. Flat bed tow truck would be better idea IMO.

dfoyl · Post by **dfoyl** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:53 pm

I have flat-towed an MY wagon with my Brumby, I wouldn't recommend it but it's do-able. Add the weight of a trailer and it becomes a recipe for disaster.

Have you thought of using a towing frame that essentially bolts the two cars together ? I have done this in the (distant) past and it works very well as long as both drivers know when to apply brakes (otherwise one is braking and the other is pulling or pushing).

henpecked · Post by **henpecked** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:59 pm

I towed a light and empty car trailer behind a very health brumby, from central NSW to Canberra, and the combination was seriously underpowered. Hills of any nature were a nightmare, first and second geear were regularly used.

The trailer had electric brakes, but not connected to the car unfortunately.

Towing a loaded car trailer ( unbraked) behind a MY I think would be very risky.

1) i doubt there would be the power.
2) side winds of any nature would significantly push you around.
3) i suspect that it would not conform to safety regs and that is a real problem in the case of even a minor accident., even if the other driver was totally at fault, his insurance company would probably do you over, as would any police attendance.

using a dolly trailer - a wheeled mini-trailer that just holds up the front wheels/axle of the towed vehicle and lets it run on it and its back tyres MAY be legal - I don't know.

http://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Tow-Dolly-Rental/TD/

.

note that they require the towing vehicle to " Must weigh at least 750 lbs. more than the vehicle being towed "

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:45 pm

My first Subaru was a 74 sedan. It was towed 50 odd ks on a car trailer by an 83 wagon. Up and down the blue mountains from Katoomba to Penrith. This was 20 years ago and with a well used example of an MY 4wd. That same wagon went on to do another 240000kms before it was retired from road registered duties. Not ideal at all but the wagon did it without failure.

Low range was used a lot when possible.

This was my one and only experience towing big stuff with an MY.
Wouldn't make it a practice though, esp without a braked trailer. Also did this with an experienced bloke, who's wagon provided the motive power.

Make sure the vehicle and trailer combo is suitably balanced.

J.

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:49 pm

JP147 wrote:You towed an empty trailer or one with a car on it?

Empty.

In SA I'm pretty sure the law is if there isn't a rating (like there isn't with any MY model) than it can tow a load that is 1.5x the curb weight, that is braked. Unbraked is 750kg unless rated lower. So for a MY wagon you could legally tow 1500kg or so... But that isn't necessarily safe, and an unsafe load can get you in trouble too.

JP147 · Post by **JP147** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 11:12 pm

Seems more do-able than I first thought.
If the Subaru weighs about 1000kg and the car and trailer weight about 1600kg, it is not breaking the law by too much, since it is a braked trailer. And the Subaru will be loaded up too so that should help it stay in control. Plus I have a lot of experience with stupid ideas.
I have thought about using a dolly, but my local servo doesn't have one for hire and I would be relying on the towed car not to have issues with the rear end (Australian 910s are notorious for tearing out rear trailing arms).

Thanks everyone for the advice, I will let you know in a few months how it goes.

Post by **Bantum** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 1:34 am

I'd put an add on Backloads Across Australia with your request details + see how much it is ...

It should cost a darn lot less than all that dicking around with towing shit.
Cheers, Bantum ...

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:50 am

On your head be it!

I hope not to see any stories on the news about a fiery crash involving an old Subaru

When I had to move my wagon from A to B I just went with a local tilt tray guy straight away. I was happy to pay the $100 each way to save me the hassle of hiring a trailer and not having a car to tow it with, or the stress and worry of towing it with an un-suitable vehicle.

Nubaru · Post by **Nubaru** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 8:59 am

BRUMBY has a gvm of 1620 kg, just how gvm is interpreted i don't know.

Doubt MY wagon has a gvm on it.

I would not feel too confident even at that max stated on the plate under bonnet at highway speeds. The faster you travel the better everything needs to be to slow down or stop- brakes, which has a flow on effect to steering and suspension. Travel at way slower speed and risks improve

Phizinza · Post by **Phizinza** » Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:21 pm

GVM is gross vehicle mass. It's the maximum the car is allowed to weigh including the load it has in it. Nothing to do with towing except towing usually puts between 50 to 200kg on the draw bar (on the cars rear wheels) which adds to the GVM.

If you do it mate, please stay under 60kph, leave at least 4 seconds braking time and stay alert 100% of the time (no in car distractions).

Good luck
And don't forget there's a maximum $20,000 fine for overloaded trailers.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 7:16 am

The braked towing is 700, or 750kg (i cant remember now), exceed that and you are breaking the law. If you have an accident and damage property or injure/kill someone, you are criminally responsible.

Borrow a larger car like a falcon, commodore or a 4wd.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 12:34 pm

Simply don't do it. Not worth the risk!

Either hire a flat tray and driver or hire a 4wd to use as the tow vehilce. Much cheaper compared to what the end result could be with the MY as a tow vehicle.

My 5c worth.

Cheers

Bennie

JP147 · Post by **JP147** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 7:25 pm

Gannon wrote:The braked towing is 700, or 750kg (i cant remember now), exceed that and you are breaking the law. If you have an accident and damage property or injure/kill someone, you are criminally responsible.

Borrow a larger car like a falcon, commodore or a 4wd.

Where did you find that? I read that 750 is the limit without brakes, and braked is 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle.

FALCONCONVERTTOSUBARU · Post by **FALCONCONVERTTOSUBARU** » Sat Jun 20, 2015 8:13 pm

I've towed 750KG with an automatic L series running a 2inch exhaust and I gotta say the feeling was not fun I was nervous all the way and I couldn't climb hills faster than about 60KPH. With an MY towing 1600 KG you'd probably roll backwards down any hills assuming you don't break something.....

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MY towing a car trailer

MY towing a car trailer

dont do it.