I'm thinking of towing this with my twinair, anybody have experience towing with a twinair? or other comments they'd like to throw in?
General I'm thinking about this....
- Thread starter GettinBetter
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General I'm thinking about this....
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
My panda towed our 1250kg caaravan when it was threatened with being washed away below a faulty damn. It totally mullered the job. It was easy and stable on the mptorway. I would recomend a stabilisertoo. If you are new to towing, tow it a few times without a stabiliser and get use to how it behaves and feels without first. Stabilisers do a good job but must not be over workedgoinhg too quickly.
The engine is great for towing in fact superb, but consider additional cooling. I would suggest waterless coolant would be a good call and see if you could install a secondary cooling fan if possible I would be happy towing that little beastie with my Panda TA with no worries at all. If you are buying now ask for a test tow. If its OK in this hot weather it will be fine anytime. Allow the engine to idle for 5 to 10 mins when you arrive for the turbo to cool so it does not cook the oil.
The engine is great for towing in fact superb, but consider additional cooling. I would suggest waterless coolant would be a good call and see if you could install a secondary cooling fan if possible I would be happy towing that little beastie with my Panda TA with no worries at all. If you are buying now ask for a test tow. If its OK in this hot weather it will be fine anytime. Allow the engine to idle for 5 to 10 mins when you arrive for the turbo to cool so it does not cook the oil.
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OP
OP
Many thxHad to look that up, can't believe I'd never heard of it. Very interesting, will likely change to that anyway, but haven't read anything about it's antifreeze capabilities yet, so more research to do.
UPDATE: Just found this....
Although, it's not all a bed of roses, some of the 'cons' are noteworthy.
Pros & Cons
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They didnt mention a lot of the cons when they did it on wheeler dealers did they! the cost of the product is one thing (and there is more than one type!) but the need to purge 97% of the old coolant is a problem!- how could you be sure thats been done correctly at home? .
Had to look that up, can't believe I'd never heard of it. Very interesting, will likely change to that anyway, but haven't read anything about it's antifreeze capabilities yet, so more research to do.
UPDATE: Just found this....
Although, it's not all a bed of roses, some of the 'cons' are noteworthy.
Pros & Cons
You have to put another fluid in before the coolant to flush/absorb all the moisture left after draining the old stuff out! on the tv show they did it 3 times and blew the whole system through with compressed air!, if it needs that much diligence then would you as a home mechanic be sure it was right! .
I certainly wouldnt ! so you might have to take the route of paying a garage to do it so you had some sort of comeback if anything failed later down the line if you could prove they did something wrong, which is unlikely, guess you might have to by new top and bottom hoses as well just to be certain the systems as sealed as possible!.
All things considered Id say that a properly maintained traditional system is more practical for most owners!- if you show proper diligence with coolant changes keep a good eye on thermostats, water pump, and the radiator and treat them as service items your likely going to be ok- Plus if something does fail at the roadside the rescue services might actually be able to do something about it, rather than just recover you home where its still your problem!.
One of those things that seams like a" magic cure" at a glance but has more problems than you would think if you dig deeper!.
not for me!.
Absolutely 100%.
And waterless coolant will be less able to transfer away the excess heat, not more - exactly the opposite of what you want in a towing application.
OP
OP
Yes, I saw that too. The bit that bothers me is that it can't remove heat at the cylinder walls as fast as water, and could raise cylinder temps by 100 F, thats raises questions in my mind about pre-ignition issues.
In fact I trying to see any benefits apart from corrosion and anti-freeze. The negs are just stacking up.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
The need to urge is based on the possibility of freezing still occurring I believe, but isnt a deal breaker for me, as Idont mind flushing. Its only once.and then its should be fit and forget. Panda are difficult to drain completely so it could be expensive. Ive been thinking of going this rouute for a while but still not taken the plunge. Anywhere with a hot climate it seems to me it would be worth the bother providing the engine is well maintained and serviced. Its defintiely not a way to reduce maintenance.
OP
OP
In the 'cons' list, it mentions the lack of availability, in that you won't find it in your local petrol station (I'll have to start looking). So if you get a leaky pipe, pump or whatever, you'd need to have a supply with you.
For now, I'll leave be, and explore more over time.
For now, I'll leave be, and explore more over time.
Our sadly recently departed member 'Werdna' towed a small caravan with his 500 twinair. used it a lot, no problems reported. Car still being used, minus the caravan, by a family member.
A search for his posts will show pics of his setup.
A search for his posts will show pics of his setup.
OP
OP
This is an interesting video ...
Shows the results of various coolant tests.
Evans seems to score highly on anti-corrosion, boiling point, & freezing point, but fails on water pump/seal lubrication, & heat exchange capacity.
Other vids shown Evans users remove rad cap seals, or drilling a minute hole in the cap to stop any pressure build up, hence removing the possibility of pipes bursting under pressure.... just saying.
Shows the results of various coolant tests.
Evans seems to score highly on anti-corrosion, boiling point, & freezing point, but fails on water pump/seal lubrication, & heat exchange capacity.
Other vids shown Evans users remove rad cap seals, or drilling a minute hole in the cap to stop any pressure build up, hence removing the possibility of pipes bursting under pressure.... just saying.
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OP
OP
Thank you, that's just what I want, or the Go-Pod as I pictured above.
Struggling to find a towbar supplier with anything in stock for a 0.9 twinair, the state of the country is dire to say the least.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Just thought. when I towed my carvan behind my Twinair TA for around 35 miles. Some was motorway and some A road and and back lanes. Temperature was fine on a normal summers day nothing abnormal detected at all. There were notable hills on the route. I maintained 50mph with ease.
Had to look that up, can't believe I'd never heard of it. Very interesting, will likely change to that anyway, but haven't read anything about it's antifreeze capabilities yet, so more research to do.
UPDATE: Just found this....
Although, it's not all a bed of roses, some of the 'cons' are noteworthy.
Pros & Cons
OP
OP
The tow is now on order, but once fitted I can at least use it for towing my trailer.
A Go-Pod is about (give or take) 90% of the cars weight.... I'll check exact figures if I go for it.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Ive looked hard at them. Towing I am certain would be fine. They are quite pricey. Next year I should be clear of building projects. Im thinking rear drop van as these are cheaper. I need to actually look see as I will be 69 and the doors on these may be too restrictive. With a 4x4 Panda some outdoor timeis a must.
OP
OP
Well, as much as I like camping, putting a tent up and down (especially in the wet) no longer appeals to me, and as I love the 500 I'm not likely to get a bigger car to tow a wopping great caravan. Also leaving the caravan at a site while touring locally does appeal to me. (& I'll be 68 this year).
