General Towing small caravan with a Panda

[doctorchris]

The heaviest New Panda has to be the 4x4 at 980kg.
All the experts on towing recommend that a braked trailer/caravan cannot safely be towed, despite what the law and Fiat say, unless it is 80% or less of the weight of the towing vehicle.
This gives a safe and sensible maximum trailer/caravan for a 4x4 to tow of 784kg weight.
Any greater weight and the tail begins to wag the dog.

 

[a_shippen]

The heaviest New Panda has to be the 4x4 at 980kg.
All the experts on towing recommend that a braked trailer/caravan cannot safely be towed, despite what the law and Fiat say, unless it is 80% or less of the weight of the towing vehicle.
This gives a safe and sensible maximum trailer/caravan for a 4x4 to tow of 784kg weight.
Any greater weight and the tail begins to wag the dog.

But dont FIAT recommend 600kg? that would mean that if someone had an accident pulling something heavier, in theory couldn't the insurance company have a get out clause not to pay? even if it was within the 80% bounds

I can understand your argument about 80% though as this would be more than enough to counteract the weight integral moment developed by the caravan in its worst case.

 

[pdtrewern]

Whilst this is a good thread, i really would not pull an 800kg caravan with a 1.2 4x4. Has anyone thought about a hill?? It can only do 90mph as it is!! You would be down to second or even first on anything more than a 1 in 5 i reckon.

 

[ScoobyChris]

But dont FIAT recommend 600kg?

Do you have a pointer to this info? I don't have my handbook to hand, but all the resources I've found online seem to point at 800kg braked?

Chris

 

[ScoobyChris]

Whilst this is a good thread, i really would not pull an 800kg caravan with a 1.2 4x4. Has anyone thought about a hill?? It can only do 90mph as it is!! You would be down to second or even first on anything more than a 1 in 5 i reckon.

Or worse still, it could end like this



Chris

 

[doctorchris]

The 4x4 is geared low throughout the full range of ratios so could pull uphill in a higher gear tha you imagine.
For example, my 4x4 is quite happy cruising in a town in 5th as slow as 25mph.

 

[a_shippen]

I'm sorry i must apologise, In the handbook it is 800 all round apart from the 1.3 MJ which is 900 (i've just checked in my own handbook),

I wonder where my dad got 600 from? thinking about it he tried to explain the calculation to me at the time, i'll have to ask him when i see him.

Cheers
Alan

Do you have a pointer to this info? I don't have my handbook to hand, but all the resources I've found online seem to point at 800kg braked?

Chris

 

[a_shippen]

like the video btw

 

[Andy Monty]

never mind what the handbook says what does the V5 say? all new cars have the towing capacity printed on the V5...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Lol. The video made my evening!

 

[Derv drinker]

The other answer is - buy a camper and tow the Panda, I've seen it done. The best I've seen so far is a camper and his and hers Harleys being towed friday evening on the M25, why not just go camping on the harleys. Has anyone fitted a tow bar to their Panda yet - I'm thinking of doing this to tow a motorcycle trailer.

 

[cc12]

Check out the whattowcar.com site. It gives realistice towing performance data. May only give continental spec'ed car data though. (Dutch site).

 

[panda2us2]

yes kanickel i think a 1.3 multijet will hardly move when full of petrol
this is mainly due to the fact that a multijet is a diesel