Towing advice

[stevcolx]

A couple of months back I towed a trailer carrying 2 large bales of Haylege. My Surf is a 3rd Gen auto 1996 3.0 TD. As in picture. I thought it was a bit stressful on the engine!

What is the best setting for towing pulling a trailer with 2 heavy bales so as to not put stress on the engine?

[BUSHWHACKER]

What type of trailer did you use?

[stormforce]

2 bales are only a ton ain't they Steve so any trailer really would be ok aswell as long as within the weight limit.I use to tow a 500kg car trailer with a surf on with my old 3rd gen and it pulled fine.You were looking at it pulling just over 2t

[MudSurfer]

We use ours to carry a stock trailer and up to four heifers at a time, and the Paj had three in a smaller trailer, also 48 small hay bales in the stock trailer on the Surf, 70 on a flat bed attached to the Paj.

Our caravan in 1.3 tonnes and we've used both trucks to tow vans with caravans attached out of muddy fields.

Just be sensible with the speed when towing and try not to put any unnecessary load on the engine and transmission when you're moving.

Make sure the trailer tyres are pumped up too.

[stevcolx]

Thanks for the advice. The trailer I used was similar to the one in this picture. I was in normal 2H mode with Overdrive On initially but I felt that the engine was over revving so I changed to Overdrive Off. It was still a bit sluggish though especially on the hills.

I used to have a Mitsubishi L200 2.4 TD 2003 model and I towed a car transporter with a Porsche on it. I was going up a really big hill when white smoke started billowing out. My Cylinder Head gave out!

So after that fiasco I had reservations with towing anything heavy.

[stormforce]

Maybe worth changing the atf or checking the levels if you think its struggling

[stevcolx]

Maybe worth changing the atf or checking the levels if you think its struggling

Forgive my ignorance!

ATF?

[stormforce]

Automatic Transmission Fluid

[stevcolx]

Automatic Transmission Fluid

Ah ok.....lol

Sorry this is my first Automatic. I'll have a look when I get back. No chance in hell my wife would do these things when I'm away! Last trip home when I got back I noticed one of the tyres was a bit low. Checked the pressure and it was 18 psi. Said to the wife that she should keep an eye on these things and make sure the pressure is kept up when I'm away as we have a slow puncture on that wheel.

What did she say?

"I don't know anything about Cars!"

Eh? She has Horse Dung between her ears......lol

[Bogus]

Leave OD off when towing, unless you are on a nice road run with a steady speed above 55 ( lock up speed ) What you dont want is the auto gearbox hunting up and down between 4th and 3rd. That generates lots of heat.