Towing

[StokeRescue1]

Hi All , I've had my 3.0 auto 93 ssrx ltd now for 9 months , I would like to know what the're like towing a caravan , I'm told by a local garage they are rubbish at towing , but I think its because he wants me to buy a Pajaro he has for sale .
Any help / advice would be welcome

Nigel

[Gizmo]

Hi All , I've had my 3.0 auto 93 ssrx ltd now for 9 months , I would like to know what the're like towing a caravan , I'm told by a local garage they are rubbish at towing , but I think its because he wants me to buy a Pajaro he has for sale .
Any help / advice would be welcome

Nigel

4get what he's saying, he's talking bo**ocks. Theres plenty of people on the site towing stuff [2.4s and 3.0]. Personally I've had an Ifor Double Horse Trailer on the back [Bolton-Malvern-Bolton]. I had to keep reminding myself to slow down as it did not really feel as though anything was on the back.

Malenibo has just got back from their jaunt to france.
Marky pulls their caravan up some steep hills in pickering when we all went to Langdale

As long as you don't break the golden rules of towing you should be fine.

Use the search engine as there is plenty of talk on the towing front!

[Tallyman]

One thing you might need is a second ATF oil cooler. Use mine for towing a 1350kg caravan regularly. They are great!! Even have a guy using a Sh...n asking about changing to a Surf as he recons the Sh...n is soooo slow to pull away and pick up speed with a van on the back. You should have no problems at all.

[dirtydog]

Mate do not listen to the dealer - especially if he is talking about the 3.0!!!

[mud-ge]

mate i tow a 21foot van with my 30ltr and drive with the rear window down just to remind my self its there ,the paj's also have more issues with over heating than any surf, i think its to do with the great big spots they fit ,this theory is not my own but the ideas of owners on the caravan and camping fourm all the reports on there from surfs where positive.

[kitesurf_phil]

Our 2.4 tows the caravan just fine. It's been from home to Somerset, home to Devon and home to North Yorkshire. Home is in Luton, Beds.

The garage guy is talking cobblers. I wouldn't buy a used car off him.

[da SLUG man]

chop it in for a mk2 cavalier CDi... i towed the boat for a whole season and could still race novas off the lights!!...

what a great car that was!

[Newboy]

Surf great for towing. I tow my boat + trailer to Poole and Lymington often and there's not problems going up and down hills. Acceleration is also good. Economy isn't that much worse off with the trailer, I'll say about 20%.

I towed my boat with a VW PAssat 115 tdi before, just about managed. However it gets pushed around a little downhill and cross wind. Good mpg car alone, 50+, but with trailer it's down to <30.

[bell end billy]

I towed a caravan to st ives cornwall last week, it was my first time towing and the surf (AUTOMATIC) took it easily in its stride.
I easily passed all the other towers going up the big hills on the A30 and like most others my temperature gauge barely moved.
The only thing i didn't like was the p**** in the old prado who decided to pull out in front of me whilst i was accelerating uphill.

[marky]

I towed a caravan to st ives cornwall last week, it was my first time towing and the surf (AUTOMATIC) took it easily in its stride.
I easily passed all the other towers going up the big hills on the A30 and like most others my temperature gauge barely moved.
The only thing i didn't like was the p**** in the old prado who decided to pull out in front of me whilst i was accelerating uphill.

I hate it when they do that

[marky]

Hi All , I've had my 3.0 auto 93 ssrx ltd now for 9 months , I would like to know what the're like towing a caravan , I'm told by a local garage they are rubbish at towing , but I think its because he wants me to buy a Pajaro he has for sale .
Any help / advice would be welcome

Nigel

I see mississippi shobuns struggling when towing im on my 3rd caravan & my 1st 2.4 surf she pulls like a dream

[fatfires]

I Do

just hitch it up and go...hope the face don't ache too much smiling
I tow regularly all over the country, last trip was devon to scotland (lake district in 6 hrs with stops!!!!)
tony

[StevenN]

towing

Hi All , I've had my 3.0 auto 93 ssrx ltd now for 9 months , I would like to know what the're like towing a caravan , I'm told by a local garage they are rubbish at towing , but I think its because he wants me to buy a Pajaro he has for sale .
Any help / advice would be welcome

Nigel

Hi Nigel

All I would add to the thread is that if you are towing up very long steep hills. Look ahead. Try to keep your speed up and the overdrive locked at about 60mph about 2k revs. This keeps the engine running smooth. I found that if I worked the engine too hard up long hills the temp gauge rises over the half way mark and being in France at the time I didn't want to chance overheating the engine.
keep the suspension on hard to minimise the bounce

regards

Steve N

[dirtydog]

Hi Nigel

All I would add to the thread is that if you are towing up very long steep hills. Look ahead. Try to keep your speed up and the overdrive locked at about 60mph about 2k revs. This keeps the engine running smooth. I found that if I worked the engine too hard up long hills the temp gauge rises over the half way mark and being in France at the time I didn't want to chance overheating the engine.
keep the suspension on hard to minimise the bounce

regards

Steve N

I wish I had a 3.0 for that reason, 3000rpm is not quite 70 in my 2.4 so getting up hills can be a noisy afair if you want to keep the speed up.

[phorbiuz]

I've towed caravans with a few different cars so I'll chuck my two pence worth in. I currently have a 94 3.0TD auto Surf.

The Surf is essentially a big heavy chunk of metal and even with a 3.0 TD engine its not a quick or economical car, but as 4x4's go its got a decent turn of speed. My caravan is appx 19' and when its loaded its quite a weight. What gets on my nerves is people saying "you don't even notice its there". Bo**ocks. Every car I've had responds slower and uses more juice when you're towing, INCLUDING the Surf.

Downside. The biggest problem with my Surf for towing is the auto gearbox. While these are great in many respects (the benefits outweight the drawbacks) there are 'issues'. First, the auto is not as economical as the manual, and towing makes this worse. Secondly, going uphill you can lose a little momentum before it kicks down into a better gear. You can floor it but you put more strain on the engine and box.

Upside. All-in-all I'd say you have nothing to worry about, but be prepared to think ahead as your acceleration will decrease, braking distance increase, and mpg decrease.

Consider as upgrades to fit stronger rear springs, and I'd definitely recommend an additional aftermarket auto gearbox oil cooler, replacing your auto fluid (heat is the biggest killer of auto boxes) in the process. These jobs are relatively cheap and easy to do and will help to keep your Surf in top condition.

Two pence worth over.