towing capacity

[mike]

anyone know the towing capacity of a surf. I want to tow a horse trailer with 2 horses (I guess about 2.5 tonnes in weight) and can't find any info on towing capacities. I'm trying to decide what 4*4 to buy for towing. I like the look of the surf, but can they match the 3.5 tonnes towing capacity of the landrover discovery? what's the best engine to go for ? any help appreciated

[carbonman]

anyone know the towing capacity of a surf. I want to tow a horse trailer with 2 horses (I guess about 2.5 tonnes in weight) and can't find any info on towing capacities. I'm trying to decide what 4*4 to buy for towing. I like the look of the surf, but can they match the 3.5 tonnes towing capacity of the landrover discovery? what's the best engine to go for ? any help appreciated

Have a look here for starters mike

http://www.yotasurf.co.uk/Forums/sho...ghlight=towing

[Linda]

anyone know the towing capacity of a surf. I want to tow a horse trailer with 2 horses (I guess about 2.5 tonnes in weight) and can't find any info on towing capacities. I'm trying to decide what 4*4 to buy for towing. I like the look of the surf, but can they match the 3.5 tonnes towing capacity of the landrover discovery? what's the best engine to go for ? any help appreciated

I've got a 3.0 TD 1994 and I have towed 2 x 17hh no probs. I generally use my lorry, but a friend asked me to tow them from Basingstoke to Peterborough and back last year, 4 adults in the surf, 2 big horses, hay feed tack etc for a 3 day show. The surf towed like there was nothing on the back.
I've towed horse trailers with a Disco before and really didn't find any difference, (other than the fact that I think the surf handles better anyway on the road. That said it was an early Disco before they got all the teething probs sorted)
I've done a few shorter trips too with my two (about 2 tonnes), no probs.
Also towed my trailer full of 15 barrels of beer, a marque, a fridge etc for a few weekend shows last year - again towed like a dream!

[chunkimunki]

anyone know the towing capacity of a surf. I want to tow a horse trailer with 2 horses (I guess about 2.5 tonnes in weight) and can't find any info on towing capacities. I'm trying to decide what 4*4 to buy for towing. I like the look of the surf, but can they match the 3.5 tonnes towing capacity of the landrover discovery? what's the best engine to go for ? any help appreciated

Hi it took me ages to find the same type of info as we have just bought a 3l surf and intend to tow an ifor williams hb05 trailler. The Surf is great to drive and can't wait to see the snooty faces of all the landies and range rover owners at the eventing competitions in Sussex and Kent we go to.

see below

http://www.sportsluxurycars.com.au/v...oyota_surf.htm
http://www.difflock.com/buyersguide/...echnical.shtml


hope this helps

[mike]

thanks for your replies

I'm still a bit in the dark tho. It looks like a surf 3.0 td would be able to handle pulling a horse trailer with 2 horses.

but what about the legallity ? From what I can gather from different sources the surf is has a tow rating of about 5000 lb or 2200 kg. So if I have a horse trailer (say 1000kg) and 2 horses say (another 1000kg) and with all the trimmings I would be near the weight limit.

What I can't quite understand is why the surf is rated with quite a low tow limit. My current vehicle (a 4.0 litre jeep cherokee) is rated to tow 3500kg - like the discovery - (it says so in the handbook), yet the jeep is actually quite a bit smaller than the surf in terms of size and weight.

Even the landcruiser doesn't have an enormous tow capacity so is it just that toyota are conservative with their tow ratings ? I'm convinced a surf should pull as well as a jeep, but I'm a bit worried about being so near the apparent tow capacity.

can anyone share any further light on this.

chunkimunki: thanks for your help, but you should play polocrosse, not eventing: http://www.kentpolocrosse.co.uk

[NeillOP]

I have a UK 4Runner (3.Ol Diesel) with a genuine Toyota tow bar. On a little plate it says that maximum towing weight is 2475kg and weight on tow ball max 75kg.

I've towed 3000kg behind mine, I was passing all the artics on the motorway, the 3.ol is lovely to tow with but my friend put 4000kg behind his and it made the clutch slip a bit.

NeillOP

[mouse]

Towing Limits

I also tow a lot - mostly boats - and have the same concerns. Would appreciate genuin advice on LEGAL towing limits for UK. I really do want 3500kg.
The note on your tow hitch mearly tells you the safe working load (swl) for the hitch NOT the vehicle.

[Mart]

best way to find that the recommeded tow limit is to weigh the vehicle at a local tip. Did mine and it weighed in at 2080kg (3.0ltr, 1994, auto, a/c).

Legal tow max is recommended at 100% kerb. Max legal is that specified by the manufacture. Worked out by a hill start on a 1in4 gradient.

This link has all the UK info http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/

I also read on an african sarfari website that 2500kg was the max for the '94 3.0ltr surf.

hope this helps

[mouse]

Towing

Hi Mart,

Thanks very much your help!

[laser_jock99]

2002Kg with a braked trailer according to Toyota UK's 4Runner brochure.

Nevillef

[Silver Surfer]

That is the problem with towing figures, they are different for braked and unbraked trailers. There are reams of so called 'Construction and Use' regs for all types of vehicles, and they take a lot of reading. The rule of thumb about the percentage of what you're towing, as related to the weight of the towing vehicle, changes according to number of axles and brakes etc.

It's a minefield out there

John