towing with automatics - question for ROG and towers?

[idx]

Hi All

I have a recently bought a kia sorento automatic with a 3500 towing limit and I have a pre 1997 licence. I will be using this for towing an ifor 510. I am new to towing but have previously driven a 7.5t horsebox.

My questions are:

With regard to towing with an automatic do you find you need to use the manual shift or do you leave it in automatic drive most of the time?

Where road signs advise HGV drivers to select a lower gear I would have thought you need to select a lower gear (manually) but where the road does not dictate this and there is a downhill road do you select a lower gear to avoid riding the breaks all the way down?

Is it too late half way down the hill to manually downshift if you feel you are riding the brakes all the way?

Ps I am thinking of a down hill dual carriageway where I know 2 people who have snaked - one ended with a crash so I am a bit paranoid.

Would you recommend a couple of towing lessons from a professional or is going driving with someone who tows regularly (but not horses) sufficient?

Any other towing tips you care to share

Thank you all in advance.

 

[galaxy]

I towed with an automatic for. Only manually shifted down when going up a steep hill.

I did the towing test after years of towing on L plates and didn't learn anything helpful for towing horses.

I never drive on anything but slow local roads without my Bulldog Anti-Snake Bar attached. The trailer has never so much as wobbled! For just over £100 it is an invaluable investment for peace of mind more than anything. I don't tow fast and my car is much heavier than my trailer, but there are some bad cross winds in my area and trailers go over every year.

 

[mirage]

I've got the same car as you and always drive in automatic mode.I haven't had any issues so far.I went out with my dad,an experienced tower for a trial run before I took it out loaded,and it is a case of the more you practice,the better you get,especially with reversing.

 

[idx]

Thanks Galaxy - I definately need peace of mind so I will look into one of the anti sway bars.

Cheers!

 

[Goldenstar]

I drive range rover 3.4 supercharged automatic I have never had to manually downshift .

 

[idx]

Thanks Goldenstar and Mirage - I towed it home all the way in drive with no issues but havent tried reverse yet

 

[CBAnglo]

I've got the same car as you and always drive in automatic mode.I haven't had any issues so far.I went out with my dad,an experienced tower for a trial run before I took it out loaded,and it is a case of the more you practice,the better you get,especially with reversing.

Me too - always use automatic for towing. Only use manual for when driving (more economical). Have towed everything from a 511 with 2 x 550kgs horses to a showtrekka with 2 x 15.2hh TBs and was fine. I went out first with my experienced friend (thanks Nats_UK) with an empty trailer and then towed on my next trip.

 

[idx]

Me too - always use automatic for towing. Only use manual for when driving (more economical). Have towed everything from a 511 with 2 x 550kgs horses to a showtrekka with 2 x 15.2hh TBs and was fine. I went out first with my experienced friend (thanks Nats_UK) with an empty trailer and then towed on my next trip.

Thats really interesting you find the manual override better for fuel consumption as I am only getting 26mpg when not towing so I may try this for non towing driving and see if I can improve my MPG! My old car did about
50+ MPG so finding it a bit of shock to fill her up so often!

 

[mjcssjw2]

yes, there is a big fuel issue with the sorento's they are thirsty mine (he's called Bryan) is doing 23 mpg at the very best and 20 mpg when towing, I would have bought a manual if I had known.
I have never had to gear down -but have not been down any really awful hills.
When using the tiptronic you can only make it go up to 4th gear, I think it has to choose 5th itself, I find the auto box very slow to go up gears, so do sometimes make it going up the gears if its being slow. Doesn't seem to have made much difference to my mpg.

 

[maccachic]

I tow with autos and we have some decent hills over here I regulary use 2nd and sometimes even 1st depending on the situation, the less you can use your brakes the better (Mine were Toyota Surf and Prado).

 

[lazybee]

I have always towed with autos. If you don't change to a lower gear, one day you will get caught out. Until it actually happens though, you'll think it's okay to just leave it in drive (like some of the other posters). I got caught out when I picked up a tractor on a trailer and towed it home. I didn't know the area and followed the *** nav. I found myself going down a steep hill literally being pushed by the trailer on the brink of losing control (bricking it). My son has also jack knifed a tractor and trailer going downhill. For the sake of clicking the lever back a notch or two, for your own sake DO IT PLEASE.

 

[Kat]

We had a KIA Sorrento auto, but never got chance to tow with it thank God. It turned out to have a dangerous fault which could have caused a nasty accident if it hadn't been spotted when we popped it into a KIA dealership to get the spare key re-coded. Towing would have put additional strain on and a failure would have been catastrophic.

I later discovered that it is a relatively common issue with the Sorrento and there were several stories on forums of the fault occurring.

So please go into a garage that didn't sell it to you and have them check the prop shaft and universal joint. Ours was terrifyingly loose and the car was not safe to drive. We bought it from a main dealer only a matter of weeks earlier and it had a new mot.

 

[tallyho!]

If you are towing a braked trailer, you should not experience problems such as the trailer pushing you if overweight. It can happen but usually if there is a fault with the brakes... sounds scary lazybee...

I've towed with autos and manuals and find automatics a doddle! Never had to change to manual control and I live on a very steep hill in Bath. Currently, I tow with my Audi A4 (yes, take the piss all you like - it's all legal) and so far so good. The brakes on my trailer work so when I brake, so does the trailer... one hopes!

Maybe, if you are feeling unconfident, perhaps you should switch to manual control to give you extra confidence.

Towing is a personal thing and everyone has slightly different ways of doing things.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I used to tow with a Discovery & later a Pajero Auto & found the Pajero to be infinately better. It was smoother, had masses of power & I never experienced the issues that have been mentioned here. If you are decending a hill & the trailer is pushing you then you seriously need your trailer serviced as the brakes on it should be slowing it down. Trailer maintenance is extremely important, people check out the floor & rightly so but the mechanics of the trailer need checking regularly as well.

 

[lazybee]

I used to tow with a Discovery & later a Pajero Auto & found the Pajero to be infinately better. It was smoother, had masses of power & I never experienced the issues that have been mentioned here. If you are decending a hill & the trailer is pushing you then you seriously need your trailer serviced as the brakes on it should be slowing it down. Trailer maintenance is extremely important, people check out the floor & rightly so but the mechanics of the trailer need checking regularly as well.

I borrowed the flat bed trailer to pick up the tractor and yes the brakes weren't working properly. However my own horse trailer brakes are perfect. The thing is though, you shouldn't rely on trailer brakes holding you back to descend a hill but your vehicle's transmission. The trailer brakes are there as backup not as primary control. Be safe use the gearbox, it's what it's there for.

 

[Luci07]

I tow with an automatic Jeep. Thought the issue of going into a lower gear very interesting as I only do that if I feel the jeep needs more help going up a very steep hill (which we have just before our yard)

When I got mine I did a lot of practise manoeuvring, reversing round corners etc so I could freely mess around and feel comfortable I could get myself out of various problems. The trailer (mine is a bateson) does tow considerably better though when a horse is actually on board.

I drove a friends LWB Jeep with an equitrek combo about 2 weeks ago and got stuck when turning on mud. It had been a last minute decision to drive it but I cursed myself roundly as I had not checked all the 4 x 4 capabilities on hers. I still maintain I could have got my own Jeep and Trailer combo out!

 

[ROG]

I cannot add much to what has already been said but I have a tip for reversing an auto - left foot on the brake to control it - its the one time left foot braking is recommended

Modern autos are designed to do the job without being messed with for most of the time but it does not hurt to go and have a play with all the options available such as sport mode but if towing then load the trailer with ballast to simulate the weight of the horse(s)

 

[perfect11s]

I borrowed the flat bed trailer to pick up the tractor and yes the brakes weren't working properly. However my own horse trailer brakes are perfect. The thing is though, you shouldn't rely on trailer brakes holding you back to descend a hill but your vehicle's transmission. The trailer brakes are there as backup not as primary control. Be safe use the gearbox, it's what it's there for.

you should be able to rely on the trailers brakes the trailer should never push the car!!! useing the gears should just be to check your speed on a long hill decent as a rule of thumb use the same gear you would go up the hill in , if there is a fault with trailer brakes the chance of jack knife is greatly increased It will also put excess stress on the vehicles brakes causeing premature wear and over heating and possible failiure....

 

[mynutmeg]

Hi All

I have a recently bought a kia sorento automatic with a 3500 towing limit and I have a pre 1997 licence. I will be using this for towing an ifor 510. I am new to towing but have previously driven a 7.5t horsebox.

My questions are:

With regard to towing with an automatic do you find you need to use the manual shift or do you leave it in automatic drive most of the time?

Where road signs advise HGV drivers to select a lower gear I would have thought you need to select a lower gear (manually) but where the road does not dictate this and there is a downhill road do you select a lower gear to avoid riding the breaks all the way down?

Is it too late half way down the hill to manually downshift if you feel you are riding the brakes all the way?

Ps I am thinking of a down hill dual carriageway where I know 2 people who have snaked - one ended with a crash so I am a bit paranoid.

Would you recommend a couple of towing lessons from a professional or is going driving with someone who tows regularly (but not horses) sufficient?

Any other towing tips you care to share

Thank you all in advance.

We tow with an automatic and never have to manully put it in a lower gear. The hill you're talking about I would approach nice and slow and if you need to then use the breaks all the way down to keep the speed at a suitable level.

If you've never towed before then definately go and get some lessons, they don't cost much but will let you get comfortable with it (you can use your own car and trailer) before putting the horses in but do be aware it feels differently with the horses in

 

[tallyho!]

I have to agree with perfect11s, lazybee...

Even though I have passed the towing test, my father used to do a lot of towing with normal cars and hgvs when he worked on the pipelines towing very heavy machinery and he's forever banging on about it. He was the H&S officer on some jobs.

The very reason different weight limitations exist for braked and unbraked trailers is to avoid such accidents. They happen, of course as accidents can happen however, choose your weapons wisely for the weights you are moving to mitigate any disasters from occurring.

P.s. for anyone hesitating on servicing their trailers, just remember insurers are quick to pick it up should anything go wrong.

 

[lazybee]

you should be able to rely on the trailers brakes the trailer should never push the car!!! useing the gears should just be to check your speed on a long hill decent as a rule of thumb use the same gear you would go up the hill in , if there is a fault with trailer brakes the chance of jack knife is greatly increased It will also put excess stress on the vehicles brakes causeing premature wear and over heating and possible failiure....

That's what I mean. Descending, the car transmission should be in control (the driver), not the trailer. The trailer has has its own safety features as a backup. The tail doesn't wag the dog or the cart before the horse if you prefer.

 

[idx]

Thank you everyone for your useful advice. I will get both the car and trailer serviced regularly for peace of mind/safety and I will practice reverse!

Safe towing everyone!

 

[maccachic]

Personally think using lower gears going up hill is going to save you gas as well. You should never brake the whole way down a hill, I have been in a vehicle when the brakes failed, trailer was braked I was young at the time and I remember my fathers knuckles going white he managed to pull it up using gears and handbrake we were really luckily and he was an experienced driver (had all the classes of licences).

Rely on gears and then brakes.

 

[wes]

If I go down a steep hill then I often put the car into a lower gear, be it an automatic or not.
This way the engine aids breaking and helps control speed, with little braking required.

Modern cars with disks and most now ventilated disks will have to go some to lose their brakes, which used to happen with old drum brakes years ago when overheating during continuous or hard use.

The main thing whether you change down, or use brakes is to control your speed during the descent, and not build up speed. You needn't crawl at walking speed, just don't let it build up too much.

 

[idx]

Thanks Maccachic - hadnt thought of using manual up hill to save fuel!

Wes - think I will defo try using the gears downhill for peace of mind.

Cheers