Vauxhall Vectra as a towing vehicle

Birker2020

Birker2020

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Anyone tow with a Vauxhall Vectra? We have a friend of the family who is selling a really nice example for a very fair price with a full service history and in show room condition. Its a 54 plate 1.9L TDi 150H and it will be expected to tow a Rice Richardson trailer with a 700KG horse. Its currently doing 50.3mph.

What are these cars like to tow with, anyone have any ideas?

I currently have a 2L Peugeot 406 TD with 130HP and manage okay except for long inclines when we struggle a little. It does approx 40mpg, obviously a lot less when towing. This has 20HP more and really has oomph. And of course being diesel will be a dream to tow with.

We need to get a towbar fitted and are going to use the same people we used last time (CDF of Coventry).

ANy thoughts on this make of car, good or bad please?
 
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Towed for years with a vectra with no problems but only a Ifor Williams Mare & Foal trailer (Single) with 550kg horse - take care your weight ratio is ok.
 
Pop into the towing clinic stickied in comp riders, you'll find out what you need to know. I'd be surprised if it's got a big enough max towing weight tbh.
 
It would be fine for a 650kg single axle caravan, For a 950kg trailer with live load on board - No, We have a Vectra and I wouldn't dream of towing my Ifor with it, It has enough pulling power but I'd worry about braking and suspension, especially with the hills we have around us. I will never forget seeing the smashed up vectra and horse trailer after it snaked and turned over on the A27 at Hammerpot. I think you'd be over the towing capacity as well by the time you'd taken fuel and passengers into account, just not worth the risk.
 
Saying that, I know a policewoman that towed her ID in an Ifor 505 with her vectra estate.... Clutch used to stink when she pulled out the drive.
 
Most trailers weigh about 1.000kg - possibly more. If your horse is 600kg then you will be over weight and breaking the law.
I doubt if you are legal with your present vehicle.
 
From the limited info you have given about both cars, they both seem to have a legal towing capacity of 1500kg. Unless you have the small rosette trailer you currently are and still would be significantly over weight. If you do have the small rosette trailer and want to stick with a car for towing, the mondeo has the best towing capacity without going to a 4x4. If you have a larger trailer, there is nothing other than a medium to large sized 4x4 that will legally tow the horse and trailer.
 
If you are towing with a car it is recommended you only tow 85% of the kerb weight so you would be well over that, even if legal (easy to google the towing limit of any car). 4x4s are specialist tow vehicles and can safely pull their full towing limit.
 
Most modern cars have gear ratios that make them unsuitable for towing I had a 2.8 Turbo diesel Merc that overheated just over 40 mph with a trailer .
 
sbloom said:
If you are towing with a car it is recommended you only tow 85% of the kerb weight so you would be well over that, even if legal (easy to google the towing limit of any car). 4x4s are specialist tow vehicles and can safely pull their full towing limit.
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oh stop it !!!!!! there is a towing sticky on CR forum to avoid these stupid posts and give people the facts not urban myths!!!! please stop posting misinfomation...
 
Oldenburg said:
I thought it was illegal to tow with a car?? Could be wrong
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No its not illegal to tow with a car at all. I've been towing my trailer with various horses/cars for 15 years.

Not everyone can afford to buy a 4x4.

We bought the lightest trailer we could find at the time (1996), researched heavily the towing capacity/weights/kerb side, etc with the car we had at the time (Sierra Sapphire) in conjunction with the police and DVLA and we have never been over the weight limit in any situation. My trailer only takes one horse because of the way Dad has permanently altered the partition position to 3/4 / 1/4 in the horses favour. I am a very safety concious person and there is no way we would endanger ourselves, my horse or other road users by being illegal.

I only asked if anyone towed with this make of car. That was all.
 
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perfect11s said:
oh stop it !!!!!! there is a towing sticky on CR forum to avoid these stupid posts and give people the facts not urban myths!!!! please stop posting misinfomation...
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Are you always this rude?

The 85% of kerb weight recommendation is from the caravan club who I reckon know their stuff about towing. Are you saying that it is safer for ALL vehicles to tow only 85% of their kerb weight including 4x4s? Or that car drivers should ignore the caravan club's advice? Which they can do, as I said, they will still be legal. Or perhaps their advice doesn't apply to horse trailers? Which I reckon can be less stable than caravans, with their high and unstable centre of gravity (ie the horses affecting it).

Caravan Club website:

The Club recommend, for safety and stability, that the laden weight of caravan should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the tow car. However, it is important that this figure does not exceed the car manufacturer’s towing limit, nor should it give rise to your outfit exceeding the plated train weight of the vehicle.

Experienced towers do sometimes go over the 85% ratio as it is not a legal requirement, but they should never go over 100%. You should always aim to achieve no more than the 85% ratio.

I did not, if you read again, state that it was illegal to tow more than 85% of the kerb weight. And we've already had someone state that in the real world 4x4s have better gearboxes etc which are up to towing bigger weights - proportionate to their weight/size.
 
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applecart14 said:
No its not illegal to tow with a car at all. I've been towing my trailer with various horses/cars for 15 years.

Not everyone can afford to buy a 4x4.

We bought the lightest trailer we could find at the time (1996), researched heavily the towing capacity/weights/kerb side, etc with the car we had at the time (Sierra Sapphire) in conjunction with the police and DVLA and we have never been over the weight limit in any situation. My trailer only takes one horse because of the way Dad has permanently altered the partition position to 3/4 / 1/4 in the horses favour. I am a very safety concious person and there is no way we would endanger ourselves, my horse or other road users by being illegal.

I only asked if anyone towed with this make of car. That was all.
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If you put the weights and details on the towing clinic you will get a defintive answer on the legality , best to ignore, alot of the replies there are some stupid people with wierd ideas about towing despite so much correct infomation being avalible.... I dont think you will go far wrong with a vectra if you just want a bland cheap practical mid size family car they are as cheap as chips S/Hand the bic pen of the car world ..
 
sbloom said:
Are you always this rude?

The 85% of kerb weight recommendation is from the caravan club who I reckon know their stuff about towing. Are you saying that it is safer for ALL vehicles to tow only 85% of their kerb weight including 4x4s? Or that car drivers should ignore the caravan club's advice? Which they can do, as I said, they will still be legal. Or perhaps their advice doesn't apply to horse trailers? Which I reckon can be less stable than caravans, with their high and unstable centre of gravity (ie the horses affecting it).

Caravan Club website:

The Club recommend, for safety and stability, that the laden weight of caravan should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the tow car. However, it is important that this figure does not exceed the car manufacturer’s towing limit, nor should it give rise to your outfit exceeding the plated train weight of the vehicle.

Experienced towers do sometimes go over the 85% ratio as it is not a legal requirement, but they should never go over 100%. You should always aim to achieve no more than the 85% ratio.

I did not, if you read again, state that it was illegal to tow more than 85% of the kerb weight. And we've already had someone state that in the real world 4x4s have better gearboxes etc which are up to towing bigger weights - proportionate to their weight/size.
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Yes I dont suffer fools that mislead others cause worry and stress to people who are towing legaly!!!!, I dont care what the beardy yogurt kniting types at the caravan club say as advice!!! however having seen the antics of some caravaners its possibly spot on, if you want to tow two horses yes you need a big 4x4 .....and what will do a lot will do a little so the bigger car you have the better ..... but there is no reason a normal car shouldent tow as long as the manufuctures recomendtions are followed...
 
I never stated that cars could not tow!! Please read posts before leaping down throats. Whether they are beardy types or not :rolleyes: I think their advice is worth taking into consideration - if you want to save your clutch and gearbox AND be as safe as you can be.
 
perfect11s said:
If you put the weights and details on the towing clinic you will get a defintive answer on the legality , best to ignore, alot of the replies there are some stupid people with wierd ideas about towing despite so much correct infomation being avalible.... I dont think you will go far wrong with a vectra if you just want a bland cheap practical mid size family car they are as cheap as chips S/Hand the bic pen of the car world ..
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Thank you for that, yes I shall be sure to go on the towing clinic.:) People seem to think you shouldn't tow anything other than with a 4 x 4.:confused: What did people do in the dark ages before 4 x 4 's were actually popular??? I know... they used heavy diesel saloons :D:p

I am really excited about getting the Vectra. Actually its not bland, or particularly cheap, its a really good model, the exec type with cruise control, heated seats, wing mirrors, 4 stack CD thingy, and six speed gear box and its really been looked after as its a family friend of my fathers who is selling it so it has full service history and is show room tidy inside and out. Its just over seven years old. It am sure it is a strong, safe, economical (if anything is these days!) and durable towing vehicle. :)
 
Just had a quick look on the Vauxhall site for towing specs and, depending on exactly which model (estate?) the maximum tow weight for this vehicle is 1500-1600kg.
You must bear in mind though that anything/anyone extra you have in the vehicle will be classed as laden weight too.
So, unless your box is 700-800kg, it's only you in the vehicle with minimal tack, even then you are going to be on or over the vehicle manufacturers stated limits.
 
sywell said:
Most modern cars have gear ratios that make them unsuitable for towing I had a 2.8 Turbo diesel Merc that overheated just over 40 mph with a trailer .
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Really? I think it must have had an engine or gearbox problem, I've towed for years with various Merc E and S classes without anything like that. Certainly had no problems accelerating uphill while towing. The only diesel Merc I've ever had that overheated had a radiator leak which caused the torque converter to experience problems. Nothing to do with the capacity of the vehicle.

Downrating the IW 505 effectively turns it into a spacious trailer with the capacity for only one horse. When I got the trailer downrated, IW told me they had quite a lot of people doing this so they could tow with cars, and when I sold it, the people asked me to leave it downrated so they could do the same.

I also had a Jeep Grand Cherokee at one point, far preferred towing with a Mercedes S class out of all the vehicles I towed with. The Jeep was far too powerful for the job and the S class was much smoother. My last S class had the same engine as the Jeep (3.2 CDI), the one before had a 5l engine. S classes also sometimes come with limited slip differential, which does give them good off road capability and better breaking and stability, so its not true to assume that all saloon cars are dangerous to tow with. The Audi Allroad is another saloon that you can tow most trailers with.

OP - the Vectra is a good utility car, but you can also get V reg or older Merc E200s or 230s for around £600 - pretty reliable petrol engines (the diesel engines are more complex beasts).

However just to prove wrong the theory that you cannot tow legally with a saloon car ever, I think you will find that the Mercedes Maybach is legal in all towing aspects. Not that you would really want to tow with it, but nevertheless...
 
onlytheponely said:
Just had a quick look on the Vauxhall site for towing specs and, depending on exactly which model (estate?) the maximum tow weight for this vehicle is 1500-1600kg.
You must bear in mind though that anything/anyone extra you have in the vehicle will be classed as laden weight too.
So, unless your box is 700-800kg, it's only you in the vehicle with minimal tack, even then you are going to be on or over the vehicle manufacturers stated limits.
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UM no the towing capacity is not the train weight or the gross weight!!! you do have to consider the train weight but that should allow for a reasonable load to be carryed in the car
 
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Mithras said:
Really? I think it must have had an engine or gearbox problem, I've towed for years with various Merc E and S classes without anything like that. Certainly had no problems accelerating uphill while towing. The only diesel Merc I've ever had that overheated had a radiator leak which caused the torque converter to experience problems. Nothing to do with the capacity of the vehicle.

Downrating the IW 505 effectively turns it into a spacious trailer with the capacity for only one horse. When I got the trailer downrated, IW told me they had quite a lot of people doing this so they could tow with cars, and when I sold it, the people asked me to leave it downrated so they could do the same.

I also had a Jeep Grand Cherokee at one point, far preferred towing with a Mercedes S class out of all the vehicles I towed with. The Jeep was far too powerful for the job and the S class was much smoother. My last S class had the same engine as the Jeep (3.2 CDI), the one before had a 5l engine. S classes also sometimes come with limited slip differential, which does give them good off road capability and better breaking and stability, so its not true to assume that all saloon cars are dangerous to tow with. The Audi Allroad is another saloon that you can tow most trailers with.

OP - the Vectra is a good utility car, but you can also get V reg or older Merc E200s or 230s for around £600 - pretty reliable petrol engines (the diesel engines are more complex beasts).

However just to prove wrong the theory that you cannot tow legally with a saloon car ever, I think you will find that the Mercedes Maybach is legal in all towing aspects. Not that you would really want to tow with it, but nevertheless...
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Down rateing is only for licence purposes not to do with towing capacity so if you have a pre 97licence or have taken a towing test for B+E then down rating design weight plates is about as much use as an ash tray on a motorcycle...:D
 
From the Vauxhall website, this is for info only, please don't criticise me for reproducing the 'official' information from the manufacturer.

Vectra CDTi (150) 2005

Kerb weight 1430kg
Maximum Ball weight 78kg
MaximumTow weight 1600kg
85% weight 1215kg

Feel free to interpret it any way you choose but don't aim your criticisms at me, I have done my own research and I have a towing vehicle that is more than capable of the job I need mine for.
 
Just had a look at my S class's specs. It says its kerb weight is 1995kg, gross weight is 2550 kg, towing limit 2100kg. That is for an S320CDI (the same engine as in the 4 x 4 S class and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.2CDI), an older S500 would be heavier with a slightly higher towing limit.

For the E class, kerb weight is 1735kg, braked towing capacity 1.900kg. Again, older models are heavier and with a slightly greater towing capacity.

Both below what you can legally tow a IW505 with, unless you have it downrated. Which incidentally costs about £35 and involves sticking a plate on it with the weight you can legally tow.

The "85% rule" is a misnomer. It is not a rule but a guideline, and of persuasive value only, in the same way that the Highway Code is. ie it is not primary or even secondary legislation but has the same status a voluntary code of practice, in fact, probably not even that because its not widely enough adopted as any kind of industry standard or general knowledge to be a custom of trade.
 
I always felt far safer towing with my S class than I did with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which as I say, was far too powerful for the job. Even when I towed with the E class, I once had to do an emergency stop on the motorway when a car ran into the one in front. It stopped smoothly, quickly and in a straight line with no jacknifing or skidding. It was a good car for towing with, never gave the slightest problem. Now I have a 3.5 tonne lorry uprated to 3.9 tonnes. No doubt however some busybody will take great delight on informing me of the dangers and follies of using such a vehicle as well. Best all stay at home, eh?
 
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