Towing a small caravan with 1.6 Golf Mk4

[Mountains Greg]

Hi guys,

I'm considering purchasing a small caravan 582kg to tow with my MK4 Golf
1.6. The caravan is 13ft long and has a pop top roof section so a little lower to tow then a full height van but, after reading through some other posts I'm not sure if I'll be towing the ass out my Golf. It maybe just a little too heavy especially if I hit a few hills

Do you guys think I should look at something a little smaller?

Cheers

Greg

[spritle]

1st up, is yours manual or auto?

I have a 1.6 manual (haven't driven a 1.6 auto).

According to the book it's got a 1200kg limit. So it theoretically should be able to tow.

Practically, I'd be concerned over the lack of bottom end torque that the 1.6 has and that's maybe an issue with hill starts in a manual.

I've towed an empty boat trailer and a few loaded 6x4 box trailers with mine (manual 1.6), and it seemed fine.

Manual specific issues - the 1.6 mk4 gearbox isn't that strong (issue with alloy rivets in the diff that let go, and it's based on an old design for 1.1 and 1.4L engines).

Other specific issues, the Mk4 rear springs and shocks are really soft, and the arse sits pretty low so just watch your rear clearance on that.


Power's not that much of an issue, weight of the hauler, torque and gearing seems to be a better indicator.

Hec, my parents used to tow a 1200kg boat with their '84 1.9L manual Caravelle. All 64kW and 150ish Nm. They now use a '90 2.1 manual Caravelle (with a thumping 170Nm ) to do it, and yes it's slow to accelerate but is just more stable than the 3.9L Falcon auto could ever do.

So, with only 600kg (maybe 700 once you add luggage, water, gas tank etc?) it should be okay.

Add in a full car + caravan + air con on, and it'll really struggle (mine struggles with a full car and air con on), and I'd take something else if I could. If I can't take another hauler, I'd be wary of long distances and pick flatter less winding routes.

So, how are you planning on towing? full car + van or empty car + van?

Would I do it? See if you can borrow it to test if the Golf will tow it, or try and test an equivalent from a caravan dealer.

[neil]

Go to a dealer and tow one.
Now is the time to buy a van,
Had a relative buy one recently and they could not give him enough freebies to make the deal.
No one is buying caravans or motorhomes at the moment.
Have been told Sunliner in Vic have a factory full of motorhomes stored and putting workers off.