Advice required on towing a caravan with the Yeti

[Blue103TDIDSG]

Hi all

When we got the Yeti it replaced a 20 year old series 80 Turbo Diesel Landcruiser that we bought new way back in '93. The Yeti by comparison seems like sending a "boy on a man's errand" with an engine capacity of 2.0 liters compared with 4.2 litres, but admittedly almost the same power output.

We do have a caravan and the thought when getting the Yeti was that the van would have to go. Maybe not ?

Question is, does anyone have experience in towing a van of this size with a Yeti 103TDI DSG ?

Length is 4.5 metres, width 2.25 metres by 2.74 metres high, weighing in at 1400kg.



I believe in Europe it has a towing capacity of 2000kg, but here in Oz it is only 1600kg which, interestingly is still more than the tare weight of the car. But seeing that weight of the van is 1400kg there might be some future for the van. One immediate problem is the 130kg down load on the tow ball, although I guess by redistributing some weight this can be lowered - just removing both gas bottles in transit will lower it by nearly 18kg.

Any advice ?

[Hillbilly]

As a long term caravanner I would hesitate to lighten your ballweight to fit the car.

This is something that should have been thought of prior to purchase.

Lowering the ball weight can lead to poor towing performance like snaking and other horrible things.

I had a similar experience when I first started vanning and didnt know too much about legalities.

I bought a Patrol which had a tow cap of 2500kg.

Then I bought a van which supposedly came in under that weight.

It didnt and couldnt unless we left half our stuff at home.

Solution was to sell Patrol and buy a Landcruiser.

Cost me $23,000 to make that mistake.

The gas bottles whilst they may weigh 18 kg will not lower it by their full weight as they are a metre or so back from the hitch.

I would seriously weigh your FULLY LOADED van and find out exactly what its weight actually is.

Also do just the real ballweight on the weighbridge

You may get an unpleasant shock as its amazing how wrong weights on plates can be.

Only way to be sure is a run over a weighbridge.

Have a prang with an overloaded rig can cause very bad insurance hassles.

Have a read through this and other threads on that forum


Caravaners Forum • View topic - Ball Weight

[Blue103TDIDSG]

Also do just the real ballweight on the weighbridge

You may get an unpleasant shock as its amazing how wrong weights on plates can be.

Only way to be sure is a run over a weighbridge.

Have a prang with an overloaded rig can cause very bad insurance hassles.

Have a read through this and other threads on that forum


Caravaners Forum • View topic - Ball Weight

Hillbilly

Thanks for your advice

Have bought a set of electronic "people" scales to check the ball weight
the link you provided led to another showing sway testing in Europe
and they used a set of industrial scales and a block of wood, then just wound the jockey wheel up
until the load was on the scales - that is exactly what I intended doing to check mine

That will be my first step

Then like the guy did in that link, I willl contact Windsor for their advice
As I said, we thought the van would have to go as the ball weight is well over the 80 kg
Funny thing is I have read that the Tiguan has a ball weight of 100kg and I also believe it is built on the same floor pan as the Yeti
strange as the overhang doesn't look any different

Another question is - Does the ball weight capability take into account of the loading of the towing vehicle ?
Meaning if there are no back seat passengers, a possibility of 2 x 90kg people enable an increase in the tow ball capacity ?
Obviously the 2 x 90kg people are between the axles on the car so guessing 75-80% of their weight is supported by the rear axle
Any tow ball increase has a greater effect due to its moment arm being behind the rear axle, but none the less, I would expect a lack of 180kg in the rear seats would accomodate a 40kg increase in tow ball capacity.

Thoughts ?

[Hillbilly]

To answer your last question

The Ball weight forms part of the payload of the tow vehicle

IE there is a payload weight of say 500kg

So you have 100l of fuel 86kg (approx)

You and mum 180kg

Ball weight 100kg comes to 366kg so you have 134 kg left out of the theoretical payload.

This is for any kids and any gear in the back.

No you cant increase the ballweight beyond the recommended manufacturers limit due to less weight in the car.

Also you should not exceed the Gross Combined vehicle mass which is the sum of the total loaded weight of the two vehicles when hitched up. This weight should be stated in handbook

There is a lot more to why ballweight is what it is other than just what seems obvious.

If you read that thread and this one which goes on about towing at upper limits

Caravaners Forum • View topic - D4 & LC200 heavy towing experience

Away above what you are towing but when at limits the same problems arise.

Also you cannot alter ballweight by the use of a Hayman Reece weight distributing hitch ( Despite what some might say),

as the ballweight should be weighed, as you say on a scale disconnected from car.

I had a 103 Tiguan for a loaner when my 125 Passat was in for service and I thought in comparison it was a bit gutless and wouldnt like to tow much weight behind it.

[Blue103TDIDSG]

Thanks Hillbilly again

BTW
We knew that the Yeti only had 80kg ball weigh before we bought it
And had reluctantly accepted that the van would have to go
So this thread was a sort of last ditch attempt to somehow avoid the obvious
but yesterdays' discovery puts it beyond all doubt.

Now the "specs" on the van says that the ball weight is 130kg.
So I put the scales under the tow coupling, stacked up the timber blocks and wound up the jockey wheel.
The 150kg scales went straight "off scale" - struth
Checked the compliance plate and there it is - 170kg - you're joking
That is more than our old 21 foot dual axle van had.

As well it has 2 water tanks - one is just in front of the axle as you would expect
But the other is in front of that - so I hate to think what the ball weight would be with full tanks
Yes they are closer to the axle than the coupling - well one is
The other is about mid way - would have thought that the second one would have been behind the axle.
That way they would cancel each other out - at least for ball weight

Checked out an Adria 432 that a friend tows with his Camry. Put the scales under the coupling and 58kgs for a van that has the same features, shower toilet etc etc, and it is 4-500kg lighter as well. Ah well

One Windsor Rapid 442S for sale

[Hillbilly]

yep I said you would be in for an unpleasant surprise.

I had a 2850kg van that had a ball weight of 300kg.


Does the Adria have water tanks, some Euro vans dont.


Stay on the blacktop with it LOL