Volvo has it - Minstrel tow car

landlockedpirate said:
Volvo 240 and 740 have towing capacity of 1500kg, 850 and 940 are 1600kg.
Click to expand...

The 940 can definitely be 1900kg if the towbar is approved to that (the rating plate on the towbar plate shows that) - I had one and checked into it in some detail. There's a Bosal 1900kg euro type-approved towbar for the 700 series Volvos and a Westfalia 1900kg one for V70, too. Highest I can find for the 850 is 1800kg.

These aren't the default figures that appear in many online databases, though and are only achievable using specially designed tow bars and/or a reinforcing kit. As above, the capacity will be on the towbar plate if this is the case.

Andy
 
And cylinder heads.

For heaven's sake Dylan. You've had all the answers you need in your various other threads.
Hire a pick-up. Take the outfit to a weighbridge. Asking people to asses the weight from a picture is nonsensical.
Then look at the web site here and see what the max towing weight for that car/engine/gearbox combination is.
Buy car that can tow the weight on the ticket.

I can't see what Misterg means about higher-rated towbars. If the VIN plate says 1800kg you won't persuade the police that 1900Kg is OK.
 
Lakesailor said:
If the VIN plate says 1800kg you won't persuade the police that 1900Kg is OK.
Click to expand...

But does the plate on an older car say anything about towing weight? I used to have a Fiat Uno with a towbar - not a special manufacturer's kit, it was a length of steel plate bolted to the underneath of the boot floor and then bent up the back of the car and bolted again to the bodywork behind the bumper, with the towball assembly bolted to it in between. Perfectly legal at the time it was done (not by me) but I doubt there was anything about a tow weight stamped anywhere on the car.

Pete
 
sorry lakey

Lakesailor said:
And cylinder heads.

For heaven's sake Dylan. You've had all the answers you need in your various other threads.
Hire a pick-up. Take the outfit to a weighbridge. Asking people to asses the weight from a picture is nonsensical.
Then look at the web site here and see what the max towing weight for that car/engine/gearbox combination is.
Buy car that can tow the weight on the ticket.

I can't see what Misterg means about higher-rated towbars. If the VIN plate says 1800kg you won't persuade the police that 1900Kg is OK.
Click to expand...

sorry if I am annoying you

still learning stuff here

such as to watch out for cv joints on legacy cars

Dylan
 
Lakesailor said:
I can't see what Misterg means about higher-rated towbars. If the VIN plate says 1800kg you won't persuade the police that 1900Kg is OK.
Click to expand...

No - The manual says one thing (like 1600kg) which is picked up by car spec databases, but the data on the VIN plate allows more (like 1900kg). Pre '94 type approval regs, the manual on my 940 said something like "towing capacity 1600kg (1900kg with approved towbar)" (quoting from memory) - stuff like this is/was available.

For type approved towbars (94 on?), the max towing weight is stamped on the towbar plate for that combination of towbar & vehicle. Type approved towbars for 1900kg are available for these volvos (clicky ).

Bottom line is that the data available on-line doesn't tell the whole story.

Andy
 
dylanwinter said:
such as to watch out for cv joints on legacy cars

Dylan
Click to expand...

I'm not aware of significant problems with CVs; my brother has had 3 Legacys and now has an Impreza, all turbos, covering maybe 100,000 miles in what were very much used cars when he bought them including duty as towcars for a Hunter Sonata. No problems from there, regular replacement of brake discs as he likes to press on but no significant mechanical failures of any kind.

We rented a Transit with a towbar in September last year for towing a Hunter Impala, from a small local vanhire company called Fisher Trucks; it may pay to trawl through google/yellowpages for local independent vanhire companys rather than (multi)nationals like Hertz etc.
 
Last edited:
dylanwinter said:
the insurance companies have stopped covering them

unless you know different

d
Click to expand...

No not at all, in what way have insurance companies stopped covering them, do you mean if you rent to tow or just not possible to insure a rented transit?

That doesn't make sense, I am sure I have seen rented transits towing those large cage trailers when visiting the local tip for example... or is this a boat thing?
 
dylanwinter said:
As it stands the boat is pretty stripped out

I have brought the outboard, battery, anchors, rudder, stock etc home in the micra

I am reasonably confident that it will be under 1600kg

has anyone looked at the trailer in the film and can tell me if it weighs over 500kg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLeGZkugAZM&feature=player_embedded

I can rent a tow vehicle for £135 a day for the 250 mile round trip to pick it up

which is what I will do ....

after that I want to be ready to buy the right tow vehicle if it turns out that I will need to move the boat more than sweven times a year - whcih seems unlikely - but who knows what the future holds



Dylan
Click to expand...

In that case pop it over aweibridge on your way home then you can buy a two vehicle with appropriate capacity
 
penfold said:
I'm not aware of significant problems with CVs; my brother has had 3 Legacys and now has an Impreza, all turbos, covering maybe 100,000 miles in what were very much used cars when he bought them including duty as towcars for a Hunter Sonata. No problems from there, regular replacement of brake discs as he likes to press on but no significant mechanical failures of any kind.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the Legacy here, as an ex-owner with lots of miles in a fairly old one. I usually do 25-30,000 miles per year.
No problems other than being a bit thirsty, but my driving style might have something to do with that. ;)

Not sure where the worries over Subaru CV joints come from...
 
dylanwinter said:
has anyone looked at the trailer in the film and can tell me if it weighs over 500kg
Click to expand...

Can't really see enough of the trailer. Is it twin axle? `DO you know what the gross capacity is?

I have a twin axle trailer plated to gross 3000kgs with a capacity of 2400kgs. That means it weighs 600kgs. If yours is single axle and rated to less than 2000kgs gross it is probably less than 500kgs but don't go on guesswork. Get it checked.
 
misterg said:
A Legacy / Outback (??) I looked at buying a few years ago - 2 CV joints knackered - replacements quoted at ~£250 each (just for the joints).
Click to expand...

Sure, but unless it's a general problem with the model, the fact that one car happened to have knackered joints shouldn't have any effect on Dylan's choice.

Pete
 
that is true

prv said:
Sure, but unless it's a general problem with the model, the fact that one car happened to have knackered joints shouldn't have any effect on Dylan's choice.

Pete
Click to expand...

you are correct....

but it is good to know what to look for

I think in the end it will come down to the insurance group and the vehicle I manage to find


it sounds as though I need the 1.8 tonne tow rating

Dylan
 
Last edited:
prv said:
But does the plate on an older car say anything about towing weight? I used to have a Fiat Uno with a towbar - not a special manufacturer's kit, it was a length of steel plate bolted to the underneath of the boot floor and then bent up the back of the car and bolted again to the bodywork behind the bumper, with the towball assembly bolted to it in between. Perfectly legal at the time it was done (not by me) but I doubt there was anything about a tow weight stamped anywhere on the car.

Pete
Click to expand...

Cars first registered after about 1996 can ONLY be fitted with a type-apporved tow bar and ancillaries (e.g. tow ball). A type-approved towbar will have a plate or a sticker on it with the type apporval number, and the max weights (both towing and nose weight) on it (if it hasn't rusted off)!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top