Towing with small cars. - Forum Topic
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Forums / 8. Towing Advice / Towing with small cars.
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31 Jul 2017 @ 14:36:24 pm
Nobody has yet convinced me one cannot tow with a small car.
Sonic has 281 000km with substantial towing record.
However, time has come to replace it .... with an Audi A1 1.6TDi - still a small car, reportedly with better fuel consumption than the Sonic.
31 Jul 2017 @ 14:40:21 pm
David enjoy daai Audi jip Sonic puik
31 Jul 2017 @ 15:19:18 pm
My first towing vehicle was a nissan 1400 bakkie with a small caravette caravan, even towed it over the Van Reenens Pass.
31 Jul 2017 @ 15:22:11 pm
By todays standards a Tare of 1200kg is a small car but not 20 years ago. Further if you have the 1.3DLS Sonic it could have the 210Nm engine which has 33% more torque than an average 1.6 petrol engine and also more torque than 80% of 2 litre petrol vehicles. I am sure it could have been fit for purpose to tow a below 800kg caravan.
I do belief one need not always go for the bigger the better although it could be safer having a bigger tow car - less chance of the tail wagging the dog.
Your combination could have been safer than many other camper combinations looking from a car vs caravan weight perspective.
Good luck with the Audi A1 as I belief you will enjoy it's ablity as much as you had with the Sonic.
31 Jul 2017 @ 15:39:05 pm
1st of all, Welcome back......long time no hear?
I still refer to you as the specialist towing with small cars....I remember the Polo Vivo as well!
Good Luck with the Audi. great little car.
31 Jul 2017 @ 18:15:20 pm
Congratulation on the new car, happy motoring! and towing.
31 Jul 2017 @ 20:32:02 pm
Well I believe Audi gives you a max tow rating of 1200kg....... not allowed to tow my fleetline or a new expo..... ;)
At the end of the day it is each and every drivers decision of what is safe for him and other road users and to take responsibility for the decision..
All we can do is wish you the best
31 Jul 2017 @ 21:11:09 pm
Caravette 6 GVM=910kg
Audi Tare=1140kg Combined weight=2050kg Torque=250Nm
Torque per kg combined weight=0.122Nm
Chev Sonic Tare=about 1200kg
Well within the law and appears to be a save combination based on weight.
Ford Everest 3.0 tdci Tare=1996kg Exclusive=1750kg before aircon, mover etc Torque=380Nm Combined weight=3744kg
Torque per combined weight=0.101Nm before aircon and mover.
Torque per combined weight=0.099Nm after aircon and mover.
It seems the small car combination would have more power in tow.
01 Aug 2017 @ 07:45:47 am
Danie jy vergeet ratverhoudings en ontwerp van voertuig met n groot staal chassis ens.. heeltemal ander suspensie ontwerp... papiersyfers kan nie primere bron van inligting wees nie, daar is darem maar n groot verskil...
01 Aug 2017 @ 07:54:40 am
Hi David welcome back. I would think that the sonic needs replacement with that anount of KM's on it. Probably is still going strong just proves if you look after something it will last a life time.
Enjoy the new Audi. I trust that you will have pleasant towing trips with it.
01 Aug 2017 @ 08:05:33 am
As long as your towing combination is legal and the car is properly engineered, why not?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Enjoy your new car and continue to prove everyone wrong.
My personal opinion, right or wrong, is that vehicles designed to carry heavy loads make for better tow cars. Whether it is to be filled with freight or passengers, the gearing, suspension, drivetrain and brakes are designed to cope with full loads. A caravan should place less strain on such vehicles.
01 Aug 2017 @ 09:23:35 am
Not gone - just keeping a low profile after a few kicks in the teeth. A pity now that I am "unemployed" due to light hair (and skin), I have all the time in the world to arrange rallies!?!?!?!?!?
Just a reminder, for Danie's benefit, I started towing the Caravette with a Polo 1.4 petrol. Weight wise was fine. Performance OK up to 100KPH.
For those that know me, I remain passionate with camping, cricket (still actively umpiring) and running.
Looking forward to all three this weekend - grew up on Mataffin during 50's, 60's and 70's where my father was instrumental in building the cricket ground.
Going down memory lane with Slipstream when 2 grand children will join us "Parkrun tourists" by completing their 20th different event.
Then I will have 50 runs (something the Proteas seem difficult to get) at different events -
start and finish alongside the cricket field my father was instrumental in building, where we played many a game together.
Then hopefully through Kruger on the way home.
01 Aug 2017 @ 09:29:07 am
Pieter ek is heeltemal bewus van die ander dinge om na te kyk. Ek dink net mens kan dink omdat jy 'n fris onderstel het met groter enjin gaan dit lekker kan sleep. Neem nou maar 'n bekende Japanese SUV met 2.5L 16V petrol enjin wat @ 100km/h slegs @ 1500 revs draai (petrol te spaar) en 'n lekker outomatiese ratkas het. Teen hierdie spoed het die ding net geen torsie nie en sit die heeltyd ratte oor. Dit skep groot ongemak soos mense met hierdie voertuig sal erken en baie teleurgestel is.
As jy op papier sien jy het geen torsie @ jou sleepspoed help die dik ysters, fris sleepstang, mooi binnekant en mooi metaal verf jou niks om gemak te skep nie.
Ek dink mens moet nie ander se kombinasies afskiet net omdat dit kleiner is nie.
01 Aug 2017 @ 09:49:56 am
David. Welcome back. I remember the kick. Thought about my own kickS, but in my case i was looking for it.. i learned that in future to turn my back on it.
Gaan jy nou weer organise ve n forum kamp. 😎😎
01 Aug 2017 @ 19:39:10 pm
Ek dink nogal aan jou veral as ek daar verby ry.
Nee wat ... Sal beslis oorweeg om saam julle te kamp, as iemand anders reel - doen presies wat jy daar sê - lê laag - Les geleer - het goeie tye saam met julle gehad.
Forum het my nie nodig nie en ek het nie forum nodig nie. Maar ..... dis beslis beter as ons mekaar het.
01 Aug 2017 @ 20:34:08 pm
Kom dok, reel jy vir ons ń saamtrek soos voorheen waar ek glo almal dit sal geniet en lede mekaar ontmoet wat net mekaar ken agv saam skryf en nie werklik as persoon ken nie.
Maak soos ek na baie stampe en stote: Begin weer van onder die ranglys af.
02 Aug 2017 @ 07:05:13 am
Los vir David.
Hy sal dit doen as hy weer sy nek wil uitsteek vir so iets. Enige ou kan mos so iets reel. Hoe lyk dit Oom Johan
02 Aug 2017 @ 08:24:41 am
Torsie? Dis nou 'n lekker woord. Groot Tor en klein Torsie?
02 Aug 2017 @ 09:37:14 am
David, welkom terug ou maat, hoe gaan dit met die pension?
Ons wag vir fotos en vertellings van jou en Hester se kuiers met die woonwa.
Lets bygones be bygones, the past is history, the future is a open space.
Vergeet wat in die verlede gebeur het, fokus op die hede en toekoms. Jou saamtrek was puik by Bloekompoort.
Ek sal graag weer saam met jou en Hester wil kamp.
Daai Audi gaan goed sleep dink ek, jy is op pension daar is niemand agter jou wat jou jaag nie. Enjoy life while you have life.
02 Aug 2017 @ 10:07:33 am
Speknek kom nou - wringkrag ????????
03 Aug 2017 @ 21:02:24 pm
Mens sou dink ek skiet DK af, maar nie oor Audi nie, maar blote stelling van klein karretjies oor algemeen is maar vir my, let wel my opinie, n doodskoot.. as sy wa 600kg weeg is dit mos nou nie so groot ussue nie, maar mens kan dan nie juis se jy kan sommer in algemeen met klein karre sleep nie, daar is tog n mate van diskressie oor wat gesleep word.. ek kan ie voorskryf wat iemand mket gebruik nie, hy is in sy legal limits 10 teen 1 en solank hy veilig is en ook ander nie in gevaar stel nie kan niemand kla nie... MAAR stellings oor klein karre wat algemeen kan sleep? Netnou haak n laaitie sy Audi met n exclusive of n penta of so iets..? omdat hy dalk vinnig hier lees dat dit gedoen kan word...? Hy moet darem net bylees watter karavaan met so klein motor gesleep word en wat gewigte inhou..
03 Aug 2017 @ 22:30:14 pm
Die wet bepaal gewigte.
As die karavaan binne spesifikasies is kan 'n klein kar dit sleep.
Die Sonic/Caravette se verhouding is beter as sommige groter kombinasies wat ek al gesien het.
In my opinie was dit wel wettig om die Caravette met die Polo te sleep, maar was grens geval aan positiewe kant, omrede daar nie 'n groot gewigs verskil was nie.
As ek nie anders kon nie, sou ek beslis weer 'n Vivo 1.4 gekoop het - dit KAN die job doen.
Ek is wel bietjie teleurgesteld dat die Audi ligter is as die Sonic, maar vertrou dit is nog voldoende.
04 Aug 2017 @ 00:18:13 am
Die 1e vraag bly tog altyd watse voertuig het ek nodig om die wa te sleep. Soos genoem is dit wat se die reg. Dis maklik om te antwoord. Hoeveel keer het ons nie gesien daar word verwys na enjin grootte ipv na gewig en dan kom krag, suspensie, rat verhoudings en kleur :)
Is dit veilig? - dit sal altyd subjektief wees.
Ek het begin sleep met 'n Monza 2.0 Cli en ja al was dit 'n middelslag kar en lekker vinnig by dit het dit bv 200kg minder geweeg as bv die Sonic/Audi A1 en ek moet erken dit het vir my baie lekker gesleep.
Mens wil tog nie mense afsit om te kamp met 'n wa deur aan te moedig dat jy 'n groot sterk voertuig MOET he nie. Bly net binne die wet en die ekstra is opsioneel om ekstra gemak te he.
04 Aug 2017 @ 00:40:14 am
Stem saam met jou laaste paragraaf, Danie.
Dis juis die boodskap wat ek deur die jare probeer oor dra.
04 Aug 2017 @ 00:53:58 am
Dan stem ons saam. Ek het self die laaste paar maande wat ek hier gesels gesien die normale antwoord is "The bigger the better" en ek is weer 'n voorstaander van "fit for purpose" in meeste dinge wat ek doen.
05 Aug 2017 @ 09:42:06 am
David, How was you towing experience with the Sonic- is it the 103 Kw unit?
05 Aug 2017 @ 10:03:48 am
David, ek was een van die wat gedink het dit is verkeerd. Wel, jy het my verkeerd bewys. Geniet die Audi en kamp rustig voort.