View Full Version : Towing
metalmonkey
16-02-08, 12:28 PM
Was thinking would a 1.1i saxo beable to tow a bike trailer with an SV on the back of it, with all my kit in the car, it would be err cramped I guess with it all in there.....but could do it?
How much are tow bars as well?
Ended up with smaller car after the escort was written off last month.
Bluepete
16-02-08, 12:38 PM
Towbars here; http://stores.channeladvisor.com/towbar/store/search.aspx
All self fit, bit of wasy spannering though! I should think you'll be able to do it, ask Luckypants, he knows a fair bit aboout towing stuff I think.
metalmonkey
16-02-08, 12:39 PM
Thx mate I'll have a look at it, but you think the lil car can pull all that? I don't want to mess up the car nor take for ever getting there!
Bluepete
16-02-08, 12:52 PM
Trailer and bike weigh, what, about 280kg? That's like three large mates in the car as well as you. You'll never break land speed records, but it'l do it!
plowsie
16-02-08, 01:06 PM
I have a picture of richies car at AR07 with i think 3 people in it, a jambo badge, tim in belgium side skirt trying to hold it back and it struggled but moved lol. More to the point it pulls his bike and the car IIRC is an old peugot 206 or summit like that.
I'm having a towbar fitted to a 1995 1 litre Micra purely for towing my trackbike around. It falls easily within the premissable towing weight. I think I over did it when I squeezed two Suzuki TS50Xs in the back of it though.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2040/2235042869_e919c1bb19.jpg?v=0
metalmonkey
16-02-08, 01:37 PM
So it should be fine towing the sv track bike then! Sounds good I just need a tow bar, as someone at work said I loan their bike trailer off then if I need to, has to be the cheapest way of doing thinsg right now, that way I can save money as well....Ace
Also are all tow bars the same as well? Could I take the tow bar of the saxo and put on it a 407SW? If so I'll get my mum to insurse me on her company car, its a lot bigger and faster!
(also I have decided to sort on the can on the bike, bad idea its gonna take a while:rolleyes:)
Also are all tow bars the same as well? Could I take the tow bar of the saxo and put on it a 407SW? If so I'll get my mum to insurse me on her company car, its a lot bigger and faster!
:rolleyes:)
No.
hth's
ASM-Forever
16-02-08, 02:35 PM
If so I'll get my mum to insurse me on her company car, its a lot bigger and faster!
Im not sure about general rules/regs, but my dads business only let employees drive the company cars. Someone actually got sacked for teaching their kid to drive in one.
Anyhow can she insure you on a car that isn't hers or yours?
metalmonkey
16-02-08, 02:38 PM
Easy hand over money, my names goes on insurance I put my foot down, sorted! Its more of the case will my mum let me lose in her car:rolleyes:
ASM-Forever
16-02-08, 02:50 PM
Easy hand over money, my names goes on insurance I put my foot down, sorted! Its more of the case will my mum let me lose in her car:rolleyes:
If your mum insures it herself then fair enough. Most fleet cars are insured by the business though. As you can imagine insurance for company cars is expensive(people don't care as its not their car) and there is usually an 'employees only' clause.
I've been lucky, all my company cars have been insured for me and my partner, regardless of our marital status. When my ex-wife passed her test in '91 I took her pass certificate to work an hour later and had them add her to the company insurance. From then on she drove my company Cavalier SRi everywhere, if we went out.
I taught my eldest to drive in my company Impreza 2.0 litre Sport on private ground when she was 16 back in '97. She now has me named on her Accord Type S estate lease car insurance, but she never lets me drive.
ASM-Forever
16-02-08, 07:34 PM
Silly employers.....thats more expensive for them. :)
Bluthunder, does you licence allow you to tow?
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564
Just read the regs, and you should be ok, but still check you DVL
I tow an Ifor Williams P6 trailer with my 1.0L Yaris. I've had an SV650 in it and it handles that with no problems. That gets up fairly near the permissible towing weight for unbraked trailers. The Yaris engine is very flexible and torque spread is quite good (VVT), you just need to use suitable gears and don't expect startling performance.
It's worth reading through the regs for towing just to be sure you don't break any rules. There's some useful info on this site (http://www.towsure.com/category/6452-_Towing_Equipment)
Tow bars fitted to "recent "cars must be approved items, though you can fit it yourself. I fitted mine (genuine Toyota, but made by "Brink" with a detachable neck). My neighbour had a mobile towbar fitter come round recently to put one on his Honda Jazz, about ?160, good job done. With the vagaries of some modern car electrics it's hardly worth bothering to DIY.
I have a picture of richies car at AR07 with i think 3 people in it, a jambo badge, tim in belgium side skirt trying to hold it back and it struggled but moved lol. More to the point it pulls his bike and the car IIRC is an old peugot 206 or summit like that.
It's a 205 1.8TDi.... and it was held back by 5 people on wet grass...
The Pug of Love is a battlebus...
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2145/img2363paintxf8.jpg
metalmonkey
17-02-08, 01:08 PM
I tow an Ifor Williams P6 trailer with my 1.0L Yaris. I've had an SV650 in it and it handles that with no problems. That gets up fairly near the permissible towing weight for unbraked trailers. The Yaris engine is very flexible and torque spread is quite good (VVT), you just need to use suitable gears and don't expect startling performance.
It's worth reading through the regs for towing just to be sure you don't break any rules. There's some useful info on this site (http://www.towsure.com/category/6452-_Towing_Equipment)
Tow bars fitted to "recent "cars must be approved items, though you can fit it yourself. I fitted mine (genuine Toyota, but made by "Brink" with a detachable neck). My neighbour had a mobile towbar fitter come round recently to put one on his Honda Jazz, about ?160, good job done. With the vagaries of some modern car electrics it's hardly worth bothering to DIY.
Thx that help so my car should manage then! I was thinking of doing as alternative this year to buying a van, it should work out cheaper then I can save a bit of money, though I'll see what folks say about using their car.
Where do plug/tap into power for a tow bar? It can't be that hard to attach and wire can it? I running on what you call a low budget so if I can do it myself I will.
That funny about the 205, my first was box shape fiesta 1.1, that car went everywhere! I manage to a full film kit, lights ect plus my crew when I was shoting a film in college, that car was ace, but evetually died in 2003 costing alot to keep on the road, but it did nearly 100000 miles!
Where do plug/tap into power for a tow bar? It can't be that hard to attach and wire can it?
It depends. If it's straightforward wiring then it's a case of tapping into all the relevant wires at the rear of the car, being aware of the extra current draw for the trailer especially if there's a common earth.
L/R indicator, L/R tail, stop, fog, earth = 7 wires in a std socket.
You need a warning buzzer for the indicators, either as a replacement relay or as an add-on unit (buzzes if trailer indicators are working, doesn't buzz if they're not, or buzzes once then stops).
It all gets complicated if the car has bulb failure warning modules or can-bus wiring etc.
metalmonkey
17-02-08, 02:28 PM
Its a 7 year old car, so it probally doesn't have that kind of thing, its quite a basic car as well, how would i find out if does have those things on it? Is like a warning system if one of bulbs failes? I know it doesn't have that, I only really have a basic knowlege about cars and bikes!
lookskyward1
17-02-08, 07:05 PM
http://www.towsure.com/product/5158
http://www.towsure.com/category/7205-Towbar_Wiring_Kits
All you will ever need:cool:
metalmonkey
23-02-08, 12:50 PM
Hi guys I found this tow bar and a few others on ebay, its seems like it will do the job okay. It can can more than weight than i need. Its looks easy enough to fit, just need a tourqe wrench.
Here the link;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-PEUGEOT-106-CITROEN-Saxo-Towbar-Tow-Bar-Kit_W0QQitemZ300199411643QQihZ020QQcategoryZ33653Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
So the the fitting seems easy, though its the electrical system which would be harder.....I need to do this myself or if anyone can help me fit it! Plz:D Or is it easy enough to get into the rear loom on the car?
I have until Silverstone to get it fixed and working on the car!
lookskyward1
23-02-08, 01:40 PM
You will find the wiring a lot easier than you think. the kit will come with comprehensive instructiuons and scotch locks to connect the tow bar wiring into the car.
You will access the cars wiring right behind the rear lights and it's just a matter of identifying the wires you need to connect to, a meter or test lamp will help.
You will have the total job done in less than 4 hours. Good luck
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