Towing Capacity

Dickspitch

New Member
I’m confused by towing capacities for medium sized vans!
Am I correct in thinking that the maximum a T6 is rated to pull is 2500kg and only the 4x4 version is rated to do this and the rest are all less??
 
I frequently tow 2000kg with no issue on a T6 DSG 150 bhp
 
Thanks for that. Most of the time I tow around that figure with my old Land Rover but there are occasions when I need to be up to 2800kg which my Landy can’t do plus I need a van but not a big one!
Some Transit Customs are rated at 2800kg but I wouldn’t touch a wet belt Transit with a barge pole!!
VW’s are by far the most reliable medium sized vans out there but no good to me even at 2500kgs.
 
All vehicle manufacturers towing capacity is stated in the specifications. T32 Transporters are rated at 2500 kg towing capacity. If you want heavy duty towing only a few 4 x4 s are rated at 3500kg.
 
Question... Are the towing capacities recorded on the vehicle's V5 correct?
Doubt it. The V5 isn’t a performance statement!

@DaveD you do a fair bit of lugging stuff about….

Any views on towing capabilities?
 
@DaveD you do a fair bit of lugging stuff about….

Any views on towing capabilities?
As far as I'm aware there isn't a Transporter that can legally tow over 2.5 Tonnes in the UK, so @Dickspitch isn't in luck.
I rarely tow over 1.5 tonnes gross and I think I've only once towed 2 Tonnes with it, which it was comfortable enough with but I wouldn't have wanted another 800KG in the trailer!
I'm afraid if towing 2.8 Tonnes is an absolute necessity, a T6 isn't the van for the job.
 
The VIN is specific to the legal towing capacity of a vehicle. I regularly tow up to the limits with my T32 without any problems.
 
According to the vin plate, my T32:

1st figure (Gross Vehicle Weight?) 3200kg
2nd figure (Gross Train Weight?) 5300kg

So 5300-3200=2100kg. Is this my tow capacity?

If the van is almost empty, there's no way it'll weigh 3200kg. If I got the van weighed before towing, could that figure used over the theoretical GVW to then calculate the tow capacity?
 
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Some Landrover Products are rated at 3500kg and some Toyota Landcruisers also where not sure about recent versions. Authorities here in Wales occasionally target vehicles towing. They check on conditions tyres and such, weights, hitch weight and so on. I have seen them pull over vehicles some times its a multiple agency thing, with inland review, police and others. In that case they usually occupy long la-bys and have scouts pulling vehicle all around. They stop HGV, Towing vehicles, anything they fancy or have little excuse, pickups farm vehicles commercials and so on. At other occasions is lone wolf stops. I should imagine that it is common in farming areas across GB and on long routes or known shortcuts/loops where people are avoiding detection. They also dip tanks looking for RED diesel a common thing in farming regions. If someone is regularly towing heavy weights they really aught to have a definitive answer to towing weight. No idea of the penalty but it could be expensive if transgressing and would add points to ones licence. I remember reading in a local paper some time ago about those being prosecuted and one was a near neighbour for a trailer problem, long time ago so I do not recall the specifics. Could have been anything from defective trailer tyres, over weight wrong nose weight, not having the brake away cable, wrong number plates. I have also seen caravans stopped in a local village in its one way system, I think that persecutions followed that also.
 
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