towing with a small car

[Vin]

I'm pretty sure there was a company, probably in Poland, that built trailers and small caravans using Fiat 126 running gear. There are a few in the UK but when they do come up for sale, they make good coin. Can't remember the bloomin name...

 

I remember seeing an Italian registered Panda towing a small caravan in Wales sometime around 1992. A few of the Pandas I've had in the past have had towbars, so I've made occasional use of them as I have 6x4 box trailer for general load lugging...

 

This is the only pic I have to hand....

 

 

 

When I met the owner of this 'combo', he'd picked the Italia 90 up in Southampton and was on his way back home to the Lakes. He told me he'd done a lot of 'recoveries' and collections with it from around the country including a Tipo Sedicivalvole and a Fiat Barchetta. He was traffic cop too, so who knows where you stand...

 

 

 

Anyway, how about this ensemble for small and cool...

 

Fiat D 600 Multipla & Eriba Puck by dezondraaitmetjemee, on Flickr

[mercrocker]

All this Fiattery reminds me my friends old man used to tow a little box trailer on his 126. It was almost permanently attached as I recall...

[Vin]

...It was almost permanently attached as I recall...

 

That's reminded me of an old guy builder round our way who always had various Reliant Robin and Rialto vans and estates, with a seemingly permanently attached trailer and roof rack, as his work wagon...

[oldcars]

Something like the little Freedom should be ok. I have a light old van, an Adria 440b its about the lightest 4 berth i could get for my £600 budget.

[bub2006]

Apparently reliant three wheelers are good for towing providing you weigh balance out right. A lot of folk in the club towed all sorts with there cars to meets. Trailer tents,small vans with roof boxes bolted to car.

[dieselnutjob]

You also need to look at maximum towball weight as some cars can be quite mean in this respect, but it does have an impact on stability and therefore safety.

 

Basically the more noseweight you can have on a trailer the less likely it will be to snake.  I don't remember the ideal number but I think it was something like 5 to 10% of the weight of the trailer should actually be on the nose and with heavy trailers this starts to be limited by the maximum towball weight limit (is it the S number?).

 

One thing in favour of the Punto is that it has a very short rear overhang and this will help stability.  What you want for towing stability is a long wheelbase and short rear overhang and a bit of noseweight.

 

Lack of power to pull a trailer up a hill is an annoyance, but lack of control and ability to stop the thing going down a hill is what has the potential kill someone.

[martc]

Not viewed the YouTube link but does it involve a Renault 5?!...

 

Yes it does...

[bub2006]

That's reminded me of an old guy builder round our way who always had various Reliant Robin and Rialto vans and estates, with a seemingly permanently attached trailer and roof rack, as his work wagon...

Do you live near Heanor by any chance? There is an old boy round this area who tows a trailer with a old Rialto then a Robin loaded To brim with everything and ladders on roof.

[Six-cylinder]

The bigger, heavy, more powerful the tow car is, the easier it is to tow. 

[oldcars]

Apparently reliant three wheelers are good for towing providing you weigh balance out right. A lot of folk in the club towed all sorts with there cars to meets. Trailer tents,small vans with roof boxes bolted to car.

There is a chap, can't remember his name that has a Rialto trailer called the Sleeping reliant he tows with a Rialto 2.

[UltraWomble]

Fuxake

Buy a 2.0HDi Xantia. Towing capacity is booked at 1500kgs and it has self leveling suspension.

 

Not that I ever have had over heavy loads on the back, noooooo, Ive not tugged a twin axle car trailer with another 1200kgs of car on top down the M6 at 80. Not me. But I am aware it can be done. And Ive never overtaken in the outside lane doing 90 pulling a caravan, never. That would be irresponsible that would be.

[mercrocker]

One of the Portafolders regularly tripodded his around with a Rialto. They are feisty little bastards.

[nigel bickle]

Back in the mists of time, my mates asked to borrow my Singer Chamois ( posh Imp) because it had a towbar.

 

I thought nothing of it, till I drove it again a few days later, and the box seemed rather noisy.

 

Seemed they had collected a PA Cresta using an iron 2 axle trailer, from deepest Norfolk ( about 150 miles away) , 4 up.

 

It did it, no one died, Plod not interested. Bet the downhill braking was fun, mind!

[oldcars]

Back in the mists of time, my mates asked to borrow my Singer Chamois ( posh Imp) because it had a towbar.

 

I thought nothing of it, till I drove it again a few days later, and the box seemed rather noisy.

 

Seemed they had collected a PA Cresta using an iron 2 axle trailer, from deepest Norfolk ( about 150 miles away) , 4 up.

 

It did it, no one died, Plod not interested. Bet the downhill braking was fun, mind!

But i bet your mates know how to tow properly. Some folk you see just hammer about and seem to forget about the big thing hanging off the back of the car.

[nigel bickle]

Well they brought it back undamaged. All the box needed was a spot of lube to quieten down.

 

If they hadn't all been pissing themselves down the pub, after a couple of shanties, I'd probably never have known.

[nigel bickle]

 

Happy days!  I had just towed my old Mk10, with a grenade engine (100+ on the M23) with my very bodged Manta A.

 

Seemed a valid plan - & we lived to tell the tale!  That's Ray, unloading..

[theorganist]

Here is a JPEG scan from my 1978 volume Motoring Which showing the Fiat 126 and Caravan road test. 

 

I have posted the link to my Photobucket in case it is easier to view the images on there where you can zoom in! 

 

Edit: Clicking on the images below does seem to enlarge them.

 

I have most of the Motoring Which volumes from around 1968 till 1982 and a few issues from earlier. They make interesting reading!

 

Enjoy!

 

http://s641.photobucket.com/user/Petertheorganist/library/?sort=3&page=1

[bub2006]

That will make some good reading. If a 126 can tow I'm sure mine should be ok. Thanks for that.

[mercrocker]

I may once have towed a Fiat Mirafiori with my Pontiac Grand Prix. So what? Well, the Fiat may still have been hitched to a bike trailer with 3 Husqvarnas on it...Luckily I never had to back up.

[explosive-cabbage]

Can't see that explosive?! What is it?

 

Sorry bub, picture fixed.

 

8pm tonight.

 

 

I WIN.

[bub2006]

Now that looks a good well balanced outfit. How did it go?

[explosive-cabbage]

It was only to move it around at home, brother KruJoe and I brought it back from brum on the trailer behind his Toyota Estima.

The 205 struggled a bit, I was glad it was a braked trailer!

[bub2006]

I bet it did. What engine was in the 205?

[wuvvum]

One thing in favour of the Punto is that it has a very short rear overhang and this will help stability.  What you want for towing stability is a long wheelbase and short rear overhang and a bit of noseweight.

That's why CX estates make such good towcars.  Or would if the turning circle weren't so utterly shit.

 

My uncle once towed a 30' static caravan with his 1959 Mini 850.  Top speed on the flat was 37mph (flat out in second), and it failed to proceed halfway up a moderate hill.

 

My only experience of towing with a small car was dragging my mate's disabled Saab 900T the 10 miles or so to the local Saab specialist behind my Kia Pride.  That was on a bar though rather than a trailer.  The Pride managed it with little apparent effort, but did get some odd looks.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Towing a static caravan with an 850 mini WINS

[UltraWomble]

Towing a static caravan with an 850 mini WINS

And there are times this has trouble. 850 mini=WIN

[oldcars]

A campsite we used to go to shifted them with a Jimny, the old one with metal bumpers. a towball was mounted on the front.

[KruJoe]

What engine was in the 205?

It didn't struggle through lack of go, that's for sure. Traction was the issue going up into the field.

 

It sports a tuned 1.9 turbo with enough grunt to scare anybody.

 

 

On Will's own homebrew fuel, natch.

[Lacquer Peel]

Because short wheel base? I used to tow heavy trailers with my 405s with similar suspension and engines, they were great tow cars.

[twosmoke300]

A mate of mine once towed a broken down rover 80 ( I think , it's the model Siegfried Farnon had but this one had a Perkins diesel in it )20 miles with a reliant kitten ! Up and down some good hills too .

Talk about the tail wagging the dog