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I am thinking about towing a little car behind our MH. I wont go into trailer or a fame arguments .
Anyway I am trying to get an idea if my MH is capable of towing a car. I normally drive at close to our max of 3500kg at about 60-65mph and on hills on the motorway if I stay in 5th I do find my speed reducing to 50mph.
Do you think I will be OK power wise towing say 1000kg?
I am happy to drop to 4th to maintain aboue 50mph as I think below 50mph is a bit too slow on motorway.
So any ideas if my 3500kg, 2.8TD Motor home will be up to the job?
Know nothing about the physics and mechanics of this, but fifth gear is for cruising when you have your revs up and can mantain them easily, I hardly think that you will have those conditions going up a hill, towing a car behind.
Just thought I would get in first, being a woman and all, sure what would I know!!
Ca
can your passenger not get in the car and help push up hills? Like 2 engined locomotive
I drag a 2 wheel trailer behind my 3500kg 160bhp 2.8JTD and am in 4th gear for quite a lot of minor gradients
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Cheers Ca, I was only really thinking of hills on motorways in 5th. As you say normal off motorway hills at none cruising speeds then a low gear would be appropriate.
Cheers.
Can't vouch for the 2.8 (though wouldn't expect any issue). I've towed 800kg, 1000kg and 1300kg (A-framed Smart, A-framed Fiat 500, trailered 500) with a 3.5 tonne van with the 100BHP 2.2 and 4 tonne van with 130BHP 2.3 engines. With both motorhomes, I found I'd typically need to drop a gear (5th to 4th on 2.2; 6th to 5th on 2.3) on long motorway inclines....terms of reference you'd recognise, for example the drags out of the Ribble valley at Preston and Lune valley at Lancaster on the M6. So long as you can keep the revs above 2500 to keep the engine in the powerzone, no issues. Only place I've ever lost momentum - needed 3rd - was on a long slope somewhere southbound on M74 or A74(M)...forget which.
We have a 4050kg MH on the Multijet 130 and normally tow the Smart in 6th unless there is a steep gradient. Then only drop to 5th. I am surprised that without towing you have to drop to 4th to maintain 50mph.
Our first MH had the 2.8jtd and never dropped out of 5th on motorways.
Never exceed true 55mph (indicated 59mph) on motorways.
Gerry
Thanks for all the replies.
Gerry I can maintain 50 in 5th no problem so far. I think I may be a little down on boost, need to adjust the wastegate a little.
Sounds like I will be fine dropping down to 4th on the hills.
All vehicles have a gear box to select the right one for varying road conditions, in order to not strain the engine unduly.
When I was taught to drive fire engines the tutor made us climb hills in the lower gears and keep revs up, so the engine was always working at optimum efficiency, but if revs climbed, had to change up to higher gear, which inevitably meant speed dropped off, and taught us that the lower gear and lower speed was best for the vehicle and road conditions.
My motorhome is capable of doing 90 mph with a big Brian James trailer behind, but is not being used in that manner.
Another driver showed me what it could do on French motorway !
Your rev counter should dictate which gear you should be in.
Below 2000 change down.....4000 change up.
On flat roads 1500 is fine with a gentle throttle
As posted previously, the fiat 2.8 is made for work and will happily trundle along at a decent speed.
Just remember the speed limits when towing.
30mph limit applies on all roads with street lighting unless signs show otherwise.
50mph applies on single carriageways unless signs show otherwise.
60mph applies on dual carriageways and motorways.
If you need to change down just do it.
Dave p
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