towing capacity
Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 25, 2011 at 09:04
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Dave61
G'day all Hope all are travelling smoothly!!!!
Can anyone indicate what designates the towing capacity of a vehicle,and if that can be modified?????
My son now has my 1990 nissan wagon that has done over 500 000 k's,and still going strong and I am looking to get me 1st caravan-an off roader-and I am curious to know why the old girl can't pull more than 2.5 t as appossed to other models and if we can do some mods so as to make her legal to pull more!!
Thanks again from one that is meraps too keen to go "drivabout"
D61
Reply By: splits - Tuesday, Jan 25, 2011 at 16:07
Tuesday, Jan 25, 2011 at 16:07
"Can anyone indicate what designates the towing capacity of a vehicle"
Dave
It all comes down to a combination of vehicle weight, cooling system capacity, engine size and level of technology, type of brakes, tyre design, strength of axles, transmissions, clutches etc. The technical list is endless then there is also the segment of the market that it was designed for.
Take a 1990 Commodore for example and compare it to a 1954 FJ Holden. Both were sold as mid size six cylinder family sedans yet there is a big difference in towing capacity. It only takes one look at both cars and the reason becomes obvious. In the case of a 1990 Nissan and later models, it is much harder to see why yet the reasons are there buried deep in the specification sheets.
Things can and have been done to increase towing capacity but the question could be asked is it really the best way to go particularly when you consider safety and reliability. There is a reason why the manufacturer sets a particular limit and if you want to go higher then there comes a time when you should be asking yourself if you have chosen the right car. No matter what you want to tow, there is always a vehicle available that will do the job easily with plenty in reserve. This is essential on long tows if you want to maintain driver comfort and keep stress, frustration and fatigue to a minimum
.
What type of "off road' surfaces do you intend driving on? Unsealed surfaces tend to increase drag and make the car work harder with soft dry sand being the worst. This is why many manufacturers recommend a reduced towing capacity in these conditions. The 2.5 tons for your car is most likely the maximum possible on sealed highway conditions only. It might be worth a phone call to Nissan's customer information number and see what they say. The number will be on their web site.
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