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Towing
May 3, 2006 23:21:00 GMT
Post by galbrac on May 3, 2006 23:21:00 GMT
Can anyone help me. Now that I have retired I would like to tow my caravan to rallies so I can stay longer in the area.
What is the maximum weight my P5B can tow and what is the maximum nose weight it can take.
I know that the recommendation for modern cars is 85% of its kerbside weight, and a maximum of 100% of the cars weight if you are experienced in towing. Does this apply to older cars with less effective suspension.
The van weighs 25 cwt.
Thanks in advance, Cairns.
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Towing
May 4, 2006 18:09:51 GMT
Post by Phil Nottingham on May 4, 2006 18:09:51 GMT
the same rules apply I understand however the Rover P5 and P5b is an excellent tow car will tow by far more in excess if this weight without any problem whatsoever subject to 2 important points 1. The rear chassis outriggers/bumber irons are in first class condition 2. The footbrake and handbrake are setup to manufactures spec.
The engine/gearbox has to be OK of course but any problems will rapidly become apparent.
I consider the suspension arrangement far more superior to modern setups for towing although the springs/mountings may need replacing if they have settled somewhat.
So how is your car?
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Towing
May 7, 2006 21:55:47 GMT
Post by galbrac on May 7, 2006 21:55:47 GMT
Thanks Phil, my car was fully restored two years ago. This included a complete engine, brakes and gearbox over-hall. I have new rear springs and mounts still to fit from Waddams. My only concern is the back end will be raised to high, this I have seen in other cars and does not look quite right somehow. Any tips on this? I hope to tow my van to the Scottish all Rover rally in three weeks, a distance of nearly 90 miles from my house, so this will be a good test for it. Thanks again, Cairns.
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Towing
May 7, 2006 22:08:22 GMT
Post by Phil Nottingham on May 7, 2006 22:08:22 GMT
The P5's I have seen towing usually have the back end too low? If the tow ball fits through the bumper rather than below it then a drop plate is required.
I seem to recall P5's and P5B winning some prizes in the 1960's for Towcar of Year! Certainly they are good at horsebox towing and I have towed very heavy loads in the past but not a caravan and have never weighed the trailer or tested its nose weight.
Not tried it for years though as I have a Land Rover for that sort of work now.
I doubt if you will have any problems at all with your set-up by what you have had done
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Towing
May 9, 2006 21:14:49 GMT
Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 9, 2006 21:14:49 GMT
I can throw in a bit of personal experience of towing with a P5b which I still have and I renovating at the moment! in the 70's we used to tow a Astral Ranger which weighed over a ton all up and we toured all over the UK including the Scotish Highlands that was the only time we had any problem with the brakes boiling the fluid! on a realy long downward slope! apart from that it was the best car I ever used for towing and we were caravaners for 20 years
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Towing
May 9, 2006 21:19:38 GMT
Post by Phil Nottingham on May 9, 2006 21:19:38 GMT
What better endorsement - old fluid boils at very low temperature modern spec is much better and should not boil except in exceptional circumstances.
A brakeless P5B with a 1 ton caravan is not something I would wish to experience!
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Towing
May 13, 2006 10:46:59 GMT
Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 13, 2006 10:46:59 GMT
It was a bit scary to say the least Phil the problem was the roundabout at the bottom it was yank on the handbrake which was very efective!! (so effective the brakes didn't come on the caravan) and pray there was nothing coming I still remember it well!! I wanted to turn right there was no straight on it had to be a left and hope there was no one one the other side of the road! as luck would have it we were ok. I pulled into the first garage I found let it all cool down toped up the fluid to get home and the brakes were fine, I did change the fluid!!
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Towing
May 13, 2006 16:01:57 GMT
Post by stantondavies on May 13, 2006 16:01:57 GMT
I haved towed since 1967 and with my 3 litre since 1989 and find it a near perfect tow car. The rear springs are the up-rated Wadhams version and I have no problem with the attitude of the car. Gearbox copes fine and the low speed torque of the straight six is marvellous. On a light throttle I have done 2nd gear hillstarts such is the torque, van GW is c1ton. I have some McKinley spring assisters which I used on the old springs before uprating, but have not needed them since. I also use a Scott stabiliser which also helps with nose weight.
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Towing
May 14, 2006 9:15:20 GMT
Post by johnwp5bcoupe on May 14, 2006 9:15:20 GMT
Like you Stanton my first Rover was a 3 litre in the 60's I went to Cornwall and to the Scottish Borders in a two week holiday! We were keen caravaners then, you used to wave and sound your horn to other caravaners in those days! I never used stabilisers or any other means to aid towing apart from using my 5 gallon water containers as nose balast somewhere within the van? depending on how much we were taking with us and where it was, I never had a handling problem with either Rover.
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Towing
May 18, 2006 19:59:03 GMT
Post by galbrac on May 18, 2006 19:59:03 GMT
Thanks for all your replies. I wil update when I get back and let you know how the car performed. Regards, Cairns.
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Towing
May 20, 2006 13:47:42 GMT
Post by dorsetflyer on May 20, 2006 13:47:42 GMT
Talking to a fellow P5B owner last night he has not long bought a 1960's period caravan to fit behind his car. Having now fitted his towbar and the necessary electrics he inquired of his Insurance company if there would be any change to his policy. He received an almighty shock when he was told that although he was covered fully comp. for his car, as soon as he hitched on his caravan, the car was only covered for third party, not fully comp. I wonder if anyone else has found this problem or are they ignorant of this fact.?
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Towing
May 20, 2006 14:05:08 GMT
Post by stantondavies on May 20, 2006 14:05:08 GMT
Is there confusion here over the normal fact that the caravan is covered for third party claims only, when attached to the car? Caravans should be insured separately for damage. If it is definitely as outlined then he should change insurers forthwith.
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Towing
May 22, 2006 13:56:48 GMT
Post by dorsetflyer on May 22, 2006 13:56:48 GMT
As far as I'm aware, it is as stated, so I may well get in touch with my Insurance Company and see what they say about it.
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Towing
Jun 1, 2006 20:56:57 GMT
Post by galbrac on Jun 1, 2006 20:56:57 GMT
The journey from the rally home was uneventful and the car performed like the lady it is. The journey there was another story !!!! Four miles from my house there is a 1 in 10 hill which caused her no problems. The next 20 miles on a narrow twisting up hill down dale road was, again, no problem. The next 10 miles on the motorway, was easy, but when I reached a 4 mile tailback things turned nasty. I have, in the past, had problems with overheating during stop start conditions. To over come this, I mounted an oil cooler on the front of the radiator. I then fitted a fan on the front R/H side of the radiator which blows air through the radiator. On the L/H side I fitted a fan on the rear of the radiator which sucks air through the oil cooler and radiator. This has worked very well since fitted. When I got stuck in the queue, I decided to swich on the heater fan, just to be on the safe side. Some of you might now have guessed what happened next, the temperature guage stayed on N for two miles, great, but I should have been watching the amp meter........... Two Kenlowe fans and a heater fan is too much for the alternator at low reves, result a flat battery. The knock on effect was a breakdown in the middle lane for 35 minutes, two police cars, one police moror bike, 6 policemen, 2 tow trucks, the slow lane being closed, the queue behind me going from 2 to 12 miles and the crowning glory of a mention on BBC2 from Sally traffic. I forgot to mention that when the car stopped I put it in park and it must have rolled slightly as it stuck in park and my frantic efforts to free it caused the linkage to come adrift, and as we all know this renders the car immobile, and cannot be towed. They had to lift the front of the car and put dolly wheels under the rear wheels, and it was this way I was removed from the motorway. A jump start and the linkage repaired took 15 minutes, and I was on my way. I will be checking the output from my alternator this weekend and replace if needed, or maybe a smaller pulley might do the trick.
Regards, Cairns.
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Towing
Jun 1, 2006 21:49:08 GMT
Post by Phil Nottingham on Jun 1, 2006 21:49:08 GMT
Some fun!
Have you fiited an uprated rad as well?
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Towing
Jun 3, 2006 22:28:04 GMT
Post by galbrac on Jun 3, 2006 22:28:04 GMT
No, it has a standard rad.
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Towing
Jun 4, 2006 6:32:53 GMT
Post by Phil Nottingham on Jun 4, 2006 6:32:53 GMT
A 3 core one should solve your problems
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