Does anyone know the unbraked manufacturer’s towing capacity of any Ford pre 2004....... if you do, where did you find it? It’s a strange question I know, but I’m looking to buy a trailer and having a hard time getting this info. Also my apologies as I know that a lot of people ask these kind of questions and I have looked through the forum and I’m still stumped.
I know that legal the limit is 750 kg or half the vehicle’s kerb weight whichever is lower (my licence is pre 1/1/97 so no issues there). Then I found out that manufacturers set their own capacities for each car, so I tried to find out what mine was, which has proved to be a lot harder than I thought. Finally I used Go Caravanning’s tow car guide it says that my 98 – 04 Ford Focus 2.0L Ghia 5dr has:
Kerb Weight: 1303 kg
Un-braked Manufacturers towing Capacity: 0 kg
Braked Manufacturers Towing Capacity: 1200 kg
The un-braked capacity of 0kg was a bit alarming so I then looked at the other Ford’s on the list of a similar age and they all come up as 0kg. Even a 00 – 07 Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCI is listed as having a Un-braked Manufacturers towing weight of 0 kgs. Rival manufacturers and models are all listed at around 600kgs.
I presume this is either a lack of data or the manufacturer hasn’t set a limit. It seems unlikely that no Ford pre 04 / 07 can tow so much as an empty crisp packet unless it has brakes on it.
So far I have looked through the net and not found the un-braked weight, the handbook brilliantly suggests I contact a Ford Dealer (I’m not hopeful they will know for my age of car). It’s not on the V5C. This Haynes guide http://www.haynes.co.uk/wcsstore/HaynesPublishing/images/PDFs/H4212spread2.pdf says that it’s on the VIN plate, first is the un-braked weight, then the braked: my vin plate gives the weights (1670kg, 2870kg, 915kg, 855kg) these seem too high to be towing weight and not right for gross train weights either. I am completely confused.
Can anyone tell me where I can find this information, please?
I think you have answered your own question I had a look on a couple of trailer websites and if it is approved to tow ,I.E. has got the weights marked on the car the law is as you say see http://www.wheeliebox.co.uk/pdf/towing.pdf
Thanks for all the responses, first just a correction for anyone else reading this, the kerb weight is actually 1266kg not 1303kg - spent too long investigating other Fords and got the wrong figure .
So as I understand it from listerdiesel and Grampian91 if I take half the vehicle's unladen weight I should be within the law. I am going to phone my insurance co later and query the weight with them as insurance is probably going to be more awkward than the legal side!
Thanks also to 4teejay for putting the pdf on here, its good to get a document with all the rules in one place.
I agree with the above also. The figures i put wont be correct for all models. If a particular model has smallish brakes or a light rear end that may lower the unbraked limit.
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Topic: Unbraked Towing Capacity any Ford pre 04?
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