What is the MTPLM weight of the van? You really need to be using this figure to see if it matches the car as the MIRO doesn't include anything in the van, i,e battery, gas bottles, luggage, etc. I would therefore expect you will be looking at a MTPLM (at a guess) around 1650kg? I personally think this may be far to heavy for the galaxy as I seem to recall their kerbweight is around 1700kg? Also the noseweight on older galaxy's may be an issue as I think they are around 80-85kg which you may stuggle with with a twin axle.
The Eldis and the Galaxy will do the job just fine, and you will not notice the difference between towing a light caravan with an 85% match and a heavy caravan with a 90% match. I tow a 1450kg Hymer Nova with a 1496kg Mondeo and it is superbly stable and an easy tow.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
Quote: Originally posted by janus on 26/2/2012
The Eldis and the Galaxy will do the job just fine, and you will not notice the difference between towing a light caravan with an 85% match and a heavy caravan with a 90% match. I tow a 1450kg Hymer Nova with a 1496kg Mondeo and it is superbly stable and an easy tow.
If tha galaxy is 1700kg (to be confirmed) and the vans MTPLM is 1650kg then this is a 97% ratio.....considering the size of the van I wouldn't tow with this outfit as can't see it been that stable. If the car was heavier than 1700kg then the figures may look better. I think the OP has used the MIRO figures for the weight, hence why I have suggested the figures need rechecking using the MTPLM.
Quote: Originally posted by janus on 26/2/2012
The Eldis and the Galaxy will do the job just fine, and you will not notice the difference between towing a light caravan with an 85% match and a heavy caravan with a 90% match. I tow a 1450kg Hymer Nova with a 1496kg Mondeo and it is superbly stable and an easy tow.
Hardly the best of advice, from a safety aspect.
I would personally disregard this.
The outfit you describe sounds too heavy for a 90bhp diesel. At the very least you are asking for trouble with the car (clutch wear, overheating, transmission wear etc etc).
The 85% rule is based on Maximum Gross weight (MTPLM or whatever ridiculous set of initials they use these days) definitely NOT the unladen weight (OK, MIRO!).
A caravan is never likely to be at it's MIRO weight ever again after leaving the factory. The car may well pull it, but it will struggle, & the ford Galaxy is the same car as a VW Sharan anyway, so unlikely to be much different, just a bit newer.
Quote: Originally posted by janus on 26/2/2012The Eldis and the Galaxy will do the job just fine, and you will not notice the difference between towing a light caravan with an 85% match and a heavy caravan with a 90% match. I tow a 1450kg Hymer Nova with a 1496kg Mondeo and it is superbly stable and an easy tow.
Hardly the best of advice, from a safety aspect.
I would personally disregard this.
The outfit you describe sounds too heavy for a 90bhp diesel. At the very least you are asking for trouble with the car (clutch wear, overheating, transmission wear etc etc).
The 85% rule is based on Maximum Gross weight (MTPLM or whatever ridiculous set of initials they use these days) definitely NOT the unladen weight (OK, MIRO!).
A caravan is never likely to be at it's MIRO weight ever again after leaving the factory. The car may well pull it, but it will struggle, & the ford Galaxy is the same car as a VW Sharan anyway, so unlikely to be much different, just a bit newer.
Firstly the galaxy that the OP was going to change to is the 130bhp model and as a 2003 model as opposed to the 1997 Touran is a vast change, and knowing the engine and vehicle will have no problems of being underpowered. Secondly the differential weightwise at the 90% level that the OP posted is 170kg and the differential Between that and 85% of a 1600 kg Sharan is in weight terms not great.
Again from knowledge of the vehicle and its towing ability l can state quite bluntly that the Galaxy with a 90% Towing ratio will be stable at all legal speeds and will show no signs of instability when it reaches those limits.
The OP asked a simple question about what peoples opinion was of towing a caravan with a 90% match, I gave him one. I did not pontificate about an 85% rule that does not exist, it is a recommendation and if read properly it quite clearly states that a towing ratio of up to 100% is quite acceptable given the right set of circumstances.
Now if you want a discussion of the legalities of towing weights, and what is acceptable then I am your man, but personally I prefer to answer the questions that are asked as honestly as possible and leave each individual to sort themselves out
Best towing practice would suggest that a 90% towing match is fine especially since the person asking the question has taken the trouble to ask about it. Then of course we would have to consider the actual towing match which is a far more relevant piece of information, that being the case since Tazhearts says he needs 7 seats it is reasonable to assume that the car as it sets out would weigh far more than its kerbweight and considerably more than the MTPLM of the caravan and that probably the actual towing match would probably be less than 85%
Post last edited on 26/02/2012 23:59:46
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
we have a 61 plate galaxy 1600 petrol with the eco boost engine, it has a 160 bhp engine with a maximum braked tow weight of 1600 kg. We were told the 1900 diesol engine had a smaller tow limit so we went with the 1600 eco boost. I would check with the caravan club or ring Lookers (ford ) and ask them the maximum towing weight for the galaxy you are getting to be safe. hope this helps.
atb Bill
------------- Bill n Kay
............................
when the going gets tough... get someone else to do it.....
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I have an 03 plate Seat Alhambra, 130bhp. I tow a Bailey Senator Indiana and it performs very well. On motorways I tend to cruise at about 56mph and it will do that all day long without any effort and in 6th gear most of the time.
Am very confident it would tow the Elddis you are thinking of.
Looking at the latest ford website spec on your galaxy the 2 litre disel has a max towing weight of 1800kg and the 2.2 litre diesel has a max towing weight of 2000kg, though it would be necessary o see what the plate on the car says to get a definitive answer.
There are no longer details of the 2003 galaxy on the ord website but a search or the data points to The Parkers guide which states the 1.9TD has a max towing weight of 2000kg though again it would be necessary to check the plate on the car to get the deinitive answer.
------------- Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
As Janus rightly suggests, check vehicle data on the plate for weights etc., but uktow (highly accurate) quotes the Galaxy 1.9 as having a tow limit of 2000kgs.
The Op has mentioned his choice of car being a 130bhp model though, and while I'm not contesting this, I'd suggest checking this fully (to save later confusion) as the info I've found indicates the 130bhp was available from '05 onwards, with the 2003 model being either a 90 or 115bhp engine.
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Topic: Could I tow this?
