Any advice for towing a small caravan with my SJ410?

[twiss]

I like this page of towing info:

http://www.zuks-un-ltd-uk.freeservers.com/photo2_1.html

possibly not accurate but I like the similarities between the pictures!!!

[dan_2k_uk]

santana sj413 q/v swb - braked = 1000kg, unbraked 500kg
santana sj413 lwb - braked 1100kg, unbraked 550kg
suzuki sj413 q/v - braked = 1100kg, unbraked 470kg

[Jay18]

Well I go away with my parents in their caravan and decided it would be better with my own little caravan, I used a tent for a while but it's too cramped and in the winter it's very cold...

I found that page before I got the trailer a while back and when I found it can tow 1100kg I thought it would be good to build a teardrop but then this caravan came up cheap so I got it for my birthday

Do you think it will tow better with a 1.6?

[ScottieJ]

You can only tow 750kg on your license anyway so the 1100kg is irrelevant.

And yes it will tow 1000x better with a 1.6

[timwilks13]

i think the power is only one of the issues, yes you would go faster with a 1.6, but the problem is that SJ's are just so light, having a ton of caravan (or 650kg i think you said) swinging behind you is really going to make for an interesting drive. We used to tow a small caravan in a 2L 5 door laguna, i big enough heavy car, and even that got pulled around quite a bit.

I would be inclined to say dont go with a 1.6 and tow a caravan, at least with your current engine you wont be able to go at any speeds that i would consider unsafe with 650kg dangling off your rear end.

[ScottieJ]

Has this caravan got brakes? if it's over 500kg then it needs them.

[Jay18]

Yes it's got brakes, will be checking them over to make sure they work properly, I would only want the 1.6 for more torque, so instead of 20mph if that up a hill I'll be able to do a bit better than that

I would like to get the zuk on a weigh bridge as I've added a fair bit of weight to my sj, I will still be going by plated weights as that's how it's worked out, whatever happens it needs to stay bellow 750kg's as Scottie says that's my limit on my licence

I avoid motorways as it is because of crosswinds and when being overtook by a truck the wind pushes the zuk across the lane which is a bit scary haha

[timwilks13]

Get it weighed when its full of all your stuff, if its 650 at the moment and you go filling it with gas bottles and pots and pans and all your bits and bobs etc, i can see the weight escalating quicker than you might think.

[Jay18]

Well it's supposed to be 650kg fully laden, so I'll get it all set up and get it on a weigh bridge and see what it shows, might end up having to look for a bigger car, would you think a vitara would be okay for towing a 650kg caravan?

[timwilks13]

A lwb or GV would be more suitable i would imaging.

Where does it say 650kg fully laden? Because they cant have any idea what sort of thing you would put in it? It will be 650kg kerb weight perhaps? What if you like taking rolls of roofing lead on holiday?