Tow weight

How much weight could the Jimny tow? Thinking of getting a trailer.

Cheers
Pete

1300kg braked, 540kg unbraked.

Hi Busta
According to my Owner's Manual your reply was a bit optimistic...

'weight' consists of three things (trailer+cargo+tow bar)

IF the trailer is braked then 'weight' = 450kg

IF the trailer is unbraked then 'weight' = 350kg

That's why I ended up buying only a very small trailer (i.e. Erde 102) which can be used legally (it weights 50-60kg hence useful capacity is only 290-300kg including tow bar)

Busta is right, the legal maximum is around 1300kg.
If you look at the VIN plate, the weights are on there, mine says



1420 is the maximum all up weight of the Jimny, 2720 is the maximum weight of the Jimny + trailer (so the max trailer weight is 1300kg)
680 is the maximum front axle loading 790 is the maximum rear axle loading. (allows for a degree of weight in the wrong place)
If they run it over a weighbridge, and any of the figures are exceed, then it is a construction & use offence.

The handbook recommends 450kg maximum braked, as with 1300kg on the back, performance is somewhat pedestrian. (And maybe the 450kg is off-road too)
The max nose weight is 75kg

Great, so in theory I could haul a tonne, between the vehicle load and trailer load.

I understand where the 1420kg come from (vehicle+people+luggage) but cannot see how 540kg is calculated unless it's just another recommended value. Bear in mind what I said is a factory (and my also) recommedation and what you said is a value based on the plate in the engine bay (mine is same). Personally I would not tow an unbraked trailer which weights 540kg whilst the car weights only 1100kg or less. Once I had to apply emergency brake on motorway with approx 300kg unbraked trailer...what can I say...was not fun at all.
But that's just my opinion anyway.

I'd only trundle along anyway if I had that load in tow. Can't wait to see how it handles some of the hills round where I live!

11/60 wrote: Most small ifor williams trailers have a mam of 1400kg and an unladen weight just below 300kg which is perfect for a Jimny.

A 1400kg plated trailer is going to have you explaining to the policeman who stops you that the train weight is still below 2720kg because there is not a full load, most of them will take the max vehicle weight off the max train weight and get 1300kg, then spot the trailer is plated over that and you are into discussion time.

I remember a discussion a while back* (don't think it was on here) over this exact point and the legal status of an empty trailer plated to exceed the difference between the max train weight and max vehicle weight when full. No-one seemed to know, or could point to legislation that definitively said whether you could be prosecuted or not.


*was a while ago, but I think it was about using a borrowed heavy duty car transporter to collect a light car, so the loaded trailer would be way below the plated weight, but the plated weight exceeded the towing allowance.