Ballast when towing?

Hang on I've just reread that are you trying to twist my arm into buying a winch and steel bumper? Because if you are you need to stop, my arm is hurting!

Yes, I understand the van versus pick-up, a friend has a big panel van he uses to ship his kids moto-crosser from home to venue but that is on normal roads. If you need it to traverse dirt roads with there attendant twisters and holes a 4x4 pickup becomes a viable proposition.

Roger

So I know that the tow limit is 1,300kg if you have brakes on the trailer and only 350kg if no trailer brakes, so the lower limit is only under braking, but what is the limiting factor?

Is it because the standard Jimny brakes can only cope with an extra 350kg?

Or is it because above this the trailer would cause the Jimny to jack-knife or push the back down under braking?

The reason for asking is I have to move my boat a few miles on the road, normally I just tow it from the boat park to the water and back with no problem. The boat weighs about 350kg, but the trailer is probably about 60-70kg, it’s un-braked.

Therefore I am a little over the limit. I have however, fitted EBC green stuff discs and pads and the brakes are now really good.

So if it’s braking force I will be fine, but if it’s a stability issue then I might want to find a friend with a tow bar, unless I add weight to the Jimny?

What does anyone think? Either way I am very steady when I tow and have almost 30 years of towing experience.

Robin

The only reason that the unbaked is so low is because someone at suzuki lifted the figure straight from the hand book and started putting it on the v5. Under construction and use regulations a car has to be able to tow half it's curb weight. In the hand book it says 350 unless local regulations apply. Now on earlier models that don't have a figure on the v5 then you are good to go at around 550kg but if it's specified then you are 350kg. Physically you will be fine unless you have a bump or get a tug then you are in bother.

Thanks Lambert, that is a nice clear statement.

It will be with my Gen 3 and I will be the one drifting along at 35-40mph.

Cheers

Robin

I keep thinking I should submit my v5 for alteration on the unbraked limit like you might with an engine swap or something but I don't know what they would want as proof of the alteration.

Not sure how interresting this is but same here in Norway.
My 1984 SJ 410 has an max unbraked trailer weigjt of 430kg
My 1987 lwb SJ413 500kg
And the 2005 jimny 350kg.

Wich was OK as we had a speed limit of 60kmt for any unbraked trailer over 350kg. But now that limit has been lifted.

Edit: I have been pulling my unbraked boat though, it is 700kg or so. I have not been on any highway with that and only 60-70kmt and slower in the turns and bends and taking it easy. no problem braking going slowly down very steep hills.I cannot recommend it of course.

Thanks Yakuza,

My boat is less than your weight about 450kg, plus or minus a few kg. It should be one journey though. There are two dual carriageway A roads, but I could go along the back roads (pretty much through small villages and farm yards) to avoid the main A roads, although it won't make any difference and there will be more bends and stopping points on the side roads.

I am going to wait for a non-windy day though, my boat is a racing keel boat, so physically quite long but not heavy. Think of it as a very streamlined low caravan and like the Jimny it catches side winds a bit.

Robin

My old firewood trailer was un-braked and would weigh 450-550kg depending on the logs. I did tens of thousands of miles with that and it was perfectly stable. I only had one incident where I skidded into the back of a car waiting to make a right turn. That was caused by a combination of factors including the un-braked trailer, mud terrain tyres, wet roads and me being distracted by the pretty girl in the layby.

As long as the weight on the ball is ok and the balance is ok it should not be any problem.
Much more important to have 70 to 100 kg on the hitch in my opinion than the total weight.
If too light on the hitch the wind could get nasty on a large load.

Busta wrote:

My old firewood trailer was un-braked and would weigh 450-550kg depending on the logs. I did tens of thousands of miles with that and it was perfectly stable. I only had one incident where I skidded into the back of a car waiting to make a right turn. That was caused by a combination of factors including the un-braked trailer, mud terrain tyres, wet roads and me being distracted by the pretty girl in the layby.

Unfortunately "there was a pretty girl..." is not a valid defense in the eyes of the law. More's the pity.

Down here in NZ, overrun brakes historically have been the norm, trailer brakes are required on 1 x axle between 2500 - 3000kg, and both axles between 2500 and 3500kg. Over 2500 kg also needs a breakaway system. Generally means electric drums over 2500kg. Also your vehicle needs to stop within 7m from 30kmh.

Interestingly my dealer fitted towbar says 450 kg braked or not with 50kg tongue weight. The towbar itself is much the same design as ones fitted to much bigger vehicles, so I'd say it reflects the vehicles perceived capabilities not the towbars. I've towed more than that (unbraked) with no issue, apart from the massive increase in stopping distance and abysmal performance on hills.

I'd agree with the idea that you'd ballast the front, not the rear as the front is what does pretty much all the braking, but has less traction the more tounge weight you have, this gets heavier of course under braking as the weight balance "shifts" forward on the trailer.