I still find it frustrating to see the exact same vehicles get significantly different tow ratings here vs Europe.
The other day the dealer tried to warn not to tow my utility trailer with my car as it would hurt the transmission (trailer was empty by the way). I pulled up an article from the UK where it was in the top three of best towing cars for this year.
Dealer looked at me like his brain needed to reboot, after which he told me the cars in Europe must be built differently or get different transmissions and left it at that.
It’s truly baffling that manufacturers here hold that towing capacity hostage for arbitrary reasons.
There might actually be technical reasons for this.
E. g. top speed in Europe while towing is 100 km/h (some countries and trailers less), whereas in the US you can drive up to the designated speed limit.
Bearing load is also different, in Europe it’s usually 4 % of the trailer weight, in the US at least 10 % is recommended.
Trailers are also different, e. g. unbraked trailers only exist up to 750 kg in Europe, whereas in the US I’ve seen much heavier trailers without brakes.
Trailer brakes are also different, Europe uses overrun brakes, the US electronic brakes.
I’ve never heard the term “overrun brakes” (TIL!) before. I’ve always called them surge brakes, and they are widespread in the U.S. on the majority of boat trailers.
I’m not a native English speaker, so I may have used the wrong term here. ;)
You are 100% correct. I had to search overrun brakes online, and from what I found it seems to be a regional language variation.
That’s actually the most reasonable explanation I’ve seen so far, and it helps explain a bunch (one small correction: most states have a towing speed limit of either 55 or 65 mph, so just about the same or slower than in Europe. Canada is even worse with most provinces limiting highway towing speed to 80-90kmh). That said, it still doesn’t make any sense that our tow rating does not take into account the presence of a brake controller (that is to say, the stated towing capacity does not list braked and unbraked separately in most cars except trucks).
one small correction: most states have a towing speed limit of either 55 or 65 mph, so just about the same or slower than in Europe
Interesting, thanks for the correction! I didn’t spend the time to research it for all states / provinces, when I researched this topic a while ago.
brake controller
In Europe electronic brake controllers aren’t really a thing. Mechanical overrun brakes are used instead to brake trailers.
That said, it still doesn’t make any sense that your tow rating does not take into account the presence of a brake controller
Cars in Europe usually have two tow ratings, one for braked, the other for unbraked trailers.
My bad, that was a typo - I mean our tow rating. Most vehicles (except for trucks) don’t list the tow rating with a brake controller installed and the only way to get one is to have your vehicle rated and tested individually.
It’s so they can sell you SUVs.
Once at work I said “My Audi sedan has a towing capacity of over 5,000 lbs, isn’t that crazy?” A coworker said “That’s almost as much as my Tacoma!” (Early 2000s model). Turns out 5,000 is closer to his combined vehicle weight + towing capacity.
I remember my grandfather using the Grand Prix to tow and pull out stumps and stuff instead of the work truck.
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Good job buddy. U tah man!
Its probably worth noting that Europeans get more powerful cars than we do here in the US. I drive a 02 Golf TDI and it was only available as a 1.9L 90hp front wheel drive. The base model in Europe has a bigger turbo and offers 4wd versions.
I wonder why that is
for make you buy a suv or pickup with a v8 i guess.
I’ve also noticed the European versions of cars are rated to tow more. The Hyundai Ioniq I had wasn’t rated to tow anything in America. It would void my warranty. The European version was rated for 1000lbs or something like that. Europeans demand the ability to tow while I guess in America we just don’t expect a small car to do it.
Probably a result of how legislation is designed for different towing strategies. From what I’ve seen, the US favors trailers with higher hitch weight and axles further back, requiring more substantial and heavy towing vehicles, but allowing for higher speeds. In Europe, trailers are more balanced with hitch weights in the 100-150lbs range, but speed limits are lower (50ish mph).
Well, in the US you only need to pay cash to get the law that you need. The best democracy money can buy.
The same goes with laws like extending copyrights, forbidding selling cars without dealerships, low safety margins with rail cars transporting dangerous goods, no drinking breaks for people working in the heat, most modifications (mainly exceptions) in the tax code, etc, etc, etc. The list is long. Each one bought by someone with serious money against YOUR interests.
This was my exact point from earlier - most cars that can tow a bunch of stuff in Europe or Australia simply don’t get tow ratings here at all. And yes, manufacturers will void your waranty of you do tow anything. It’s infuriating.
Dutch people must not have many steep hills.
You wouldn’t believe it, but they routinely haul these over major alpine passes. Works well on climbs, but sharp corners and switchbacks require careful handling, causing everyone else a bit of grief.
The don’t… but the neighboring countries do. That’s where this caravan is going
Don’t worry, we’ll even tow them to and trough Norway.
or sharp corners
Just yesterday I was towing about a half to 2/3 of a cord of a wood with my wagon. Folks assume you need a giant truck to tow anything. Full disclosure though I was pushing the limits of my car, it pulls this weight without issue but stopping it risky and I have to drive very carefully and keep huge buffers between myself and the next car.
Just make sure it’s rated for the load you’re towing and whatever works.
But that’s the point. The same exact same vehicle rated in Europe will not have any rating in the US and they will tell you how you need a truck to tow.
I’ve found a tow rating for almost any car I’ve had, at least the past 15 years.
Of course, otherwise you get a fine for endangering traffic.
if you saw the sheer scope of trailers, campers, Tour Bus RV’s, custom toy haulers etc that invade the coastal areas of where I live, you would realize the problem isn’t the semantics of tow vehicle size. the whole “adventure camping” myth when two people bring a 800 square foot Motorcoach with a car in tow makes me want to vomit. its like a car brain with sepsis. leave your fucking house at home.
Whenever I see a giant RV towing a giant SUV bigger than any of the vehicles I own I get a little frustrated and irritated. If you want to explore the country you can do it without taking every amenity and gadget from home. Just go out there, see and be in the world, don’t take the ‘world’ with you.
‘What Dutch people do on vacantion’ using a French car for the picture.
Ah yes, the famously French “Volkswagen”
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But not the famously Dutch "Volkswagen”
Been there as a kid in the 90s. Sitting in the back my my parents Toyota Carina with my 2 siblings, while we were towing a caravan.
That car had a 2l, 4 cylinder petrol and got through the Alps and Pyrenees. Iwas more comfortable touring that way than going by tent only. Now I’m in Australia where I’m gobsmacked by how much shit people “need” to go camping. All while I’m exploring the same locations and actually spending more time camping in the bush as I tour on a tiny, economical 125cc motorcycle.
Almost to prove a point, I took that little thing to Cape York and will take it RTW next year, partly to show that you don’t need much.
My camping setup fits in some boxes I have on my 650cc motorcycle. Don’t even need to tow anything.
People think you can’t tow with cars? What?
They just love to take every excuse to buy a truck
The excuse for buying these compensators is they need them to tow. And yet I’ve rarely seen one ever used to tow. I saw this juxtaposition in my local area:
It’s so big, he could probably just put the horse in the glove compartment.
I used to tow in the UK with a Chrysler Voyager ( American Made, 7 x Seater SUV ) it did pretty well.
Fully ladden, all seats occupied + a dog, 2 x Roof Boxes and towing my massive Trailer Tent.
Even came back from one holiday on Three cylinders cus of a HT Lead fault and yes we went up some pretty steep hills, just needed to get a bit of a run at them that’s all, lol.
Great Fun 😊
This actually the reason why I really don’t like it how so many folks take tow hitches off of antique cars as I’m told they used to be on damn near every car during the 50s and 60s today while yes today they are quite impractical but like you don’t have to have a trailer on a hitched car 247 but still your making a already impractical car and making it slightly more impractical
Tow hitches are an essential thing for me, even though I would never tow a trailer. Reason being? Bike rack on the hitch. It’s so much easier to load then on the roof, no risk of destroying anything and carrying bikes on the roof is not possible with heavy e-bikes. You don’t need a flatbed to carry 2 bikes to your destination (as you can see in the picture)
![[image] Since many people seem to believe you can't tow with cars, here's roughly what dutch people end up doing on vacation.](https://feddit.de/pictrs/image/ea1db421-ccea-4e3d-af37-aec9b3e62de4.jpeg){kind=link}