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Towing trailer with Fabia 1.2


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Hi!

 

Recently fitted cruise control thanks to this forum and will be uploading some instructions soon after the missing photos from a previous guide :)

 

 

I have searched around but would like some advice before coming to a conclusion as to whether it's feasible to tow a 0.8t boat trailer with a Skoda Fabia 1.2 12V HTP, petrol and manual gearbox. It seems like a decent engine for pulling. The car is well looked after and we will be reducing the weight of the trailer as much as possible.

 

The manual states the following:

800kg braked trailer/450 non-braked capable for 12% ascents
950kg braked trailer/450 non-braked capable for 8% ascents

 

 

 

Are there any recommendations for the optimal car payload whilst towing?

Also, can anyone tell me how well the car handled inclines etc?

 

Thanks!

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Also, when did you pass your driving test? If it was after january 1997 you need to take an extra test to be able to tow a trailer over 750kg.

 

Thank you for pointing this out. I did check, and the online government tool stated the following:

 

 

 

Category B

You can tow trailers up to 750kg MAM (maximum authorised mass).

You can also tow larger trailers if:

- the combined trailer and vehicle weight isn’t more than 3,500kg

- the fully-loaded trailer weight isn’t more than the unladen vehicle weight

https://www.gov.uk/towing-rules/y/car-or-light-vehicle/no/licence-issued-before-19-Jan-2013

 

My total weight would not be much more than 2,000kg, so that shouldn't be a problem.

It will be a bit slow on the hills of course :) just checking to not run into any bigger problems than that!

Edited by cj919
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Also, when did you pass your driving test? If it was after january 1997 you need to take an extra test to be able to tow a trailer over 750kg.

 

bull****e, i wish people would read the rules and understand them before offering poor advice where legal matters are concerned

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Thank you for pointing this out. I did check, and the online government tool stated the following:

 

 

 

 

My total weight would not be much more than 2,000kg, so that shouldn't be a problem.

It will be a bit slow on the hills of course :) just checking to not run into any bigger problems than that!

 

 

bull****e, i wish people would read the rules and understand them before offering poor advice where legal matters are concerned

 

 

Bit rude. Only trying to be helpful to the op as there was a change in the law regarding towing licence catergories in 1997 and the op has found information further relating to this (see post #4) and is confident he will be within the law, so what's the problem?

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Bit rude. Only trying to be helpful to the op as there was a change in the law regarding towing licence catergories in 1997 and the op has found information further relating to this (see post #4) and is confident he will be within the law, so what's the problem?

I appreciate youre trying to be helpful but it was wrong information.

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I appreciate youre trying to be helpful but it was wrong information.

 

Then please accept my most humble of apologies. Also please note I have edited my post to include the phrase "may need" which is not wrong.

My intention was to ensure that the op has considered the potential implications of towing trailers as correct licencing is something that is often overlooked and getting a tug by VOSA isn't nice, potentially not cheap and unfortunately ignorance of the law is not a defence.

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Looks like there was more slight changes in 2013 too:

 

From the gov.uk website

 

1. Driving licence rules and what you can tow

The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test.

Licences issued from 19 January 2013

From 19 January 2013, drivers passing a category B (car and small vehicle) test can tow:

  • small trailers weighing no more than 750kg
  • trailers weighing more than 750kg, where the combined weight of the towing vehicle and the trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM)

If you want to tow a trailer weighing more than 750kg, when the combined weight of the towing vehicle and trailer is more than 3,500kg, you’ll have to pass a further test and get B+E entitlement on your licence.

You’ll then be able to tow trailers up to 3,500kg.

Licences held from 1 January 1997

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can:

  • drive a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
  • tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

For anything heavier you need to take a category B+E driving test.

Licences held before 1 January 1997

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM.

This is the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road.

You also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.

Towing heavier combinations

If you want to tow heavier combinations, you’ll have to first apply for provisional entitlement to the new C1+E entitlement. You’ll then have to pass the category C theory test and C1+E practical test.

Once you’ve done this you can drive vehicles and trailers with a combined weight of up to 12 tonnes MAM.

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There's only one Fabia I'd think would be a worse choice, and that would be a 6-valve 1.2.  I really think 800Kg is extremely ambitious as a trailer load with this engine. Imagine trying to drive the car with 10 average adults in/on it; progress may be horribly slow. Hills should probably be avoided completely.

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I don't think payload and towing capacity can be compared so easily. The capacity surely differs with an additional axel and weight distribution. Maybe 5 adults in the car is comparable.

 

Of course the only way to utilise the maximum capacity like this is with a perfect setup of weight distribution and optimal payload. There should be no reason for Skoda trying to inflate these numbers as might be the case for, say, pickup trucks. It's not exactly the selling point of the car. So if thought through and set up correctly, pulling 800kg up 12% hills should be achievable as stated in the manual and tested for compliance.

 

I have done all my research regarding the laws and technical info for the car and of course the result of towing near capacity will be very slow acceleration. What I am really looking for is some advice from somebody who has tried this and what the result was. I will probably just try it in 2 weeks anyway.

Edited by cj919
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  • 4 weeks later...

I have done all my research regarding the laws and technical info for the car and of course the result of towing near capacity will be very slow acceleration. What I am really looking for is some advice from somebody who has tried this and what the result was. I will probably just try it in 2 weeks anyway.

 

Did you fit the towbar to the car yet? I'm thinking about fitting a towbar to the 1.2L 6v version and was wondering what your experience was. It's not going to be used for more than a 400kg trailer or a bike rack.

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Wino is right though, the transmission and the breaks will have to work as you would be carrying about 10 adults in your car.

My 1.4mpi is feeling a bit under powered when driving with 4 passengers, luggage and A/C on. Towing about 1T + 1.2T of itself would be a challenge for a short distance. I wouldn't do it for more than..10 or 20miles miles though.

Killing the hills wouldn't be a problem, you can downshift, but what if you are forced to do a hill start (boat ramp??) ? Will you have enough traction? 

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You may be optimistic recovering a boat that could be full of water up a slipway... Our Navara struggles recovering our RIB when it's been out and got some water in it. Especially if the tide has gone out and the slipway is wet...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did you fit the towbar to the car yet? I'm thinking about fitting a towbar to the 1.2L 6v version and was wondering what your experience was. It's not going to be used for more than a 400kg trailer or a bike rack.

 

Yes, and you will be absolutely fine towing that if it's rated to do that. Considering my experience was with close to the maximum towing capacity.

I'll say again you cannot compare payload with towing capacity. I can easily push my car weighing 1.2t, but can't carry more than 1 person on my shoulders. Apart from the effective weight, all my joints would be under stress - think of the suspension and wheels. Whereas towing we have an extra axle and brakes with under 50kg nose weight. So really you have to consider hills which increase the effective weight the car needs to pull. This cannot be directly compared to having 10 adults in the car.

 

 

I'm back from a trip now which put 1500 miles of towing on the car with no problems at all. One of the great things I realised about the Fabia for towing is the gearbox. The car will happily go from 10-40mph in 2nd, for regular driving you can stay in any gear for ages if you wanted to. Towing you just have to select them more appropriately, as expected. Being limited to 60 on the motorway just means you have to shift to 4th going up hills, then continue cruising in 5th. With a big hill and headwind it's best to stay at 50. That was the only downside but hardly noticeable in the long run. No burning clutch or brakes, no overheating or warning signs. If there's trouble getting the power down, having someone in the front passenger seat can help push the front wheels down.

 

Now for what the car is capable of doing with no problems experienced:

  • The boat with trailer weighed 820kg dry for the 500 mile journey with a passenger and kit in the car to where we were staying. The return journey was the same but with 2 passengers. Even used A/C on the way up.
  • Then around 850kg with extra bits like a spare fuel tank, anchor and water between there and the launch sites, with 2 passengers.
  • For a 3 mile journey I essentially had the maximum payload with 4 people in the car and boat on the back.
  • Backing into a shed over bumpy and rutted construction site full of dust.
  • Launching and recovering on a regular slip was fine, even in the wet. Back wheels just needed to touch the water. We had a land rover for launching but it wasn't needed for a regular slip.
  • Hills were better than expected, right off the ferry it tackled a 14% hill start and cruised at 35mph keeping up with the traffic.

Scotland isn't known for it's nice flat landscape but there was never a point where the car was struggling and I averaged 25-30mpg. I knew the car would be capable but the extent to which it handled the load was impressive and above expectations. If you know how to drive the car properly to avoid problems/excessive wear and are comfortable with it, towing with the Fabia is fine.

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Good to hear that you had success. Sometimes it's nice to be wrong, when you learn something.

 

In acceleration (and similarly hill-climbing/gravity defeating) the total mass is all that counts, irrespective of where it is; except as you mention, it's good to have 'enough' over the driven wheels.

I agree that in handling terms and ride quality, it is very different carrying the mass inside/on the car versus in a trailer.

 

Thanks for reporting back with this good news; and sorry I was overly negative, I honestly thought you'd have a frustrating experience.  Sounds like you had a great holiday instead.   :sun:

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