Hi all, I have a 1.9TDi 130 which is apparently 1567kg and tow a caravan with a mass laden weight of 1385kg, according to the 85% rule I should ideally tow no more than 1332kg even though Skoda claim the max braked towing weight is 1600kg.

The Superb more than copes with my current caravan despite it being just over the 85% weight, so with this in mind we have been looking at new caravans that are around 1500-1560kg, within the Skoda weight but well over the 85% weight.

So my question is does anyone tow anything around the top weight and how do you get on, or do you think its not advisable to tow so close to the stated 1600kg or as this is a Skoda recommended weight should this be Ok and I'm worrying about nothing?

Cheers all.

Edited 11 July, 201114 yr by bryanp

Hi all, I have a 1.9TDi 130 which is apparently 1567kg and tow a caravan with a mass laden weight of 1385kg, according to the 85% rule I should ideally tow no more than 1332kg even though Skoda claim the max braked towing weight is 1600kg.

The Superb more than copes with my current caravan despite it being just over the 85% weight, so with this in mind we have been looking at new caravans that are around 1500-1560kg, within the Skoda weight but well over the 85% weight.

So my question is does anyone tow anything around the top weight and how do you get on, or do you think its not advisable to tow so close to the stated 1600kg or as this is a Skoda recommended weight should this be Ok and I'm worrying about nothing?

Cheers all.

Hi bryanp

Its not a matter of if it will pull it or not, but there are legal matters that are more important !

Look either under the bonnet or in the door post, and there should be a data plate that will give the weights, and will look like:

900

1000

3000

1567

the first two are the front and rear axle weights, the third is the gross train weight, and the last is the gross car weight(these are just examples) but exceed these and you are in for a big fine and poss the outfit taken off you !

Radiotwo

Hi bryanp

Its not a matter of if it will pull it or not, but there are legal matters that are more important !

Look either under the bonnet or in the door post, and there should be a data plate that will give the weights, and will look like:

900

1000

3000

1567

the first two are the front and rear axle weights, the third is the gross train weight, and the last is the gross car weight(these are just examples) but exceed these and you are in for a big fine and poss the outfit taken off you !

Radiotwo

The plate under the bonnet claims,

2050kg

3650kg

1-1080kg

2-1060kg

What was confusing is the info seems to be in reverse order to what you say but correct to the info on the net, so let i'll you of on that one

The GVW is 2050kg and this sort of makes sense because if you subtract that from the GTW of 3650kg you get the Skoda braked towing weight of 1600kg.

I take it the GVW is the kerb weight of 1567kg plus cargo upto combined weight adding upto 2050kg, so I have a payload of 483kg?

Edited 11 July, 201114 yr by bryanp

I tow a twin axle braked trailer with my 130 AWX Superb and have sometimes loaded it beyond 1600 kg. The chassis and the engine cope with this extremely well and I would rate the Mk 1 Superb (130 diesel) as an excellent tow car. The engine torque in particular gives it a huge advantage in most situations and the traction is also good with half a yard of engine hanging ahead of the front axle line.

Just as well, because that's a major part of its job - motorway cruising is the other part. The car has few other virtues though - lousy handling and gross unreliability and needless expense unless you take the time to put right the design faults. Together with the crass dishonesty I have found when dealing with the importer, as an overall package it's not up to much.

No more money to VAG from me.

rotodiesel.

I tow a twin axle braked trailer with my 130 AWX Superb and have sometimes loaded it beyond 1600 kg. The chassis and the engine cope with this extremely well and I would rate the Mk 1 Superb (130 diesel) as an excellent tow car. The engine torque in particular gives it a huge advantage in most situations and the traction is also good with half a yard of engine hanging ahead of the front axle line.

Just as well, because that's a major part of its job - motorway cruising is the other part. The car has few other virtues though - lousy handling and gross unreliability and needless expense unless you take the time to put right the design faults. Together with the crass dishonesty I have found when dealing with the importer, as an overall package it's not up to much.

No more money to VAG from me.

rotodiesel.

If your looking for a real idiot look no further than ME Two weeks ago I borrowed a twin wheel trailer with brakes and collected two pallets of bricks thinking they would be in or around 600kgs each coming back a journey of 25 miles I thought this is dodgy so I pulled in and checked the weight recorded on the pallets GROSS 1560Kgs each. I must say the engine was more than fit for the job but did record 8 to 10 miles per gallon but it was the clutch I feared for I'll never do that to my poor car again

The plate under the bonnet claims,

2050kg

3650kg

1-1080kg

2-1060kg

What was confusing is the info seems to be in reverse order to what you say but correct to the info on the net, so let i'll you of on that one

The GVW is 2050kg and this sort of makes sense because if you subtract that from the GTW of 3650kg you get the Skoda braked towing weight of 1600kg.

I take it the GVW is the kerb weight of 1567kg plus cargo upto combined weight adding upto 2050kg, so I have a payload of 483kg?

Yes you have got it in one, but don't forget that includes passengers (and driver) so if there were four people at 100 kgs and say you had

a tank of fuel say 45 kgs, then does not leave much left for luggage !

And don't forget the caravan axle will have a max load, so go over any individual limit then they will get you on that !!

just a point to rotodiesel, yes the engine might be up to the weight, but its the law that will get you !

Radiotwo

All of my "overweight" towing is on private land.

rotodiesel.