Hey all

 

Does anyone have experience of towing a caravan or large loads using the 1.9 TDI 105bhp engine?  

 

If yes, how have you found it?

 

Cheers

D

I can't see there being a problem.

 

It's a strong engine with plenty of torque behind it.

 

People have towed with much smaller/less powerful engines and cars before.

 

Phil

We used our '57 plate 1.9 TDI 105bhp to tow an Ace Jubilee caravan for 5 years. 

 

Caravan weight was almost 1300kg, so we were just a bit over the recommended 85%.  We had no problems at all out on the road, but it did make the clutch smell a bit a couple of times when reversing uphill on caravan sites.

 

MPG was in the 34 - 36 range, which most caravanners would die for!!

 

We've now swapped the van for a 1200kg Eriba, and the car for a '61 plate 1.6 TDI.  Achieved over 40mpg on both trips we've made with it.

 

Hope this is helpful.  Keith

Thanks for the replies so far

 

That MPG is definitely reasonable considering the extra weight!

You will have no problem, the 105 bhp TDI has about 185 lb/ft of torque and that is the important figure when it comes to towing. I was on holiday with my caravan in June and got talking to a neighbour on the site about his car as we both had Octavias. His had the same engine as you but with the DSG box and he was happy with its towing capability even taking it over Europe.

Ian

aim having the 1.6tdi 105 octavia estate wot would this be like towing a van sum say it will sum say it wont

aim having the 1.6tdi 105 octavia estate wot would this be like towing a van sum say it will sum say it wont

 

Should be fine.

 

It's the same BHP and torque as the 1.9 105 engine.

 

Phil

The only real difference we've noticed between the two cars is the extra 10% MPG from the 1.6

 

Keith

thanks phil for the info just thinking about a caravan people say just watch the weight of the van don't go over

thanks phil for the info just thinking about a caravan people say just watch the weight of the van don't go over

 

The towing weight limit for a braked trailer on the 1.6 TDI is 1400kg. Legally that is the most you can tow.

 

However if you want to stick to the 85% kerb weight guidance (depending on options about 1275kg on a 1.6 TDI hatch) you'll obviously have to tow considerably less than 1400kg.  

Edited 18 July, 201312 yr by booke23

ok mike thanks again was just just thinking of a van but i do not wount to pull the gusts of it so i we leave it thanks pete

I would think that the way the power is delivered in the PD 1.9 would be more suited to towing than the more linear delivery offered by the 1.6

 

As far as the "extra 10%" MPG, I would question that in two ways. I have 2 friends with 1.6CR diesels,and both say that they are not as "driveable" as the1.9PD. They both say that the car needs working more to achieve the same, and as such they have both found that the 1.6 is actually thirstier, even though it should be better on paper. Having driven them, I much prefer the punchier delivery of my own PD units, even though the PD is less refined and more agricultural than the CR. I honestly don't think I could live with the 1.6CR.

 

Also, I know the power is the same on both engines, but personally I would be happier asking the bigger engine to do heavier work like towing.

 

Mike

 

Mike has a replica 1.9 PD engine on his bedside cabinet.  It's plush so, you know, he can cuddle it too.

 

I find it interesting that you think that the 1.6 might not give more MPG than the 1.9, and I can easily see how it could be so if you tried to drive both cars the same way. 

 

Having done 120k in 8 years in 2 x 1.9s, the first trip we did in the 1.6 was a 600mile dash to Devon and back.  Computer showed 58mpg going there , and a touch over 60 on the return. So not much different from what I'd been used to previously.

 

As we did a few local trips in Norfolk and Suffolk, we noticed that were sometimes getting  around 70 by driving a bit more steadily - you don't go fast in Norfolk!!

 

I've noticed that when you're say on a dual carriageway with roundabouts, the car runs very freely when you take your foot off the gas.  The 1.6 engine doesn't slow the car nearly as much as the 1.9 did.  It's very easy to keep your speed up too long and have to brake hard, which costs. It can be a bit scary in heavy motorway traffic, as you keep having to touch the brake.

 

A trip to London last week, using A11 and M11, but keeping to the speed limits and allowing plenty of space, gave a reading of 66mpg.

 

Sorry to hijack the towing thread, but as I said before, I didn't notice much difference between the two while towing.  But then again, I always pootle along with the caravan on the back!!

 

Keith

Edited 19 July, 201312 yr by Keeff57

I've got a 1.9 PD 4x4 that I bought specifically for towing. I use it to tow a RIB on a regular basis. It weighs just over 1100kg. Around the lanes up to about 50mph I find it tows really well and hill starts on steep slipways covered in slime/gravel are dispatched easily with the 4x4.  The low 1st gear and closely stacked ratios of the 6 speed gearbox actually work better towing than they do solo.

 

Once I go over 50 mph I do feel that it is underpowered, trying to maintain 55-60 mph on a hilly dual carriageway (A30 into Cornwall for instance) would require working it very hard indeed. The boat creates allot less drag at speed than a caravan too I would think.

 

I'm hoping to get it mapped when the insurance renews, hopefully this will make it much better. The 105pd feels like it wants to give so much more than it can once you go over 2500 rpm.