Hello, can any one advise on the towing capacity / limit for the Superb 2.0 tdi 170 DSG. There is so much conflicting advice. A lot of the web sites including Skoda advise of a maximum of 2000kgs, but the V5 shows 'mass in service - 1594', then is the permissable towing mass 85% of the cars mass? This would work out to be 1354 - is this right or where am i going wrong.

Thanks.

Official document here

2,000kg is for braked and 4x4

1,800kg for non 4x4

 

Both 750kg unbraked

Nose weight is 80kg

Edited 6 October, 20223 yr by varooom

Thanks, just confusing about details on V5 about 'Mass in Service'

1 minute ago, mrgtathome said:

Thanks, just confusing about details on V5 about 'Mass in Service'

Local Country laws do override the official Skoda documents mind you.

 

I suspect that 1594kg is for you car's actual weight maybe?

Yes thats right, but i thought you can only tow 85% of the cars weight?

No idea, never looked into towing caravans.

 

Hopefully someone might know the correct answer.

5 hours ago, mrgtathome said:

Yes thats right, but i thought you can only tow 85% of the cars weight?

 

That is just a reccommendation for stability reasons really and people with less experience towing.

There are a few limits which apply to towing, technical, legal and advisory.

 

Technically the manufacturer will specify a limit for the vehicle and this must never be exceeded. This will be in the handbook, and in this case is 1800 kg for a braked trailer or 750 kg for an unbraked one. This is the maximum weight Skoda rate the vehicle to tow under any circumstances.

 

Legally there are different limits depending on the driving licence you hold. UK licence categories are here and it comes down to what licence you have and when you got it. Before getting into licence particulars, some terminology:

• DGVM = towing vehicle's Design Gross Vehicle Mass i.e. maximum plated weight for the car. For the Superb Combi CR170 with DSG this is 2157 kg (check the plate on the driver's side B-pillar on your car to be sure, this is what's on mine)
  • This can also be referred to as MAM = Maximum Allowable Mass
• MTPLM = trailer/caravan's Maximum Technically Permissable Laden Mass i.e. the maximum plated weight of the trailer. You will need to know this for whatever you are towing.
• Most legal towing limits concern the combination of these two, often known as maximum train weight or combination weight.
• All legal limits are subject to manufacturer's technical limits: the lower of the two applies.

If you don't have a BE licence (i.e. only a B licence), there are two scenarios: whether you passed your test before 1st January 1997 or after.

• If it's before, you can tow any combination weight up to 8250 kg
• If it's after, you can only tow up to a combination weight of 3500 kg, meaning you're limited to a trailer MTPLM of 3500 - 2157 = 1343 kg
  • Irrespective of vehicle DGVM, you can also tow a trailer with an MTPLM of 750 kg or less

If you do have a BE licence, there are also two scenarios: whether you passed your test before 19th January 2013 or after:

• If it's before, you can tow any trailer regardless of its MTPLM provided the towing vehicle DGVM is 3500 kg or less (which it should be for category B anyway)
• If it's after, the trailer MTPLM must be 3500 kg or less

For any Irish readers who see this thread, our rules are a bit simpler (and the same comment on legal vs technical limits applies):

• If you only hold a B-licence, you can only tow up to a combination weight of 3500 kg, meaning you're limited to a trailer MTPLM of 3500 - 2157 = 1343 kg
  • Irrespective of vehicle DGVM, you can also tow a trailer with an MTPLM of 750 kg or less
• If you hold a BE licence, you can tow any trailer with an MTPLM of 3500 kg or less

The final limit, which is not really a limit so much as a rule of thumb is the 85 % rule you've mentioned. As others have commented, this is a guideline for drivers with less towing experience to avoid running into difficulties when towing, especially with high-sided trailers like caravans or horse-boxes. It is based on the vehicle's kerb weight and this is going to vary depending on model and load. The figure on the V5 is the minimum kerb weight, and realistically the car is a good deal heavier (my car clocks in around 1700 kg with a driver and full tank of fuel). Based on the 85 % rule, and the V5 kerb weight, the OP has calculated 1354 kg, which is very close to the post-1997 B licence limit of 1343 kg, so isn't a bad figure here.

 

Something that will help with towing on the Superb is getting OE or equivalent towing electrics (Westphalia is the only one I'm aware of but there may be others). These integrate fully with other vehicle systems and enable some useful features for towing. The most useful on the road is the ESP towing mode which can use the ESP system to detect and help correct sway. The engine also detects when a trailer is detected and changes the mapping slightly to help with the load. Beyond that you get deactivation of the rear parking sensors and alarm activation if the trailer is unplugged while the alarm is set.

3 hours ago, chimaera said:

 

If you don't have a BE licence (i.e. only a B licence), there are two scenarios: whether you passed your test before 1st January 1997 or after.

• If it's before, you can tow any combination weight up to 8250 kg
• If it's after, you can only tow up to a combination weight of 3500 kg, meaning you're limited to a trailer MTPLM of 3500 - 2157 = 1343 kg
  • Irrespective of vehicle DGVM, you can also tow a trailer with an MTPLM of 750 kg or less

 

 

As of 16/12/21 B+E category was automatically given to people who passed their test after 1/1/97 but before 18/1/13 so your second bullet is now no longer the case.

 

People who passed their test after 19/1/13 still have to take their B+E test IIRC

Edited 6 October, 20223 yr by SuperbTWM

2 hours ago, SuperbTWM said:

 

As of 16/12/21 B+E category was automatically given to people who passed their test after 1/1/97 but before 18/1/13 so your second bullet is now no longer the case.

 

People who passed their test after 19/1/13 still have to take their B+E test IIRC

I'm going from what's in the link I gave in the post, but you may be right. I'm not that familiar with UK licencing. The weights will still be relevant in any case depending on what licence you qualify for.

18 hours ago, chimaera said:

I'm going from what's in the link I gave in the post, but you may be right. I'm not that familiar with UK licencing. The weights will still be relevant in any case depending on what licence you qualify for.

 

Yes your info is spot on, I just wanted to mention the recent changes which isn't that clear in your link but this link does clear it up: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-for-towing-a-trailer-or-caravan-with-a-car-from-autumn-2021

 

Looking at it again, it looks like everyone now gets the B+E, not just between 1997 and 2013

Edited 7 October, 20223 yr by SuperbTWM