Hi all,I want to tow with my late bay. Its a 620 kg mini and the lightweight trailer probably takes it to 750kg My bay will quite happily sit at 65 and gets there pretty quick but was terrible on fuel ,think it reqs more setting up was probably too rich. The engine is standard,just had a full service and electronic ignition. Will it tow this or do I need to look at other engine options?or can I tune it for more power easily?
I should be ok. I asked a similar question about a little caravan I've purchased recently. Is it a braked trailer? I'd be more concerned with stopping, with at much weight behind you.
What engine have you got? Some do but I wouldn’t the flat would be doable but the first decent hill and I think you will be struggling.
I'd imagine a 1600 will struggle on the flat, and be unbearable on any sort of hill. I'd also question a 1600 getting to 65 "pretty quick"!!
That trailer weight seems very low, I'd question the quality of it, a single axle Ifor Williams car trailer is 350kg.
I tow a 6 foot assems camping trailer ,two German Shepard’s , my two boys , me and my misses all aboard my 2 l bay . Once ya get up to speed its flys along . Mind you , we do live in flat Norfolk
My small car trailer weighs 750 kg unladen.. with a 800kg beetle on it, my t4 struggles up hills... no way a 50 (at best!) hp bay is going to pull that up a slight incline
I have never towed with a Bay and don't want to. Too many issues with the wayward steering, wind effects, braking effectiveness, struggling up hills with a low hp engine, wearing out the clutch. All good reasons not to tow. I have a 1600tp and doing 65mph would scare me, the engine would be at the top of its rev range and not good for the engine and no wonder it was thirsty. Mine drives happily and sweetly at 55mph which suits it and me.
I have tow started a Transit flatbed builders truck full of Irish folk once in my Bay. Nothing else. Back in the day, in the USA, they would tow race Beetles on trailers behind a T2.. although.one of them mentioned was a 1600 TP it was retrofitted with the FI from a Mk2 Golf.. Roughly equivalent to fitting decent carbs. Provided you dont try to get out of third gear for air cooling reasons, the bus should tow happily. It should be a more stable than a front engined vehicle. I can remember towing an old Mini on a trailer behind a 70HP car.. not far different from the 60+ HP that a healthy 1600 or 1641 TP with upgraded exhaust and carb(s) puts out. I am sure my bus would manage. Just not very fast...but I do have full flow filter and an extra oil cooler on a 1641..for sitting at 100kph for hours ..
If it fits in , straps on , pulls behind and you can move , you’re good to go . Back in the day , we would drive all over Europe, all my family and all the camping gear . Driving across the alps in first and second gear with the engine screaming away like it was gonna blow any minute but it never did . Theses vans have used in all sorts of situations , military and emergency services etc towing all sorts of heavy gear . Yeah all the extra weight may slow em down but it’s not gonna kill em . If it does ya repair it
