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 Post subject: towing question
PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:25 pm 
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998cc
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Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:04 am
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Location: Ballarat, Victoria
hi all,

Tomorrow im picking up a moke (yay)

Ill be towing it home with my ford territory. The ford is a rear wheel drive auto

When im towing the trailer should I use 3rd gear? Or is it fine to just use Drive like normal?

Its about a 150km each way.

Thanks

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:31 pm 
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Use top gear except when going up or down hills.


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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:35 pm 
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Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:34 pm
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Load the motor end of the vehicle to the front of the trailer too.

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:18 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 3:05 pm
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Location: Northcote, Victoria
Bubbacluby wrote:
Load the motor end of the vehicle to the front of the trailer too.


Wow.. do people really not know this?

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:41 am 
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Davo wrote:
Bubbacluby wrote:
Load the motor end of the vehicle to the front of the trailer too.


Wow.. do people really not know this?

I've seen people do it the other way.... seems crazy to even try it.

The main thing I wanted to know was about towing using the auto transmission. So thanks for that answer gto.

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:23 am 
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Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:17 am
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Location: san remo nsw
He he, towing a Moke on a trailer would be almost like towing it empty, especially behind Territory. I work in RACQ Depot and have seen some classics when it comes to people recovering their own cars, ranging from nothing at all except handbrake holding it..... spiderwebs of Telecom rope....chains through open windows..
to ratchet tie downs round plastic bumpers. It,s good that you've taken the time to ask, a lot don't and end up in sh*tloads of strife.


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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:48 am 
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I wouldn't worry about the gears, the Auto will change down if it needs, not like you will have much weight behind you anyway.
Admittedly i have a turbo diesel Land rover for towing, but with a round nose on a 7x5 trailer(with extended drawbar and drop front and rear tailgates) I can barley feel the trailer behind me, and the trailer is 365kg's empty so you do the math.
Ive had two minis on a looooooong car trailer before and was also not too much of an issue, 6th gear on slight inclines, drop it back to 5th if the hill looked like it would get a little nasty just to keep the EGT's down :)

just make sure you strap the car town well so its not moving everywhere, a shifting load is a pain in the bum!
(don't take the photo of my roundie badly strapped in on my trailer in one of my threads as a guide though :P was a 4km trip and I was feeling lazy!)

Leroy.

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:43 am 
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Thanks for the help all,

I got the Moke home ok... wasn't too much trouble at all.

I spent most of the trip in Drive as per usual, just used 3rd for the hills when I needed to.

The territory didn't miss a beat... man I love that car.

I'll start another thread with some pictures of the Moke :-)

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:57 am 
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Thorlek wrote:
Davo wrote:
Bubbacluby wrote:
Load the motor end of the vehicle to the front of the trailer too.


Wow.. do people really not know this?

I've seen people do it the other way.... seems crazy to even try it.

The main thing I wanted to know was about towing using the auto transmission. So thanks for that answer gto.



Depends entirely on the trailer. You guys need to ask a few more questions before giving advice with such certainty. I have borrowed a long car transport with a short draw bar - if a mini was loaded on it engine forward at the front of the trailer it would have placed hundreds of kilos on the draw bar.

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 Post subject: Re: towing question
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:04 am 
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smac wrote:


Depends entirely on the trailer. You guys need to ask a few more questions before giving advice with such certainty. I have borrowed a long car transport with a short draw bar - if a mini was loaded on it engine forward at the front of the trailer it would have placed hundreds of kilos on the draw bar.


Agree, I was going to mention this, its more about balancing the trailer. some cars seems to have 3Ton towing but only 150kg draw bar weight(seems silly to me) I find that if I tow 3 tons and only have 150kg's on the tow bar the trailer feels like its lifting the back end of the car, i go for around 10% of the total weight (estimated) as the draw bar weight.
In most cases though with a long draw bar (which most trailer you will transport a mini on would likely have?) engine forwards. with my 7x5 mentioned up a few posts with the engine forwards I can still lift the draw bar of the trailer off the jockey wheel and onto the car if needed with the mini in it, with a Shorter draw bar I don't think Id be able too.

Leroy.

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