Worst heavy tow test ever - YESSSSSSSSS! | Auto Expert John Cadogan

[@AutoExpertJC]

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[@tonyhitch5799]

Love your work cuzzy... Fucking A+. I've tried explaining some of this to mates who keep bending their drawbars. Duh. Hate seeing them leave with yet another front heavy trailer, but what the fûčk can I do but try... New Zealand roads and rain... But they get back every time. How? Luck. Physics be damned...

[@tadstertrolley7770]

Bit late to this video, but sheesh you did well to keep calm after witnessing this chasing car crap. That looks to be a lot more towball download than what you even extrapolate.

[@andyfreeze4072]

I did buy a VE commodore with the intention of towing a small van around australia. 5 yrs on, i only ever towed a tinny. After John's good advice, I won't be doing that foolish trip. Till i win the lottery, it can just remain a dream. Thanks John, you have saved me over $200,000 with your smart arse advice over the years. Its much appreciated.

[@johnspear3452]

I dont know about Australia. But in the UK it costs between £8 - £10 to visit a weighbridge this will give you two weights, i usually drive the trailer on and stop to get z trailer axle weight, then drive the car on as well to get a gross weight. I tow a variety of trailers, horse trailer at about 2500kg, boats 2500 - 3500kg, cars 2000- 2500kg etc, and i like to think im pretty good at judging the weight of my trailers, but i still run over the weighbridge regularly especially if i think im near the limit of the trailer, or have something unusual on . A, this tells me that im all complaint . B, it reassures me that my judgement of what I'm loading is pretty good. But when the police do pull me over (generally towing something a bit different) I can easily prove with the weight certificate that im legal, they don't have to escort me to a weighbridge ( wasting my time) we have a chat about what im doing and they send me on my way. Even if you only ever tow you caravan once a year i would recommend taking it to a weighbridge once just to find out what it actually weights, i think a lot of people would be surprised at how much weight they have added.

[@soundman6645]

seriously a lot of people would be surprised what their tow vehicle alone weighs in at once fitted with accessories

[@soundman6645]

If I go to my local tip, it costs me nothing for a drive over and a look at the display. if you want an actual certificate, you have to pay for that, but it's far from expensive.

[@brianmaclennan561]

Got 1 at my workplace, so free for me😅

[@soundman6645]

@@brianmaclennan561 BARGIN :)

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Bit if a drive to get to that weighbridge though. Plus we would need pounds.

[@DieselAddiction]

Reminds me of a Skoda SUV that turned up at Birdsville Roadhouse Workshop towing a Rolling Thunder Box. Rear suspension was on the bump stops and he wondered why the brand new Yokohama All Terrain tyres were worn through to the wire on the insides! Then had the Nuts to ask for warranty! Hot tip for Outback travellers, don’t abuse or blame the only workshop Mechanic within 400kms for your own incompetence and then expect good service and cheap tyres!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

😁😁😁😁

[@whomcares3438]

No helping stupid is there. Just wait until they’re trying big red in the Skoda……no one is safe.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

What kind of dipshit takes a Skoda on a road trip to Dingo Piss Creek? I'm not saying you necessarily _need_ a 4WD to get out there, as millions of Falcons and Commodores have proved over the past few decades. You just need to know what you're doing, and old mate in the Skoda clearly doesn't.

[@mullins6429]

Hi John, another good presentation. Quite clearly it’s the wrong trailer for the job being undertaken. Anyone that knew anything at all about transporting cars should never have accepted or chosen that trailer especially when they are trying to demonstrate safe towing.

[@steved3702]

That trailer makes total sense for a mini excavator with the relatively-light shovel towards the front. Must have been handy while the excavator was occupied with a ditch. A proper car trailer must have been available to hire elsewhere...

[@PHancock11]

Nothing droopy or saggy here John, listening to you quote physics and facts excites me in ways I thought only the Myers lingerie catelogue could do. Keep up the good work

[@terrysmith7740]

Trailer looks like a mini excavator carrier, not a car carrier.

[@johncunningham4820]

YES .

[@boogerhead0]

Another thing many newbie tow drivers do not appreciate are the varying forces, applied upon both tow vehicle and towed trailer, by unseen wind pressures, particularly around large trucks, at highway speeds. In front of the truck is a huge positive pressure, alongside is a slipstream up to the 5th wheel, and then there is, typically, a huge suction during the clear area in front of the trailer tandems, and then another various pressure change around the tandems, and around the rear of the trailer box. A gondola trailer may be much worse than the box trailer, due to the curving dual or triple tubs, in the cross-pressure differentials, especially in a suction that can pull a towed box trailer toward the gondola trailer. As you mentioned, these are all dynamics that quickly vary in a passing operation, one moment pulling the tow vehicle towards the tractor/trailer, and in the next moment, pushing it away. And in a borderline ball weight/balance, can quickly pitch a tow into a jack knife/over-correction/rollover scenario. Add to the above, any wear in the steering links, and suspension bushings, adds to the excitement by introducing delays in vehicle response and predictability. And, of course, as may be preached anywhere, the physics prevails.

[@gazzas123]

I have seen some crazy towing situations but also some just overloaded utes. I had a 73 Toyota single cab tray back with a smaller size quad bike on it and that made a huge difference in braking. Today I saw a Triton dual cab wel back with one of those IBC containers full of water and 4 adults. The hold 1000 litres i.e. 1000 Kg, I wounder what the effect would be on braking.

[@LantanaLodge]

"And the details...really...fucking...matter" - well delivered!

[@CharlesBrown-q8q]

I would not like to be debating him on the details that is for sure.

[@peterblackmore7560]

My fave right hand lane speeders on a Sunday afternoon heading back to the city is the guy in a large crew-cab, plus family , towing a large-ish plastic fantastic with two outboards. Yeah, more aerodynamic than the acoustically transparent shittoire (think it's two ts) coming back from Dingo Piss Creek. I try to stay as far behind as safely possible because it is not going out on its' own - it will take many others with it. As usual, lots of laughs as you talk about serious stuff. Keep it up John. What a pity that we don't have those American huge caravan home on wheels with triaxles, sliders, toy hauler rear patio connected to a small fifth wheel in the back of the Ford F250 dually. I'd love to see you do that video!

[@BlackhawkPilot]

Who designed that trailer? Not built for haling cars. Perhaps a golf cart but not a car. You are so correct about weights. Many US states regulate a speed of 55 mph (90 mph?) for three plus axels for safety. I tow 5500 lbs with a 6000 lbs tow vehicle and drive everywhere at 55 mph or less. Get honked at a lot in CA where the speed limit is 55 mph for three axles by cars and trucks driving 70+ mph.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

Its for towing equipment like a digger, not a regular car

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Kennards must have been short on trailers that day because if I’m not mistaken that’s a plant trailer. This would explain the weird design of the trailer having the wheels so far back and the deck being so short. Most plant equipment that would be carried on a trailer, such as excavators or skid steers are very heavy in the back end so the machine can lift without tipping forward. That’s why the wheels look to far back even for a car trailer. Dickheads.

[@tjroelsma]

They could have somewhat corrected for the placement of the axles by loading the vehicle backwards. Doing that would at least guarantee that the heaviest part of the car would have been pressing down on the axles of the trailer. This "test" is pretty much a prime example of how to NOT transport a car.

[@Blanchy10]

Not really up to Kennards to make sure you are not an idiot though.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

@@Blanchy10 Completely agree, I didn’t mean to blame Kennards.

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

@@tjroelsma exactly. That would be one of the few times putting a car on a trailer backwards might be ok. Normally that’s a huge mistake. 👍

[@tecnaman9097]

@@tjroelsma Was thinking the same thing myself. 1) Put the car on backwards and 2) Use a trailer for a car, not a machinery plant trailer.🤣🤣

[@piman299]

Thanx John I was one of those dickheads who towed the 1600 kg caravan fully loaded with ford falcon station wagon, a visit to weight bridge soon made me decide that this was a bad idea, not to mention the arse end of my wagon looking very droopy, went home and sold van, wagon springs were never the same, I am a lot wiser thank you again.

[@rotamota3200]

The vast majority of reporting on products/services these days is atrocious. Over-promising and under-delivering on operating results is everywhere, with no real care given to inform their viewership of the potential issues that may arise. Also it seems that physics/mathematics is something most people have forgotten about after leaving high school - if they paid any attention in those classes anway. Good on you for calling this kind of bollocks out!

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

The scalies will have no mercy when the sum of the four wheels on the car exceeds the Gross Vehicle Weight

[@martinguybuhler]

Geezus John I'm having acid flashbacks to my TAFE teacher banging on about levers force and moment's, it was magical wizardry until the maths,the maths John!!!!! My head hurt Great presentation very rational

[@barrypackman2861]

That is appalling, how did the hire company permit that configuration to leave the yard. It's all down hill from there. Another good pickup by you.

[@AutoExpertJC]

It didn't leave the yard like that, I'm tipping. They added the Venue later.

[@barrypackman2861]

@@AutoExpertJC reconciliation the trailer should have been level to start

[@AutoExpertJC]

That's not possible - the relative height of the components doesn't allow it.

[@steved3702]

That trailer looks to be designed for a mini excavator with a vastly different weight distribution, which would make sense for Kennards as a plant hire firm.

[@guyclk]

"If you hit a pothole going around a corner under brakes" Coming to you this summer , rated M for merde!!

[@maingey1]

Good content as usual. With respect to a concept of a lot of cars having a weight bias on the front axle when empty, imagine what difference there may be if the car was reversed onto the trailer...

[@233kosta]

I'm sometimes amazed by the difference in the amount of raw feel you can get on a motorbike, noticing things that are just too subtle in a car. I used to notice a change in how the rear end felt after a few hours riding when the rear tyre had a slow leak. It would only lose maybe 10% of pressure per day, but even the tiny change that would occur after 4-5 hours was noticeable. After a few days it would become more than obvious that something was wrong. Thankfully it never lead to an incident though.

[@David_Johnson_]

I seem to remember somewhere near 40 years ago now when getting my licence in Victoria that at that time the speed limit for a regular vehicle towing a trailer was a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h. I don't know but would imagine there were definitely weight limits about various vehicles, I never had any interest in towing anything at 18 years of age. I wonder if those creating these regulations all those years ago applied much more common sense than currently occurs. It certainly seems so. Brings to mind the phrase "just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD."

[@craigclarke1628]

We need to have towing license restrictions and extra license for towing. Your video is the evidence.

[@adamli8484]

I make my living moving really big heavy things mostly with trucks but I also have plenty of experience with light vehicle trailers. If the ball weight is under 400kg I would be stunned. It's very unlikely you could get the weight of the towed vehicle to centre over the axles on that trailer due to the position of the axles. Even with the car loaded backwards the ramps on the rear of the trailer will prevent it from moving far enough back to balance the load. That trailer is clearly designed to tow a small excavator where the weight of the machine is spread over a small area of the tracks with room at the front for the boom to fold over. Using it to move a car is a really shit idea. Thanks for your comments about the leverage of the trailer in relation to the distance between the rear axle of the vehicle and trailers axle. Now if we could only dumb this information down to a level that even caravan enthusiasts could understand the roads might be a little bit safer. Adding a longer drawbar "because it's easier to reverse" while completely ignoring the extra leverage you are giving the trailer might, finally be seen as a really shit idea.

[@kadmow]

(yes the average person could calculate moments, but are too lazy to consider the exercise interesting enough to bother. Moments of inertia, now that is a whole other topic. Some more Information for the general public regarding getting weighed at a public weigh bridge would be good.)

[@markscott3644]

Hi John, another good episode. It’d be interesting to look at/talk about the rear axle weight limits and also the tyre ratings when discussing towing. As I believe these limits are ignored somewhat with only GCM, GVW & tow ball weight being talked about in videos about towing.

[@kevinbarry71]

Wow, quoting "convoy". Now there's a piece of awful 1970s nostalgia I wish had remained buried in a deep place

[@IT-sq5rj]

Lol. I was thinking of this quote that John did this morning. P.S. When John does it, it is cool 😎

[@brettd5315]

Looks to me like the rear axle of the trailer is unloaded? If that's the case then the allowable axle load on trailer might be exceeded?

[@iRenegade164]

~5-minutes into the video (including the ad) it dawned on me if the car were *backed onto the trailer,* it'd be good to go! Now onto the last 20-minutes....

[@nuvisionprinting]

The best 1 I've seen is a trying to tow a 12 ton truck gvm with a 7 ton gvm truck using the less than 3 ton rated chain for a tail lift. Happend the other day at work.

[@joshdcooper]

9th! But seriously. What the hell, dude. This looks like an accident waiting to happen, produced by an insurance company.

[@bryanmurphy3328]

It's always important to drive safely. The Video in question has been removed, and this will potentially save lives. Can you imagine what could happen if the towed load began to fishtail down the road and the potential loss of lives that could occur ? Impressive torque in your wisdom.

[@Mastertradeskills]

I watched that video the other day and thought, I wonder what John would make of this piece of genius 😂

[@Helliconia54]

i drive a VE commode. I tow a boat,(400kg's) I noticed that , at speed i developed a little sway. By just moving the winch post forward by 6" and thus moving the boat 6" forward , i eliminated ALL sway at any speed..

[@outandaboutinoz]

Nice one John. Too many people do this everyday.

[@ryan76936]

Hello John What are your options on using a tow dolly for towing a car? Is a tow dolly a better thing to use? Great video

[@chrisbraid2907]

Hey John , how about switching out the towball with a Higher hitch point towball (I’m assuming a Hayman Reese hitch here ) and back the car up onto the trailer, would that redress the imbalance and lower the mass pushing down on the tow bar ? Looking at that Trailer, I’d say that the forward axel looks like it’s actually at the proper centre for the springs … it’s an out of balance trailer already since the Wheels are all unsprung weight. BTW the Nullarbor is a 100 km/h zone for laden Trailers. Try 110 and collect your ticket from Caiguna or Beladonia … I’ve watched dudes get them along there. I have an AU Falcon for my Towing, I wouldn’t be towing with a Subaru if I owned one. Trailers steer a Suby quicker than it ever will the old Falcons … it’s not about AWD, it’s more about footprint …

[@axelneumann9224]

Hi, thanks for calling me forward, or are we talking about the front axle on the trailer? Second, what bloody difference does the height of the towball make? It might make the trailer 'look' safe, but still doesn’t negate the incompetence and lack of any idea about basic physics of the author of this story. Wrong trailer for the job, you might get away with this setup if you back the Venue up and have the heavy bits, ie drivetrain, over the axle groups! PS, a towball scale at Anaconda for $59

[@rogerpearson9081]

The towball weight would be heavy AF. The heaviest part of the trailered car is the front (engine /transaxle/ battery) which is more than halfway between the trailer axles centres and the towball. Pushing limits IMHO. The only thing it has going for it is it does not have the polar moment of a tandem axle caravan. That said, ther is more than the total weight to consider, like the balance of it. In flying, you can have the C of G out of balance even though it is not near Max TOW just by sitting heavies in the back row. BAD!

[@fluffypuppy1040]

Maybe turn the Venue (front heavy) around to move the weight back. This would put more weight over the trailer axles - but it is a bit harder to bank onto a trailer...

[@Equiluxe1]

Way back in the early 1960's I saw a series ! Land Rover towing an articulated lorry loaded to the gills with sugar beet, it was making about ten miles an hour. Guess the farmers lorry broke down and he went out to tow it home. But the lorry would have been at least 38 tons and it looked well overloaded, which was pretty well the norm for farmers shifting sugar beet back then.

[@dougstubbs9637]

You have set the bar high, John. Can you start next episode by reciting that other truckie favourite…. 🎶Teddy Bear ..🎶….breaker one nine, came over the air, came back and talk to Mommer Teddy Bear….’

[@craigo7235]

Now that is a classic country song.

[@p38arover22]

Maybe I'm old but when I was starting to drive (legally) in the Sixties, one didn't tow a load of greater mass than the tow vehicle (that being a car, not a truck)..

[@kadmow]

- even rigid trucks had similar rules back in the day. Also way back then, trailer brakes (for light trailers) were either override (probably rare on general purpose trailers) or nothing...

[@101spirited]

"That's why so many of the slimy fuckers go into politics" There goes the coffee all over the screen.

[@Judge_Dredd]

First thing I note is the trailer and caravan design towed over there have the trailer axles too far back, putting too much weight on the drawbar/nose/tow bar AND the rear axle of the tow vehicles. Its quite different here in the UK. Max drawbar/nose/tow bar weight of the caravan I tow is 100kg, but the max for the estate car I tow with is 75kg, so I won't go over the 75kg and have two means to measure this with mechanical and electrical scales. Can't understand why the design of such trailers doesn't carry the max trailer mass on its own axle(s), we have a weird 1954 'rule of thumb' here for caravans in particular, where the max laden weight of the caravan shouldn't be more than 100% of the unladen weight of the two vehicle unless its an experienced driver, those new to towing caravans are advised of no more than 85%. Whilst this is effectively guidance its rigorously followed by the majority even if the maximum stated towing weight of the tow vehicle is stated by the manufacturer as being higher. My own outfit consists of a 2008 Toyota Avensis Estate with Unladen Kerb Weight of 1610kg (max laden weight of 2100kg), drawbar of 75kg, and a 2008 Swift Ace Celebration 620 twin axle of 1685kg max laden weight, so a tad over 100% according to the guidance, however in 1954 they did not have tow ball stabiliser systems like ALKO, or an over-run braking system controlled by electronics. I'll stick with as close to the guidance as possible, and won't be pushing the envelope and using the Toyota stated 1800kg max towing trailer weight. Towing a trailer is different to towing a high sided caravan, which is why stabiliser & electronically controlled overrun braking systems are fitted to relatively new caravans (yup even mine is over 15 years old); in addition, here at least towing vehicles are limited to 50 mph (40 mph for LGVs), on single carriageways unless a lower limit is posted, and a maximum of 60 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. The solo car limits here are 60 mph and 70 mph respectively, and LGVs are electronically speed limited to 56 mph, with systems that automatically apply their engine braking to limit their speed downhill (the brake lights are automatically applied by the system) To further the safety aspect, no towing vehicle or LGV (whether towing or not) can use beyond the second lane of a dual carriageway or motorway when there are three or more lanes. So I'm not sure that trailer even meets towing construction & use legislation here.

[@leealan6416]

That trailer is not a car trailer. It is for another purpose. Maybe small Bobcat, scissor lift etc.

[@kyle782]

I bet his mistake with the 200 less weight on the trailer was because he forgot to remove the factor of 10 from the equation where he meant to say 20kg extra in the payload.

[@cme2cau]

Just imagine they slam the brakes on. Suddenly there's 500kg or more downward force on the towbar. The front wheels have very little weight on them, the ABS kicks in and you don't slow down very much!. In the bad old days, the front wheels would lock and you're a passenger. I was lucky enough not to hit anything 30 odd years ago when I did it. The trailer was repacked and the underpants changed!

[@shanemcguire3953]

Hi John ,It looks like Budget Direct has taken down the towing Chasing Cars video

[@AutoExpertJC]

Apparently.

[@shaunanderson8282]

That's shocking axle placement on that trailer, looks more like a tag trailer.

[@Low760]

That trailer has it's axle pretty far back too. I would have had the venue further back. See it too often. No excuse with a short vehicle.

[@robincurwood]

It might have helped if they had reversed on to the trailer. So the engine/front end was on the ramp. As front wheel drive cars are only tin and a plastic fuel tank at the rear. But you still might have the tail wagging the dog at those speeds?

[@coweatsman]

Or place the vehicle facing backwards.

[@darryleaston8183]

The worst thing NSW ever did was adopt the Victorian (i think) rules for towing that allowed the marketing department to override the laws of physics.

[@LabLifePiper]

Love your work JC

[@hktgelectric3364]

I think it’s been taken down

[@johnbambo9036]

ACJC looks like we've got our self a convoy. Adding a 3rd axle with centralised pivot point to the trailer at front will help with tow ball download on vehicle but then other problems arise? The blurred lines between entertainment videos / promotional videos and instructional videos does give one pause to think? Keep left over 80k? When was that law enacted??

[@stephenshields1662]

Jeez, I'm not engineer or physicst but one look at how that car is positioned above the axles of the trailer should ring alarm bells. Let's hope the mob at Chasing Cars don't load trucks for a living!

[@darrenkeyter698]

Thanks

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thanks Daz, appreciated mate.

[@travelgnu6508]

Hey John, You don't do a bad job of entertaining us! In a recent video, I heard you say that you divorced one sister and then married another? What a star. Sharing your personal shit is rare but so entertaining! Your fifth wife must be a very special person.

[@greghavens7679]

Imagine the forces that are going to completely take over should the driver be on the highway at speed, attempt to make a lane change, and then realize that there is someone in the lane that he is now moving into. Oh sh#*! Now a sudden swerve back into your original lane... It would go from abort to eject in the blink of an eye. Good video John.

[@jonathanrabbitt]

In the interests of good science, I challenge John to repeat the experiment and demonstrate the flaws and the proper way of doing it. We'd all enjoy watching some Ming Mole action without the pressure.

[@scarter9447]

Yes an outside broadcast! Complete with the c word hehe

[@grahamquigley8818]

Wrong trailer for the job. Wrong car for the job. The Chasing Cars video is crap too.

[@Stefan-mg5gl]

Just for the show I would have berthed the white Subaru the other way around, with its front grill showing to the trailer's end. And I still would have measured it.

[@dtec30]

why dont the car maufacturers display on the info tainment or dash the load at the towball based on suspension sag?

[@phillip.9524]

I just returned from Melbourne yesterday and the amount of caravaners not using mirrors was ridiculous. A basic towing knowledge test needs to be included in the system some how.

[@Grumpy-sy7wr]

I live on a main caravan thoroughfare, and I'm gobsmacked at how many caravans I come up behind, and when I'm pulled out enough to see past them, can't see any mirrors. So many don't even use extensions or towing mirrors.

[@trentmorris2502]

If you have a camera behind the caravan, why do I need them?

[@craigo7235]

the rules say you have to have vision down the side, a camera does not make it legal.

[@phillip.9524]

The ones I saw did not have cameras . The fact a camera is fitted does not compensate for blind spots alongside.

[@colinsimmons2913]

And bloody horse floats causing accidents then drive away with that f*** you attitude I'm ok

[@LordandGodofYouTube]

Hi John, I purchased some tyres online last week from Bob Jane, they had Bridgestone Potenza Sport 245/35/R20 on a buy 3 get 1 free deal so I paid for 3 at $416 each ($1248 total) and got the receipt emailed to me for my deposit (balance to be paid on fitting) and it shows the 3 tyres I paid for and has the fourth ine as free, now Bob Jane are telling me they can't sell the tyre to me for that price and are trying to sell me an inferior product the same price. What are my rights here? Consumer affairs here in Tasmania won't answer my query on the phone and want me to fill in a form and wait 3 weeks, I don't have 3 weeks, I need to get my ute registered and get back to work.

[@reflexfilms]

For more maths fun! ..... I Would love to hear your analysis on the same "journalists" analysis of Outback XT vs 2.5 NA fuel use in his Subaru XT review. (he reckons they are near identical in terms of dollars spent in a year)

[@CharlesBrown-q8q]

Hi John, could you talk about 5th wheeler type vans vs Caravans, are they safer?

[@mickanon5607]

That trailer looks like it's supposed to carry a mini excavator. NOT a car. That's fail #1.

[@nigelalderman9178]

Just looking at the piccy, looks like 400kg on the old tow ball. a truly ridiculous trailer. You'd have to put the rear end on the beaver tail dude.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

This is almost as bad as that chasing cars video where one of the presenters did an oil change on an i20 N, with only the jack holding the car up whilst he climbed underneath

[@michelswerissen6544]

Ten four rubber ducky shit box attached, pray for a smoky bear.

[@harryworth8527]

Ball weight scales cost as little as $40 with more precise ones costing anywhere up to $450, seems cheap insurance to me. I use one and they're simple to use provided you're on flat ground.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Agreed. And for weights up to about 250kg you could just use a pair of bathroom scales side by side with a block of wood across the top...

[@harryworth8527]

@@AutoExpertJC I've just gone the whole hog and purchased a Reich caravan weight control scale, which is a clever bit of kit and can determine individual loads at each wheel as well as the total trailer load. I figure I can also use it to determine the tow vehicles rear axle load as well. Worth checking out.

[@ingridmatschke]

I haven't read the rest of the comments and realise this video is now somewhat dated but isn't there something in every Subaru owner's manual that you are not to tow anything over a certain speed (80/90)? under any circumstances in any Subaru. Seems like a risk mitigation statement by Subaru if so, but doesn't take into account that it's probably just plain unsafe for everybody if a certain percentage of vehicles are forced to drive on highways at such slow maximum speeds.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

FMD. The only way this could be any worse is if the Venue was being used to tow the Scoob. Yes, I know that would be illegal, even without double checking the Venue's tow capacity.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Agreed. It's (almost) up there with some of those apocryphal 3rd world towing images...

[@michaelsecomb4115]

Definitely the wrong trailer for towing that car. Far too obviously nose-heavy. Why didn't they use a towball scale, which is dirt-cheap at any auto store? Also what is included in the vehicle's payload? Does it include a tank of fuel or a driver?

[@murrieteacher]

It may have helped a little if the vehicle was reversed on. As a club motorsport competitor I see a lot of cars on trailers and a few reverse their cars onto the trailer to try and get the towball weight correct. That is a terrible trailer for a car. The video has been removed thankfully. John haw about you do a similar video with a correct setup and how to measure all the weights.

[@andyfreeze4072]

you just opened a can of worms, hahaha. 10% down load is often quoted. Now is that for a single axle trailer or any number of axle trailers? The dynamics with a single axle are easy enough to understand. A double axle introduces "other" factors like weight distribution on the two axles. I know it sounds silly but do you run different tyre pressures in the different axles? Do you still aim for 10% on the towball? I have no experience with this setup and i imagine 99% of us have no idea too!

[@233kosta]

13:44 It's still an abomination and I still hate it with a passion 🤣

[@aussiebloke609]

Something that usually seems to be missing from these "tests" is what happens when things don't go according to plan. It's relatively easy to pull grossly overweight loads if you're slow and careful, _and when nothing untoward happens along the way._ But if granny steps off the curb between two trucks, or some numpty in a tradie ute barrels out of a blind side street and you have to swerve/brake/both to avoid them...they very carefully never consider what might happen when those loads are introduced.

[@David_Johnson_]

That would likely then end up on Aussie Dash Cams and be a very different kind of "instructional" video.

[@greg6229]

It would seem Chasing Cars either removed or privated the video. Cant seem to find it now.

[@doodah5521]

Gday John, I just saw you talking about the Subaru tow test on Chasing Cars. I am here to let people know, dont go looking for said test as the website thumbnail goes to a blank screen. 😅😅😅😅🎉

[@wayne5826]

I looked at a subaru with the intent to tow 1ton to the boat ramp about 10 years ago. I discovered all subaru at the time were limited to an 80kph max speed when towing according to the subaru owners manual. Is this still the case?

[@brucesieverts1236]

I totally agree dude there are to many half wits who haven't got a clue when it comes to towing a trailer. I think it's time to be like the germans and introduce a trailer license for cars and light vehicles. I see to many people just winging it and hoping for the best. it's just not safe anymore for other road users who quite often become innocent victims of some shit who just got their license out of the wheat bix packet.

[@paulthompson1654]

Some car media just has no idea . Totally inappropriate trailer axle position causing nose down . This tells me the trailer was very likely way higher than vehicle coupler. If u have ever used a hitch weight scale an angle down trailer applies more KG to tow ball down load . Every time . Some media should stick to reviewing kids toys

[@hamishprice]

Very interesting John. How do car manufacturers get away with specifying maximum tow capacities that are inherently unsafe in real-world conditions ?

[@richardbrimble1319]

I know stuff all about towing, but that doesn’t look like a car trailer to me.

[@easy4steve]

hello John good video , i have a 2018 outback , im going to use it for our holiday , heading down to Harvey from Geraldton in West Australia , i ride dirt bikes and keen to take my bike with me , being around a 140 kg bike i have carried it on a bike rack fitted to a reece hitch , but i was concerned that the outback tow bar down ball weight would not be suitable to carry the bike and rack , as i have used only on my sons toyota hilux 4x4 . to me it would be safer to tow a light trailer with the bike in it , cheer Steve/Geraldton

[@pauledwards9168]

Why it that the ford ranger and the bt 50 dont have drain plugs on the tansmisson case

[@garynew9637]

Because they don't last long enough to wear out the oil.

[@alanhilder1883]

Did you say Tom Baker?... Doctor Who in a long scarf...

[@glenecollins]

That is one heck of a “car trailer”

[@markdale5076]

Hi John i watched this and first thought was fark hows the trailer and the front wheels almost off the ground😂

[@paulthompson1654]

Wrong trailer totally . A deck over trailer places the weight higher up .This setup would be a bastard to drive compared to a properly set up different wider/lower trailer /correct axle placement

[@mcdon2401]

When did society decide to throw away the accepted norm to never tow more than 80% of the mass of your tow vehicle? That was definitely a thing when I was a kid.

[@Grumpy-sy7wr]

Back in the day, (1970s/80s) we were regularly towing 2T with 1300kg Holdens and Valiants, being a car of the same weight, on a 700-750kg trailer. Never thought anything of it, even when hidden deep in the owners manual, stated a max towing capacity of 1000kg. Admittedly, even back then, we were aware of weight distribution factors that affected handling. We were obviously in that "you could, and get away with it, but probably shouldn't" category John mentioned around half way into the video.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

@@Grumpy-sy7wr road death toll was a hell of a lot higher back then for a reason…

[@thetowndrunk988]

That doesn’t apply to semi trucks, though. Just to let everyone know.

[@tlpNZ]

John you used Newtonian physics. They are clearly using Einsteinian spooky action at a distance :)

[@AutoExpertJC]

Could be quantum entanglement.

[@AutoExpertJC]

PS. Newtonian physics is Einsteinian physics ... until you go rooly rooly fast.

[@terrystarr3012]

So I'm 60 and retired and decided to buy a new 40 ft caravan weighing 3 tons and hook it up behind my Toyota ,no experience towing heavy vehicles never drove a truck no special licence.because I can . something's wrong.hang on I'll just check the breaks.regards

[@llucos100]

Oh my gosh… how long has Darth Vader just been standing there?! 😂

[@bomurra8688]

I would also suggest that if your calculations regarding the tow ball download adding 350 kg to the rear axle is correct, then this would exceed the maximum rear axle load for this vehicle. If weighed, it would be put off the road, there and then.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

Very illegal.

[@natb4831]

Wonder if anyone knows that the speed limit in NSW is 100km/h when the GCM is over 4.5 tonnes. No one talks about it in videos about heavy towing.

[@craigo7235]

I wish the plods would police this! also towing without the correct mirrors.

[@user-fw3fq3de3z]

thats a truck trailer with air brakes 4500kg and over.... 4499kg and under is car / pick up towing

[@aclmotorsport4420]

Any car towing a trailer here in WA is limited to100kph, do NSW not have this law? Why such a heavy trailer to carry that little Hyundai?

[@scaifefab4585]

Tow ball hight also looks low on the scooby for that trailer

[@OffroadandRemote]

Looks like their video has been pulled so I’d suggest your video has likely played a role in that outcome! Another good video John, thank you.

[@dtengineering1]

Yes John, they certainly failed with that totally flawed towing video.That Hyundai should have been reversed onto the trailer. One aspect that you didn't mention and that many people fail to consider is how much the load position affects the weight placed upon the trailer tyres and also the rear tyres of the tow vehicle. The tyres ability to carry the load depends upon the tyres construction, load rating and tyre pressure. Might be time for a video on this subject. Cheers.