Commercial vehicles always draw my attention. Regardless their age, size, weight or where they were built. I caught two car haulers at a classic car show, a Nissan Patrol and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, both towing a trailer. Of course I’ll get back to the classics later, but first the spotlight is on two of the rigs that brought some of them to the show.
We start with the oldest, a 2001 SWB Nissan Patrol 3.0 DI Turbo. This generation, the Y61, was introduced in 1997. There’s a 2,953 cc 4-cylinder DOHC 16v diesel engine under its hood with direct injection, a turbocharger and an intercooler. Its maximum power output in this Patrol is 158 hp.
Just like the previous Patrol models, this series is also highly regarded as a pure and honest workhorse. A high-quality and durable piece of equipment for the professional. The professional who needs a capable trailer tower, on a daily basis.
Like almost all Nissan Patrols and its competitors, this one also got our typical van conversion. No rear seats, a slightly raised roof, a flat cargo floor and blinded rear side windows; otherwise no registration as a commercial vehicle.
Sadly, the Y61 Patrol is the last generation that was imported here, leaving this segment of the market almost entirely to the Toyota Land Cruiser, currently the 150-series (Prado, in other parts of the world).
The Boro company from Poland built the 2016 trailer. Its curb weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs) plus payload capacity of 2,500 kg (5,500 lbs) equals the 3,500 kg GVM that the Nissan is legally allowed to tow. Perfect, and surely no coincidence.
Another configuration for hauling cars is this 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 519 CDI with a matching trailer. The W906 Sprinter generation was introduced in 2006, this car hauler is equipped with a 2,987 cc V6 common rail turbo diesel, good for 190 hp. That should do the job just fine.
The truck is rated at a GVM of 5,000 kg (11,000 lbs) and just like the Nissan, the Sprinter also has a maximum legal towing capacity of 3,500 kg.
Quite a bit shorter than the one the Nissan is towing, this 2016 Tijhof car hauler trailer. Nevertheless, its maximum GVM is the same.
The main show will be featured here soon.
Car hauling was THE growth business here in Florida until recently. Almost every Tom, Dick, and Harry, with a large (3/4 ton) pickup truck got into hauling cars from place to place.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “rig” like the pictured Sprinter with it’s abbreviated cab and ramp, plus a trailer. And in the U.S. we don’t have 2 door SUVs like the Patrol, and I’ve never seen an SUV pulling a car hauling trailer. The closest we get are crewcab pickup trucks with 5th wheel setups in the truck bed.
A tractor unit in this segment is also quite common. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit, Renault Master, Iveco Daily, VW Crafter. The RWD models with dual rear wheels.
Johannes, I’m curious – would there be a speed restriction on either of these setups when fully loaded while on the motorway?
Those are both very attractive trailers. I’m assuming aluminum construction on both?
Absolutely. In Germany, and I think in almost all (or all) EU countries, the limit is 80 kmh (50 mph) when towing a trailer.
Update: It’s 90 kmh (56 mph) in the Netherlands, and varies in other European countries, depending on the weight of the trailer.
This is the key difference between the US and Europe, and why the same cars that are rated to tow much heavier trailers in Europe are rated for only very small (or none) in the US: In Europe, you’re allowed to have only 3% of the trailer weight on the tongue (hitch), while in the US it’s 10%. That’s the key difference. Having so much less tongue weight means large trailers can be towed, but then the top speed becomes absolutely critical, as fishtailing is directly a function of higher speed speed and lower tongue weight.
In Europe, this 80kmh limit is rigidly enforced. Driving this SWB Patrol with that loaded car trailer much faster would be an invitation to a disaster.
In the US, it’s historically been the case to allow vehicles with trailers to drive at relatively fast speeds; the same as cars, or maybe just a bit slower. That is the whole reason why there’s so much paranoia by manufacturers, UHaul,and insurers about hauling trailers in the US. Americans drive too fast with them.
I see it on I5 all the time, pickups pulling a trailer at 80 mph. That mostly works, but the tongue weight better be at 10%, or more, or it’s not going to work.
California lowered its speed limit to 55 mph for ALL vehicles towing a trailer not that many years ago, specifically for this reason. The relationship of tongue weight to speed is absolutely critical, and horrible wipe-outs with trailers are all too common. CA has taken a lead in requiring all towing vehicles to drive slower, but realistically, since everyone drives 10 over the limit, it still means that folks are pulling trailers at potentially dangerously fast speeds.
I’m not sure, but I think many/most states do not have lower limits for cars and light trucks towing trailers.
Here’s the state-by-state limits for towing: http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-speed-limits/
Many are the same as passenger cars. Arizona says: “not to exceed speed that causes lateral sway” And how does one determine that speed? By the time you experience lateral sway, it may well be too late.
I’m all for towing speeds to be lowered, like 55, as too many folks do not pay attention to the tongue weight percentage.
The “we gotta tow at 75 mph” mentality is also why current HD diesel pickups have 400+ HP and almost 1,000 ft.-lbs. of torque.
Here’s a list with Euro-speed limits for car + trailer:
https://www.wittesmid.nl/maximum_snelheid_met_aanhangwagen.html
Although I don’t have much towing experience, that SWB Nissan sure doesn’t look like an obvious choice for hauling, though in the US a lot of mobile homes are towed by SWB rigs with hitches, not 5th wheels. As an aside, I’m pretty sure that California’s limit for any vehicle pulling a trailer has always been 55mph, but the signage was changed was changed a few years ago to make that more explicitly clear (though still ignored). And even on a 4 or 5 lane highway, trailer towers must stay in the rightmost two lanes, also flouted by many. In any case, although I’ve driven a fair amount in other states, when I drove across the country last summer, I was shocked at how fast the big rigs as well as 1 ton diesel pickups towing farm equipment, were driving in some other states. I5 seemed pretty sedate by comparison.
That Patrol looks perfect for moving the trailer around the yard but I wouldn’t take it out on the road for more than around the block personally. I used to use my Scout to move our large travel trailer in and out of its parking space i the back yard. But all I did was pull it out to the street where the crew cab 8′ bed F350 took over duties.
Those laws by state are quite interesting, I especially like Delaware’s.
The scary thing is all those states where it is the same as cars, or 70mph or more. ST (Special Trailer) tires have a max speed rating of 65mph, so no state should have a speed limit greater than that. That of course is one of the reasons you see trailers on the side of the road with totally shreded tires, they just got too hot and started coming apart from doing 75mph. Of course many are because no one thinks about the fact that their trailer tires are 10 years old nor do they make sure they didn’t loose a few psi from sitting for the last 6 months.
California has always limited trailer towing to 55mph. Paul, is Oregon different? The problem here is enforcement. The only violation that gets enforced is driving in the #1 lane on the freeway. So, they pass on the right at 75.
In Oregon, which has quite low speed limit on the freeways (65), trailers are not restricted to a lower speed.
And yes, I got that wrong about CA. They just started posting it much more clearly.
The really scary thing is the cheap Chinese tires newer trailers come with, they are well known for having a high failure rate. Some RV’rs advise replacing them on the way home from the RV dealership.
Another fairly common problem is weak, overloaded axle assemblies that sometimes bend just from the weight of the rig in normal towing. Sometimes they are over their weight capacity rating before any load is added to the RV. Some units built with weak, poor quality frames have also been a problem.
Add high speed towing to all this and the outcome really can be a bad ending.
Truck or trailer, I worry about cheap Chinese tires. Of course, I used to feel the same about Japanese, and later Korean, tires, but have now accepted them.
Agree on cheap, nasty tyres. What I hate is seeing what was once a really nice car on its second or third owner, hobbled with el-cheapo rubber.
Dad used to use retreads, until one came apart at speed. We taught our kids that the tyres are the only link between you and the road – no matter how good your car is, its abilities are only as good as the tyres. That’s the one place on your car that you never try to save money.
I have used Bridgestone light truck tyres on my trailer. Seem to last forever, with the small amount of towing I do.
Alternate universes. Appreciate all the interesting vehicles you turn up and the insight you provide on certain aspects. For instance how economics and/or govt regulations shape the length/size etc of certain vehicles.
Paul, that is very interesting information. As someone who has towed for years I think someone who has to be told the limits is perhaps not ready to tow. I have four different trailers available to tow with my 4runner. I didn’t have to be told to slow down. I am the butt of family jokes about my speed when I have a trailer. However, no incidents to this point. As the old license tag said: Arrive alive
Limits in Texas run as high as 85, cars or pickups with trailers. As someone mentioned, add 10 mph for real speeds. I’ve hauled trailers at these speeds in those open areas at 90. Properly loaded, proper tires inflated correctly, no problem. Keep in mind, if you’re chugging along at 55 and traffic is 95 and 100, it could be a problem.
You also didn’t touch on hauling doubles. I expect they’d lose their mind in Europe over that.
The problem is that trailer tires are rated for 65mph by industry standards, so the vast majority of trailers don’t have proper tires for going 85 or 90. You have to go to a truck tire if you want a higher speed rating as the standard passenger car tires have lower load ratings than a ST tire.
I did not know that you could legally tow two trailers with a pickup in the United States.
Varies by state. Primarily across the south. Northeast, no way. Some states, like Michigan, front has to be a 5th wheel camper pulling a boat or recreational toy. Down south pretty much anything goes. Not familiar with western states.
Texas, seems to be limits don’t matter until you have an accident. I’ve hauled 11′ wide on top of my car 1000 miles, didn’t get a second look. Northeast I’d bet you’d visit the pokey and leave cash.
Many rules would surprise you. In Texas a car has an 8′ wide limit, trucks 8’6″. Your load cannot be more than 3″ wider than your fender flare on the left, 6″‘on the right. Most of the US has a 53′ length limit on semi trailers, Texas 57’.
Some Canadian provinces allow double, but I think rules are similar to Michigan.
You can do a 57′ Trailer in CA as well, they are used on dedicated lanes for food and beverage packaging. The catch is you are also limited to a 65′ overall length so the only you need a really deep kingpin on the trailer and a long(ish) COE tractor.
In Canada B-train doubles are more popular for flatbeds and other high weight segments of trucking.
I’ve towed with Dually Ram and Nissan trucks for 6 years. While they don’t have the “oohpm” factor as my ’71 Cricket and ’76 Dodge “CanadaVan” did hauling caravans and such, They did “spot-on” work, and I learnt a lot from the dealers about Towing restrictions, especially on the flat parts of the Trans-Canada where crosswinds can shorten a few years off a person. Truckers know this, and I learnt from my trucker friends on how not to tow under and overloaded trailers and keep to a manageable speed in the Prairie Provinces, and not burnout brakes on the BC and Alberta passes. The advice I’ve gotten helped keep me alive and safe on Canadian (and US) roads.
And singles. I ran 80 with this load.
Goosenecks are very rare here. Instead, a tractor unit (like the yellow Sprinter further above) towing a semi-trailer. Another option is a drawbar trailer, towed by a diesel SUV or fullsize RWD panel van.
40′ Pintle hitch, tandom duals, loaded properly at 80 mph isn’t bad. Lt. tires, not trailer, been coast to coast, eastern Ohio to nearly the west coast with this one.
FYI – 1923 Gardner coupe on the rear, 1924 Gardner roadster in kit form in the front. That was a 1600 mile round trip.
Seeing that stubby little Patrol and that huge trailer is just terrifying. Ive towed with Jeep Wranglers before, but we’re talking jetskis or a 4×8 trailer with a few hundred pounds of stuff on it…although that was moving from TN to Oregon. SWB 4x4s like this are notoriously squirrely. They have the power and the driveline strength to tow something with a bit of weight but at speeds much over 55…YIKES.
Late summer of 1997, I towed a 1957 DKW Sonderklasse Coupe (1800 pounds) on a 1 year-old Master-Tow tow-dolly (400 pounds) from Oklahoma to Virginia, behind my 4-cylinder, 5-speed 1987 Isuzu ‘Pup’ pickup.
Acceleration was slow but tolerable. Brakes were surprisingly OK, though fortunately, I never had to panic-stop. Level-road cruising speed was up to around 70 sometimes, even with the AC going, and never any problem with the cooling system.
But I learned about ‘fishtailing’ on my first down-hill freeway ramp in Arkansas where I almost lost it! Thereafter, I made sure to limit my speed to about 60 on any downhill stretches, which really hurt as I couldn’t build up speed downhill to help me get uphill.
Also, thanks to advice from a worker where I picked up the car, I had to check and tighten the car’s hold-down straps several times on the trip.
The important thing was I made it home safe 1500 miles later!
Happy Motoring, Mark