A thread for Vinsanity!

[cawimmer430]

So you guys tow with the wrong stuff 'cause you're too cheap to get a license to tow properly. I see.   

Funny how having a full load in the car makes it accelerate, handle and stop much worse, but you have no problem doubling the weight of the car putting a trailer on the back, huh? The proper solution is to use a vahicle that not only has the power to tow, which is easy, but also the suspension and brakes to stop both the loaded tow vehicle and a loaded trailer. Which is why I'm moving up from the Range Rover, which is maxed out near 7000 lbs tow capacity, to the 3500 sereis diesel dually that can easily triple that load. That way when I only have 7000-8000 lbs on teh back, it's barely working and well within it's safety margins, as well as able to flow with traffic not just on the flat and level but up and down hills/mountain passes.

Most people here don't tow the big and heavy things Americans tow and those that do have the appropriate cars for the job. The biggest and most powerful private cars used for towing in Europe are big SUVs like the Audi Q7, Mercedes GL, Range Rover and such. Ford F-350's etc. aren't sold here. There's no market for them here.

They do it because here they are finally free of stifling regulations and insane fuel/car taxation.

Like I said. They're giving the "American Dream / Freedom" a try. And also because there aren't any other "alternatives" available etc.

So you're saying you're forced to be more energy conscious due to taxation by your governements. I wouldn't feel superior for that if I were you.

"Forced" is such a harsh word. Most people I know are by nature more conscious about the environment and energy usage/consumption. The expensive energy costs have reinforced this.

I do feel that these energy taxes have helped us become more responsible.

[r0tor]

That's a pretty small boat. 




I doubt that Passat could tow that boat and its trailer. 

Meh, my coworker use to tow something similar in his 1993 explorer that had all of 160hp brand new (he had 150,000 miles on it)... Sure his to speed up hills was 45mph, but it still did the job

[BimmerM3]

Meh, my coworker use to tow something similar in his 1993 explorer that had all of 160hp brand new (he had 150,000 miles on it)... Sure his to speed up hills was 45mph, but it still did the job

It's not really the power that I'm concerned about (though that does make it easier), but rather the robustness of the transmission and stability under braking.

[Mustangfan2003]

My dad pulled a pontoon boat one time with a 4 banger ranger, that was interesting almost didn't make it up the ramp.

[r0tor]

It's not really the power that I'm concerned about (though that does make it easier), but rather the robustness of the transmission and stability under braking.

People have been towing heavy crap for decades before 5000 lb soccer mom trucks

Shir, I'd hate to think of how much power my fathers 1983 v6 f150 had our the size of the brakes... And we had a fairly large bed mounted computer on the damn thing that required helper springs

[Onslaught]

I'd like to see how that VW would do if it had to stop fast. I've had to do it in a F-150 pulling a boat and it wasn't fun in that thing.
I'd also love to see it back down or pull out of the ramps that most people have to use at the coast around here for boats.
It have problems even without a boat hooked to it.

You can "do" all kinds of things. But that's not saying it's the best way of going about it.

[hotrodalex]

It's not really the power that I'm concerned about (though that does make it easier), but rather the robustness of the transmission and stability under braking.

Yep. Everyone talks about power like it's the main concern, when it's definitely not. I'd add stability in general to the list along with transmission and braking. Towing a trailer with a small car on the freeway is much scarier than with a Silverado or Suburban. You could put an LS7 in the small car and it would out-accelerate the truck, but still be scarier and not as good of a tow vehicle.

[sportyaccordy]

Again- Germans buy the cars they do because their govt forces them to

I guarantee Germans would go for bigger motors if gas were $3 and not $8, even with the "energy consciousness" of the country

[cawimmer430]

Again- Germans buy the cars they do because their govt forces them to

"Forces?"

That word again. 

If you can afford to even purchase an expensive car with a big engine, you can pay for the gas and the taxes. It's that simple.

I guarantee Germans would go for bigger motors if gas were $3 and not $8, even with the "energy consciousness" of the country

Some will, most won't. Most people here aren't car nuts, just like in the US and they want something that gets them from A to B efficiently.

[Vinsanity]

If you can afford to even purchase an expensive car with a big engine, you can pay for the gas and the taxes. It's that simple.

that kind of mentality, often found among Europeans, is dangerous. The mere ability to pay extra taxes does not alone justify imposing them. If the government is going to go "screw you, rich boy, you're paying more", then I better get more out of the system.

[Galaxy]

I guarantee Germans would go for bigger motors if gas were $3 and not $8, even with the "energy consciousness" of the country

To an extent that is true, but someone who buys an Audi A6, or A8 with the V6 diesel does not do so because he can not afford the fuel for the gasoline version. Keep in mind ~ 15%-20% of the population votes green.

[Galaxy]

As for small trailers: