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I think that it's ignorant or assumptive to think the OEM and their lawyers didn't factor in any safety margin when establishing tow limits.
Personally, it's overly cautious to stop at 75% of a tow limit. Especially if the trailer has brakes. The limit was created with safety in mind, use it.
I get it if the vehicle is loaded up. You need to pay attention to GVWR and tongue weight.
What's the point of a limit if you are suppose stay so far from it? Many people definitely max out and/or exceed 80% for trucks and SUVs.
The USA is one of the easiest countries to sue in, and vehicles from Europe quite often have lower tow ratings in the USA. Europe also has different acceptable tongue weight, around 7% versus 10-15% here. The trailers are designed differently to shift weight back and lower tongue weight.
Why would Porsche rate it at 2000 kg for the USA? It appears to be rated for 2400 kg in Europe. So back to my lawsuit point.
The 2016 Macan was originally rated over 5k and lowered down at production. It still meets the SAE J2807 criteria.
People literally tow campers in Europe with cars of similar weight. So stay off of European roads because you might die!
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is rated 3500 lbs. in the USA, it's 5000 lbs. in Europe and Australia.
There are many pictures on Google of Macan's towing boats, small enclosed trailers, or open car haulers.
*BTW, a Macan has a slightly longer wheelbase than a 2003-2024 Toyota 4Runner. I see these pulling trailers into track weekends all the time. So wheelbase is a non-issue to tow 4400 lbs., especially with a mid-engine vehicle where much of the weight is on top of the axles.
*I have a friend who has been using a late 90s 4Runner with a 105" wheelbase to tow just over 4k lbs. for over a decade with zero issues. Use common sense and accidents aren't likely. Probably more likely to have something happen on track. Probably around 1/4 or so of DE weekends that I've been to have someone hit a tire barrier or wall. I've heard of maybe a handful or 2 of incidents involving towing a car, most start with a tire blowing out. I'd be more concerned in a TPMS setup for the trailer tires than towing at the OEM rated limit.
If you are going to make the European argument about trailer towing you should also add that over there towing speed limits are very strict, 80kmh, and enforced unlike over here where people think they can go speedlimit. And most over here think the stated tow limit is all there is. How about max combined gross weight which includes everything loaded in the truck in addition. Or max axle weight. Its not as simple as max tow limit. Way more to it. And yes, there are safety factors in all designs. Let us know when you yourself start towing long distance, few 100 miles, and not just a couple of hours instead of this anecdotal stuff -
Sounds like a setup issue or user error. I encounter 20-30 foot enclosed trailers/campers and rarely do they appear dicey. Some of these people drive all over the country.
At big HDPE and race weekends, there are 1/2 ton trucks (and smaller vehicles) everywhere that pull in with trailers.
By your logic, one would need a 3/4 truck to pull 8k lbs?
I wish you were nearby and could share your expertise on what I am doing wrong. I welcome the opportunity to learn!
I have that open trailex now and use to tow at least 5 races a year plus any odd practice days. It's super light and great. You can literally move/pull/push by hand around the house or paddock. Would highly recommend.
My car is 2500lbs so the whole tow weight is no more than 3500lbs
No experience with the Macan (bit small for my family) but I've towed with an X5 and currently a GLE. While not ideal tow vehicles, they work fine for the few times a year . Also my longest tow is 8 hrs and both vehicles have been fine. You don't need a pick up unless you're constantly towing
i rather over think it than be sorry. sure in Europe you can see people towing vehicles with regular sedans. But I can list many scenarios where this combo would be deadly.
Just for safety, Ive decided to go with HD pickup. If I have to overtake someone, hard stop, strong winds, getting cut off by someone, weight shift, I don't have to worry about loosing control.
In NJ Ive seen people towing cars on uhaul trailers with 1" wide Orange Straps you can find @ Home Depot.. Did it work ??? It sure did for that guy, when I was passing him 2 lanes far away from him. If it worked for him, it should work for some guys on this thread as well
Last edited by markmark26; 01-26-2024 at 10:07 AM.
I agree with everyone that towing at 90% or greater than the rated GCWR is often asking for trouble. Also as pointed out, driving a flat straight road for a short distance is very different than steep grades/ long distance/reduced traction. A Cayenne or equivalent is the bare minimum that I would go with.
FWIW, there's a guy in my region that tows an E36 BMW with a Macan.
Track is probably 1.5-2 hours away, all flat.
I've never been curious enough to see what trailer he uses but most likely aluminum. Seems to work for him. If your use case is similar, just try it. Tracking has risks, if you were trying to minimize risk in your life, you wouldn't be zipping around in circles at over 130MPH with a bunch of other cars. Yes, I know the highway has other innocent drivers to think about....
If you can make the $ jump and can store it, just go with a 3/4 ton pickup and 24ft enclosed from a name brand. You'll get most the $ back if you decide to sell in a few years. If you keep long term, unlikely you'll outgrow it.
First time I ever drove a F250, I felt like I just jumped into a semi. My daily at the time was an E36 M3.
I think that it's ignorant or assumptive to think the OEM and their lawyers didn't factor in any safety margin when establishing tow limits.
Personally, it's overly cautious to stop at 75% of a tow limit. Especially if the trailer has brakes. The limit was created with safety in mind, use it.
I get it if the vehicle is loaded up. You need to pay attention to GVWR and tongue weight.
What's the point of a limit if you are suppose stay so far from it? Many people definitely max out and/or exceed 80% for trucks and SUVs.
The USA is one of the easiest countries to sue in, and vehicles from Europe quite often have lower tow ratings in the USA. Europe also has different acceptable tongue weight, around 7% versus 10-15% here. The trailers are designed differently to shift weight back and lower tongue weight.
Why would Porsche rate it at 2000 kg for the USA? It appears to be rated for 2400 kg in Europe. So back to my lawsuit point.
The 2016 Macan was originally rated over 5k and lowered down at production. It still meets the SAE J2807 criteria.
People literally tow campers in Europe with cars of similar weight. So stay off of European roads because you might die!
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is rated 3500 lbs. in the USA, it's 5000 lbs. in Europe and Australia.
There are many pictures on Google of Macan's towing boats, small enclosed trailers, or open car haulers.
*BTW, a Macan has a slightly longer wheelbase than a 2003-2024 Toyota 4Runner. I see these pulling trailers into track weekends all the time. So wheelbase is a non-issue to tow 4400 lbs., especially with a mid-engine vehicle where much of the weight is on top of the axles.
*I have a friend who has been using a late 90s 4Runner with a 105" wheelbase to tow just over 4k lbs. for over a decade with zero issues. Use common sense and accidents aren't likely. Probably more likely to have something happen on track. Probably around 1/4 or so of DE weekends that I've been to have someone hit a tire barrier or wall. I've heard of maybe a handful or 2 of incidents involving towing a car, most start with a tire blowing out. I'd be more concerned in a TPMS setup for the trailer tires than towing at the OEM rated limit.
As far as I can tell, federal regulations for establishing GCWR is based on a Recommend Practice (SAE J2807), not a hard standard. I've done my share of towing in small SUVs, half ton trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, and medium duty applications. I've come to the realization that operating anywhere close to the OEM claimed limit is a recipe for pain.
01-25-2024 | 09:19 PM
