you can get the 2300kg haymen & reece package,cost about $650 fitted.
you can tow anything with that,just be carefull they fitt correct bar!

I may get slammed for this post, but I have to say it!

I've done a lot of study on this very subject & the idea of towing a car the same as yours (plus the trailer or course) is a scary thought!!!!

STOPPING & staying on the road is much more of a worry than pulling & nobody has mentioned that!!??

Each state has different laws re towing greater than the weight of the CAR TOWING the load!!! Just check in your state!?

In NSW (for example) it's not legal to tow more than 750kg without TRAILER BRAKES.... It's also illegal to tow greater than the kerb weight of the tow vehicle, brakes or not. Think about the physics!?

It's tough to STOP something really heavy, especially if the load is MORE than the kerb weight of the car! Especially too if the road is wet!!!

I have the 2300kg pack with electric brake unit on my car & horse float. Only because I like over-kill where strength is concerned.

ONE horse plus the float (700kg trailer plus 500kg horse) is well under the bar limit of 2300kg but 2 horses takes me over the 1370kg KERB WEIGHT of the car so I can't do it (legally).

Basically, towing more than your car weighs is taking a huge risk, whether the gear box/engine can do it or not!

Remember that if you have a prang, your Green Slip will be negated if you're exceeding load limits!!

For the pulling of the car, try (please) if possible, to get hold of a 4WD wagon, F-series or something nice & heavy for the day. That way you have less worry about stopping!!

Incase anyone's not believing me, I was a licenced tow truck operator for 3 years & have towed horses all over the countryside for nearly 20 years & seen my share of accidents resulting from this very topic!

Yeah well I can't speak for the guy asking about carrying a car on trailer but I'm only going to be towing a 750 kg rated twin axle heavy duty 5x8 box trailer and won't be overloading it. I'm fitting a manual transmission next week so don't need to worry about auto trans issues like coolers etc. The clutch is an Extreme Clutches custom heavy duty jobbie rated for drag strip use behind engines making more grunt than mine.

Looks like I can get the 1200kg Hayman Reece towpack for about $250 including freight and I'll fit it myself as there's apparently no legal issues about having certified installer (I'm an aircraft engineer myself so fitting a towbar should be within my meagre capabilities).

As a matter of interest - and this is NOT having a go at you yv3773 as I have no doubt you're a decent person (you are on Fordmods after all) - the nearest I've ever come to being killed (plus my wife and son) was some f**k wanker towtruck drivers racing to get to a crash just north of Cairns who nearly forced me off the road at a lane merge at night - picture cruising along entering the merge - I was aware of headlights coming up but we were in the priority lane and with no doubt were going to be thru first - then next thing there's bright lights and flashing beacons right behind and next to me - blasting horns and these two trucks roar past on the left (it was a merge right) - all that saved us was the ABS. I was so shocked I was still shaking half hour later and when we passed the accident scene I was so far "gone" I didn't even think about stopping and speaking to the cops.

My opinion of truck drivers in general is very low in fact - tho I have to say that virtually all we've encountered travelling across between WA and Townsville have been very good apart from minding too much about what I'm doing - they should just drive and let me overtake when I want to - I'm perfectly ok with staying behind a truck until the road opens out properly and I will NOT trust someone else to tell me it's safe (my wife knew a family that were killed by a truckie waving them past - he DID get charged as there were enough witnesses to nail him).

On the other hand virtually ALL truckies I've ever struck between Townsville and Cairns and in/around Cairns are total f**k.

Last edited by Greenmachine on Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

Hey... no offence taken there matey!!

I got chills just reading your report. ... You can still report it you know!! Get onto the cops closest to the crash site, give them time (approx), date & place of the incident & they will issue a caution... they may even pay these wankers a visit. They know every driver who attends a scene!

Truckies (my hubby is one... long haul/heavy haulage) have a LOT to answer for & being "two up" Sydney/Melbourne & Sydney/Brisbane for several years with him was frightening!!

Towies are NO exception & I'll tell you that there has been several changes to the rules regarding their "rostering" for jobs, so there is no longer need for racing like they used to! My job was breakdowns & rostered crashes, so I personally never got involved in that race crap.

I'd never defend drivers of ANY "profession" as everyone is obliged to RESPECT others... severely lacking with 90% of drivers... IMO.

My idea was to hopefully get ppl to be aware of the fact that towing is not something to be taken lightly ... no pun intended...

Cheers

If its illegal to tow more than the tow vehicle kerb wieght then why is it legal and within the manufactures specs to be able to (legally)fit a 2300kg tow package? Not too many Falcons out there wieghting that much.
Most of these laws are based on ADR's and are standard across the country, you wont find a lot of variation between the states.

Personally I think its crap to suggest that the only real heavy tow vehicle is a 4WD or similar. That kind of advice is one of main reasons there are so many unneccessary Toorak Tractors out there.

The reason for the "Toorak Tractors" as you call urban 4WD's, is the fact that wankers who drive them THINK they're SAFE up there. They would be lucky to even HAVE a tow bar (for the box trailer) even fitted to the damn things! See if THAT'S not a valid point!?

The reason Hayman Reece etc even make these big bars is that overseas the laws are different.. look at Autobahn's for example... NO speed limits etc... Specs books "allow" fitment of them because they are AVAILABLE. They don't make them, endorse them or guarantee their LEGAL use....

If anyone wishes to tow 2 tonne behind a family sedan, go right ahead but don't be surprised when you slam a pole, tree or other car or lose control to the other side of the road when inertia takes over! Then don't complain when CTP is denied when the poor bastard who is HIT sues the driver.

Advice is offered to be observed or ignored... take it or leave it!! OK??

Forums rely on the experience & knowledge of others... I'm asking for help in some areas & giving help in others... again, take it leave it.

It obviously doesn't take too much too upset you, someone disagrees with what you have said and you fly off the handle! My comments where not designed to enrage, rather to question the discussion.

The facts are as I pointed out, Ford cannot state that you can tow with a 2300kg tow pack and place this info in the Australia delivered Owners manual. It would be irresponsible and possible illegal to write something into their owners manual, suggesting the fitment of these 2300kg tow packs if it was illegal to tow that weight in Australia. The tow packs are provided by Ford Australia, nothing to do with overseas.
They also use it as a major selling point by dealers for the buyer wishing a family car that still has a reasonable towing capacity.

As for the Toorak Tractors, I said one of the main reasons, not the only reason, many have tow bars for towing boats, caravans etc which they could easily have towed with either a Falcon or a Commodore.

Of course large 4WD's have a higher Towing Capacity, however that dosn't mean the humble Falcon should not be considered, if the towing is kept to the limits set by Ford.

Sorry If I upset you, it wasn't intended.

pfft my car towed a patrol 3 hours in 30 degree weather and didnt hit a pole........err but i wasnt driving haha. If the car and trailer are set up right and u know what your doing, you shouldnt have a problem. And if you have a 1600kg tow bar then u can easily tow 2000kg. They always play things on the safe side and the good quality bars are over engineered

Physics is physics tho - I wouldn't feel comfortable at all towing a load that was greater than the weight of my vehicle regardless of the towbar rating.

there is a variation between states . in some states it is illegall to tow more than the gross weight of the tow car. in other states it is a percentage of the tow car ect. to be safe in this matter i would suggest you check with your local roads corp.

Do you know which states they are. I have checked, VIC, NSW, QLD, SA & WA. All have the same laws. Which is; What ever the maximum towing capacity stated by the manufacturer or where this is not available 1.5 times the unladen GVM of the towing vehicle which works out at 2400kgs for my wagon. Scary stuff, I know I wouldn't be trying it.

It is my understanding that under the 'Australian Road Rules' that most of the rules were standardised across the country.