To wing With Austin And Morris

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32078, 28 August 1969, Page 12

To wing With Austin And Morris

Most of us know the frustration of being held up for mile after mile by a slowmoving trailer caravan. Inevitably, the performance of a car will be reduced considerably while towing, but all too often matters are aggravated by problems of overloading. Most caravan enthusiasts seem to have their own pet formula for the maximum weight that should be towed by any given vehicle, but really there are so many different factors involved that practical experience with the vehicle concerned is the best way of finding this out. Table One shows the maximum weights that it is recommended be towed, and these will permit a start to be made on a gradient of 1 in 8. Fully Loaded Caravans mean holidays—and these mean a fullyloaded car. The table shows the maximum loads that should be carried in the various models, and these should be evenly distributed. Hoof rack loads are also given, but their use should be avoided if at all possible for they reduce the stability of a car, increase its wind resistance, and make it more susceptible to disturbance by side winds. If a roof rack has to be used keep it for light objects too bulky to go inside the car. Remember to check the security of the roof rack clamps after the rack is loaded, for not only will there be a certain amount of distortion of the rack under load, but the rubber feet will be compressed, thereby removing the tension from the damps. Nose Heaviness Whatever the degree of nose heaviness of a caravan the work done by the rear suspension of the car is much increased: when there is a bump in the road the springs have the job of lifting the car over it. The resistance to upward movement of the car is vastly increased both by the sheetweight of the caravan on the towing hitch and by the inertia of the caravan itself. This makes the use of stronger springs beneficial (Table Five). Whether or not to use these is something each owner must decide for himself, for when the car is used with a light load the ride comfort will

(Reprinted with permission from “High Road,” which was assisted in the preparation of the article by the Austin Morris Division of the British Leyland Motor Corporation.)

be impaired to some extent and the handling may suffer as well. For cars with hydrolastic suspension the use of supplementary springs at the rear is recommended, except on the Austin 3-litre with its self-levelling suspension. These springs are made of rubber, and act as supplementary bump stops. They are cheap, and both simple and quick to fit so that it is possible to fit them when the caravan is to be towed, and remove them afterwards. Heater Control Your car radiator will be able to cope with the additional load of towing if maintained in good condition. If the temperature starts to rise when towing up a long incline remember the old tip of turning your heater control to HOT, and switching on the blower motor. This will make the inside of the car rather hot, but may save you from worse problems if the engine boils as it provides a temporal y increase in radiator capacity. > However, the real problem may be less noticeable until bearing damage results—and this is oil temperature. The safest way to control this is to fit an oil cooler. Once again, these have been fully tested under the extreme conditions of car rallying. Consult your local distributor for the correct oil cooler for your car. Changing Oil Do not neglect to change the oil and filter at the recommended intervals, and in winter it is advisable to speed the warming-up period by fitting an oil cooler cover designed to simply clip on to the oil cooler. Remember to remove it when the warmer weather returns and the caravan is used. Finally, the question of tyres. So long as they are in good condition the standard tyres should be perfectly satisfactory for these extra loads, but the rear ones should be inflated to about 6 p.s.i. higher than the standard pressure.

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Max, Towed Weight (cwt) Roof rack load (lb) Max. load capacity (lb) i Towing attachments from Dist & dealers* Kerb rear axle load (cwt) Wheel base (in) W1 Increase in rear axle load due to: N W2 B Mini Saloons 8 90 700 AKF1899 4-6 80 0-5xW1 0-8xW2 1-,1xB 1-3xN Mini Cooper 8 90 700 AKF1899 4-6 80 0-5xW1 0-8xW2 1-lxB 1-3xN Mini Countryman/Traveller 5 90 ■ 700 AKF1903 4-6 80 0-5xW1 0-8xW2 1-1x8 1-3xN A40 15 50 700 — 6’8 87 0-52xW1 O-9XW2 1-2xB 1-4xN Minor 15 50 700 — 6-6 86 0-51XW1 0-8xW2 1-2x8 1-4xN 1100/1300 15 100 875 AKF1742 6-1 94 0*44xW1 0-78xW2 1-lxB 1-3xN Oxford VI A60 20 75 875 AKF1900 9-6 100 0’47xW1 O-8xW2 1-25x8 1-5xN - Wolseley 16/60 Riley 4/72, Magnette 20 75 875 AKF1900 4-AKF1901 9-5 100 O-47XW1 0-8xW2 1-25xB 1-5xN A60 Countryman, Oxford VI, Traveller 1800 Mk1. Wolseley 18/85 20 132 950 AKF1743 8-4 106 0-45xW1 O-82xW2 1-1xB 1-3xN 1800 Mk 11 20 132 950 AKF1856 8-4 106 0-45XW1 0-82XW2 1-1xB 1-3xN Austin 3-litre 20 132 875 AKF1902 13-2 115 0-47xW1 0-78XW2 1-fxB 1-3xN A110, 6/110 25 85 875 — 13-4 110 0-53XW1 O-82xW2 1 -25xB •1-3xN Princess R 30 85 1050 r ' 13-4 110 0-53XW1 O-82xW2 1-25xB 1-4xM Sprite/Midget 12 — 400 ■ — 6-2 80 0-54XW1 •— 1-2xB 1 -4xN MGB 15 50 (boot lid) 400 — 8-7 91 0-BlxWI — 1-lxB 1-4XN MGBGT 15 50 400 10-3 91 0-61XW1 — 1-1xB 1 -4xN MGC 15 60 (boot lid) 400 . — 8-8 91 0-61 xW1 — ■ 1-1*8 1-4xN MGC GT 15 60 400 — 11-4 91 0-61 xWI •— 1-1xB 1-4xN