Towing weights of HPE / HPE VX

[Jai Sharma]

Hi,

Does anyone know what weight these cars are permitted to tow? I guess it is in the handbook, but sadly I don't have one!

[inthedark]

don't know the official figures but an HPE will pull a cherry tree stump out of the ground

'the colonel'

[Peter W]

Hi Jai,

Afraid I cannot remember what the limit was but I used to tow a horse trailer with two ponies in it effortlessly with an HPE 2000ie and the weight was well inside the limit.

Peter

[Scarpia]

You may have done but it sounds a stretch.Thats a braked weight of probably +/- 1400kgs.Even most medium sized 4x4's are over their practical limit with that.
A general rule of thumb is don't pull more than 85% of the towing vehicles unladen mass if you want to stop on time and not wreck your transmission...

[Jai Sharma]

Thanks. Hmmm. I am hoping to tow about 1100kg of rece car plus a "dolly". I have not bought an HPE but was thinking of doing so with this in mind. I remember my old VX HPE was really torquey (perhaps it could pull two cherry tree stumps out?) and had a useful load bay.
I can make up a home-made balance, with two horses and a horsebox on one side and the car and dolly on the other, to see what is heavier....but does anyone have more precise info because it is a bit more important that I don't exceed the recommended weight since I am planning to tow a number of times?
Otherwise there is always a Citroen CX!
Thanks

[Scarpia]

avoid winning any prize money if you compete.The law is getting so bizarre that you could be perceived to be gaining reward for your towing activites and get fined for not fitting a tachograph  ......god help us.
We have a couple of horses and are buying a towing vehicle at the moment.Of course you can tow anything with anything just about but if you are going to tow regularly you need a vehicle with a bit of mass and preferably reasonable torque.Thats why horse trailers are usually behind diesel pickups/offroaders etc.look around for a 2.4 diesel Kappa estate if there is one in the uk.I had one and it is spot on for this.

[Scarpia]

I checked and a HPE weighs 1060 kg.If someone has a handook you'll see the max train weight permitted (or by looking on the chassis number plate on a car of course).

I don't doubt it will pull a tree stump out of the ground but how many clutches per stump does that cost? I'd buy a tractor....

[rogerelias]

Jai. I am a Lancia person but.  I remember years ago we bought a flat back kitchen , when we went to collect it, we put what we thought was all of it in the back of our hpe, then they bought out more, by this time the hpe had sunk to the floor and was going nowhere. Phoned my father (also a Lancia man), but ended up borrowing his Citroen CX estate, problem solved it swallowed all of the kitchen, and we had spare room, and we  bought a hob unit and oven and took the lot home, all the time the ride was great , and the car stayed level, Get the Citoen. T :)he brakes are superb too.

[Neil]

Towing weights for HPE VX 1200Kg, Coupe listed at the same weight also.  HPE VX weight at 1135kg.

[Jai Sharma]

Thanks Neil, just the info I wanted!

Jai