Towing with your Alloytec auto...

[BullittSV6]

Hi all, so today I've been towing a trailer from Whyalla to Adelaide (380 kms) with the return trip tomorrow. Its not just any trailer. Its a 10' x 5' coates furniture trailer. One hell of a bohemoth! Its coupled up to my 1600kg tow bar.

Now being a fully enclosed furniture trailer, its damn high. Around town at 60 or 80, the alloytec has enough grunt down low to shift it. But the highway driving has exposed a real shortcoming. Accelerate in 3rd (4000rpm), cruise in 4th (2500rpm), don't even try to go in 5th it WILL slow down. Admittedly this is the first time I've towed at highway speeds (100km/h is the limit for the Holden tow bar so I'm sticking to that)

I started off in D but when I first got to 100km/h the gearbox wouldn't settle, changing between 3rd and 4th. In the end I turned active select on and held the gear in 4th and after 10 minutes tried D again and it held fine.

Now normally cruising unloaded in 5th I average under 10L/100km and get a good 700 kms out of a tank. But today I averaged a whopping 22L/100km, giving me less than half the range I normally get. If I had a V8 would the difference be the same?

Having said that the cooling system held up fine, it did actually move above the 2nd lowest notch for the first time in the 18 months I've owned this car. But I was really shocked with the fuel consumption.

[sv6_06]

The wind resistance would be horrific, i'd just leave the tranny in 4th the whole trip as alloytecs need to rev a bit to make good power.

[Reaper]

Hi all, so today I've been towing a trailer from Whyalla to Adelaide (380 kms) with the return trip tomorrow. Its not just any trailer. Its a 10' x 5' coates furniture trailer. One hell of a bohemoth! Its coupled up to my 1600kg tow bar.

Now being a fully enclosed furniture trailer, its damn high. Around town at 60 or 80, the alloytec has enough grunt down low to shift it. But the highway driving has exposed a real shortcoming. Accelerate in 3rd (4000rpm), cruise in 4th (2500rpm), don't even try to go in 5th it WILL slow down. Admittedly this is the first time I've towed at highway speeds (100km/h is the limit for the Holden tow bar so I'm sticking to that)

I started off in D but when I first got to 100km/h the gearbox wouldn't settle, changing between 3rd and 4th. In the end I turned active select on and held the gear in 4th and after 10 minutes tried D again and it held fine.

Now normally cruising unloaded in 5th I average under 10L/100km and get a good 700 kms out of a tank. But today I averaged a whopping 22L/100km, giving me less than half the range I normally get. If I had a V8 would the difference be the same?

Having said that the cooling system held up fine, it did actually move above the 2nd lowest notch for the first time in the 18 months I've owned this car. But I was really shocked with the fuel consumption.

V8 would have been slighly less. I have travelled all over the country towing double decker boat trailers which has similar aerodynamics and at 100km/h I get around 19 l/100 whilst at 110 I get around 20-21 depending on the wind. Below is a pic - that rig was around 900kgs and like a huge parachute behind the car. Pic taken around 100km from the WA boarder on the Nullabor.

Reaper

[BullittSV6]

So just got back, trailer fully loaded, was heading north with a strong northerly headwind, could only stay in 4th below 85km/h, got up to 95 behind roadtrains. Fuel consumption went up to 27L/100km.

The last 45 minutes was south, had a tail wind and sat on 100km/h in 4th like yesterday. Fuel consumption went down to 24.8L/100km.

Damn the headwind! Ahh well, should have just got a cage trailer... in any case for serious towing in the future, I'll be using a V8 thanks.

[Torquative]

the Adventra holds up well, although I guess its also designed for towing and why we bought it. The box jumps around a bit going uphill with the half cabin boat in tow but overall not bad.

That said the fuel consumption sits about 16->18 litres, we've never had it past 20 litres per 100 with the boat on, but it may be the AWD helping get the power down a bit better so i dunno if i can relaly compare it.

[bigdaddycool]

depends on the load.......... last time i towed something around 1900kg.......... it used bout that 22ltr per 100......... that was stock standard on a 4 speed....... be interesting to see what mine would use now tuned with alot more torque at disposal.

cant expect much when towing tho fuel economy wise

[baracuda]

doesnt matter on the car or what you towing. even me olds brand new navara towing a 28 foot caravan still not allowed to use 5th gear (override) as it will hurt the auto and drivetrain.so in the SV6 woudnt hit the top gear either.

[andyman]

hmm seems the gear ratios are a little outa whcak on the 5sp for towing, ideally youll probably get best economy around 3,000rpm, when towing like that,

i know on the flat, and slightest down hill coast mine was getting between 12-18L 100km towing a horse flat with a max load of 2 tonne,


also, when you tow dont allow it to shift into overdrive, keep it in 3rd for the 4sp and 4th for the 5sp, cause it will destroy your gearbox lol

[HARVZ-6]

its common knowledge to not tow in overdrive...

especially in an auto...

eventualy kills em

just stick to 4th a little higher rev is better than twice the drive train load (Y)

[andyman]

its common knowledge to not tow in overdrive...

when you work in the industry, nothing is common knowledge.......

[bludeck]

what andy said x2.

i have the 4 spd auto and it loves towing, also found when it gets use to towing and use to the loads the box settles down. it 'Learns' you could say .

the trailer you had loaded would expect those figures. highway with a big tandem axle half loaded i avg 16L/100km. as above wind resistance would of been burning that fuel.

[Benboy]

Don't forget to change the engine oil and transmission fluid if youtow for any distance with (a) head winds, (b) hills etc. To not change could result on long term damage.

[SIG-054]

Get the SV6 tuned to sort out those gearbox issues

I know a stock tuned gen 3 towing a car on a trailer gets 16/17L per 100km.

[impulsive]

Don't forget to change the engine oil and transmission fluid if youtow for any distance with (a) head winds, (b) hills etc. To not change could result on long term damage.

Hahaha what a load, you expect him to change his oil because he is gonna be driving into the wind? Maybe you should check the oils and lubricants if your going to tow, but seriously who changes oil because of a head wind?

Im interested to know if you post on boost crusing benboy

[BullittSV6]

Hahaha what a load, you expect him to change his oil because he is gonna be driving into the wind? Maybe you should check the oils and lubricants if your going to tow, but seriously who changes oil because of a head wind?

Im interested to know if you post on boost crusing benboy

Yeah can anyone verify that this is needed aside from benboy? I'm changing my oil shortly anyway but trans as well?

[andyman]

id say if your towing in hilly, mountainous areas, or stop start with a heavy load, yeah, wouldnt hurt changing it if you doing over a certain period of time, like travelling around the country towing 1 tonne, if its the odd trip around town i wouldnt worry to much about it,

head wind will add resistance, but i doub it would nescessitate changing the gearbag oil for it