Does exceeding manufacturers' tow rating void collision liability insurance?

A 2012 VW Golf is rated to tow 3000 lbs in Europe and 1000 lbs in the USA. Why?

I'd expect that a Golf towing a 1800 lb trailer at 60 mph would be no problem, until I had a wreck and the insurance company tried to deny my claim.

Here's a guy towing an AirStream trailer with a Golf http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=333675 A glider trailer is 40% the weight of the Airstream and low to the ground.

Is the published tow capacity set by the marketing department with 'input' from engineering? The Golf is marketed as a sporty run-around in the USA and a tow rating might hurt that image.

My guess is that VW Golf is probably better for towing than the VW Tiguan despite the ratings. The Golf is 330 lbs lighter than the Tiguan, but it has a lower center of gravity. The 'overhang' from the rear axle to the tow ball is about the same for both cars.

Golf - Curb Weight - 3,074 lbs - Towing Capacity 1000 lbs

Tiguan - Curb Weight 3,404 lbs - Towing Capacity (max braked trailer) 2,200 lbs
The maximum legal towing speed in Europe is 60 mph.

On 9/9/2012 12:37 PM, son_of_flubber wrote:

Snip...
I'd expect that a Golf towing a 1800 lb trailer at 60 mph would be no
problem, until I had a wreck and the insurance company tried to deny my
claim.

1) Read your policy closely and anally; that's what your insurance company
will do when it comes to applying it, if you file a claim.

2) You might (should) seriously consider writing (not calling) and posing to
them whatever specific question(s) such a reading may leave with you. Your
claim will be your claim, and all the anecdotal claims experience I'm sure you
can get from RAS (including me, though none towing-related) will at best only
(very) indirectly apply to your situation/company.
- - - - - -

Golf - Curb Weight - 3,074 lbs - Towing Capacity 1000 lbs

Tiguan - Curb Weight 3,404 lbs - Towing Capacity (max braked trailer) 2,200
lbs The maximum legal towing speed in Europe is 60 mph.

Insurance aside, I towed gliders from 1973 through 2009 exclusively behind a
manual transmission, V8-engined, 2,600 lb Ford Maverick, that wasn't rated for
towing by Ford. (Whether lack of a tow rating was due to there being no
presumed market call for Ford to do so, or whether it reflected genuine
engineering conclusions, I've no idea.)

Had to adapt/weld a Sears (remember them?) 'universal hitch' onto the car.

Never towed a trailer with brakes. Heaviest rigs were a double-axled 2-32
hauler and a wooden homebuilt, the latter hauling an HP-14 and weighing (an
estimated) 3,500 pounds with ship inside. Both heavyweights (and most all of
the glider trailers) towed in the intermountain west. Over the decades, there
were multiple trips across the continental divide and into/throughout
central/mountainous Colorado, as well as the (generally lower) states of Utah,
Nevada and northern California.

Never had a towing-related vehicle issue.

When I sold the vehicle (~40k miles on the 2nd engine), it remained on its
original transmission (which had only once ever been topped off), was on only
its 2nd radiator & clutch, and still had the (dismal) factory original brakes
with the only braking system components ever to be replaced being the master
cylinder (once) and the brake shoes (~every 60,000 miles). I estimated the
running gear had roughly 240,000 miles on it (odo quit around 200,000 miles).
I'd semi-retired it in 1990 exclusively to trailer towing, after which 5,000
(all towing) miles were annually driven.


YMMV,
Bob W.

On Sunday, September 9, 2012 12:37:38 PM UTC-6, son_of_flubber wrote:
A 2012 VW Golf is rated to tow 3000 lbs in Europe and 1000 lbs in the USA.. Why?



I'd expect that a Golf towing a 1800 lb trailer at 60 mph would be no problem, until I had a wreck and the insurance company tried to deny my claim.



Here's a guy towing an AirStream trailer with a Golf http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=333675 A glider trailer is 40% the weight of the Airstream and low to the ground.



Is the published tow capacity set by the marketing department with 'input' from engineering? The Golf is marketed as a sporty run-around in the USA and a tow rating might hurt that image.



My guess is that VW Golf is probably better for towing than the VW Tiguan despite the ratings. The Golf is 330 lbs lighter than the Tiguan, but it has a lower center of gravity. The 'overhang' from the rear axle to the tow ball is about the same for both cars.



Golf - Curb Weight - 3,074 lbs - Towing Capacity 1000 lbs



Tiguan - Curb Weight 3,404 lbs - Towing Capacity (max braked trailer) 2,200 lbs

The maximum legal towing speed in Europe is 60 mph.
Lotsa questions in your post. First, Check with your insurance carrier and read your policy. Second, The DOT uses several different variables (Such as Combined max vehicle weight, Tongue weight, Axle weight, Tire ratings and other stuff you can look at on the DOT website) . Third, It has nothing to do with curb weight or center of gravity. Lastly, if the ratings vary in Europe take a look at the trim packages available there. For example, you can have different brakes, and different powertrain options that are not availible here.

On Sep 9, 1:37*pm, son_of_flubber wrote:
A 2012 VW Golf is rated to tow 3000 lbs in Europe and 1000 lbs in the USA.. *Why?

I'd expect that a Golf towing a 1800 lb trailer at 60 mph would be no problem, until I had a wreck and the insurance company tried to deny my claim.

Here's a guy towing an AirStream trailer with a Golfhttp://forums.tdiclub..com/showthread.php?t=333675*A glider trailer is 40% the weight of the Airstream and low to the ground.

Is the published tow capacity set by the marketing department with 'input' from engineering? The Golf is marketed as a sporty run-around in the USA and a tow rating might hurt that image.

My guess is that VW Golf is probably better for towing than the VW Tiguan despite the ratings. The Golf is 330 lbs lighter than the Tiguan, but it has a lower center of gravity. The 'overhang' from the rear axle to the tow ball is about the same for both cars.

Golf - Curb Weight - 3,074 lbs - Towing Capacity 1000 lbs

Tiguan - Curb Weight 3,404 lbs - Towing Capacity (max braked trailer) 2,200 lbs
The maximum legal towing speed in Europe is 60 mph.

The main reason for the difference is in the European requirement for
a mechanical surge bread on ALL trailers. Since our Cobras and Komets
all have that feature and since all of us do diligently the required
maintenance and adjustments, towing with a smaller car should not be
an issue. Just don't put that home-built heavy trailer without brakes
behind that Golf!

Dne pondÄ›lÃ*, 10. zářÃ* 2012 20:21:01 UTC+2 Herbert kilian napsal(a):

a mechanical surge bread on ALL trailers. Since our Cobras and Komets
all have that feature and since all of us do diligently the required
maintenance and adjustments, towing with a smaller car should not be
an issue. Just don't put that home-built heavy trailer without brakes
behind that Golf!

More precisely saying, mechanical surge brage is in EU obligatory to trailers over 750 kg (up to 750 kg is voluntary).
But I have not seen 750 kg glider trailer without brakes so far. The reason is simple, for towing such trailer you need very heavy towing car. In EU, after installing towing device to car, you will obtain two limits for trailer weight - braked and unbraked. P.ex. on my PassatB5/150PS (considered to be among heavier half of towing cars in Europe:-) ) I have these limits 1300 kg braked / 650 kg unbraked. Limits are written on small Registration Certificate Part 1, then it could be checked by routine road police check...