Hi all,

I am wondering how much a series 1 can tow? I don't care about the law, I am just interested in how much it will tow.

In this clip from 9:30 you see a series 3 towing a trailer with an xj40 on in. It looks solid. A trailier with an xj40 would add up to something between 2500 and 3000 kg I would say.


Reason I am asking? I bought an x300, and need to tow it home :-)

 

What a Fascinating video! I *Love* the music! Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet, Dance of the Knights, I think.

In answer to your question, IF the Xj6 Series 3 wasn't fully capable of towing such a load, OVER an overpass no less, I would think they would have towed it behind a Land Rover or some other heavier vehicle.

But that's just how I think.

I can tell you, however, from my own experience, if you do install a tow package, you had better very well also put on an auxiliary cooler dedicated to the transmission, or you're very likely to overheat it, hardening the seals, burning off the clutches and warping the plates.
(';')

 

Extra cooling for the transmission would definitely ben helpful, but I forgot to mention: it's only 10 kilometers (6 miles)... And as I live in the Netherlands, it's all flat here :-)

 

My XJR has a 3500 lb hitch secured like this on either side. I say go for it.



The music that starts around 9:10 is Mike Oldfield's Crises (1983) from around it's 10:40 mark. I love this album:

 

It has to be cheaper and easier to hire it towed those six (6) miles than adding a trans cooler and tow package?
In California they will not rent me a car tow trailer with my 1500 Ram, need a 2500 to rent to tow.

 

I have a trailer hitch/tow bar already on the series 1, and I can rent a trailer very cheap.But to rent a car that can/is allowed to tow ~3000 kg is not possible.

. I know the jag will pull it, and extra cooling is of course not needed for this short distance, also as it is cold here at the moment. It's just that I DONT know if it will be safe, can the jag control this weight so to say.

I have already jackknived my jaguar once, without serious damage (some scratches where the car kissed the jaguar :-) Luckily the road was wide and nobody was around so luckily no furhter damage. But I'd rather not do that again. to be fair, this was fully to blame on myself, as I did not load the car properly. I put a load of 5 meters on my 2 meter long car...

 

Length of the towed load isn't important, it's the weight. On flat ground it isn't as important, but you don't want the trailer pushing the tow vehicle around in corners. Based on my experience using 1980's US cars as tow vehicles I'd say a maximum of 5000lbs/2200kg. The difficult part I can see is securing the hitch to the body. All the cars I have used for towing have a separate frame, that makes a very solid place to bolt/weld a hitch to.

At the 5000 lb weight important things are an independent trailer brake controller ( required here for anything over 700kg) and a weight distributing and sway control hitch. The hitch makes the trailer want to track true behind the tow vehicle and reduces the tendency to fishtail. It also moves some of the weight to the front wheels for steering. You also want about 10% of the weight on the tongue of the trailer; so if the total load (trailer +cargo) is say 1000kg, you want at least 100kg on the ball of the hitch. If you have less weight, again the trailer will want to fishtail as the speed increases.

 

For 6 miles and flat terrain I'd deffinetly go for it but go in the early morning hours when there is less traffic and go very slowly. Heck, when I was young (and maybe foolish) I had my wife tow my broken down car farther than that using a rope.

 

A lot of weight for a sedan to tow.

How much of the towed load would go on to the tongue.

And, most important. Trailer brakes!!!

 

Absolutely. The last thing you need is the "tail wagging the dog"

 

I typically wouldn't feel safe using a Jag sedan to haul that kind of load. BUT....for just six miles you should be able to stay safe if the traffic and road conditions allow you to just go slow and easy.

Cheers
DD

 

I felt the same.

but now there's an x300 in my driveway so it turns out that (at least for short distances) it's fine :-)

 

What! no video?!!

(Congratulations for the successful tow).

 

glad it worked. but, in my view, against all odds. or surely against the wind.

load plus trailerweight exceeded the toew car weight. not a good thoing.

 

I definitely wouldn't recommend it, I agree. But for this short distance...

and than again, in the video in my openingpost of this thread, you see a series 3 pulling an xj40 on a trailier, and it looks so easy... And a series 1 and 3 are the same, looking at weight and power (and don't forget I have the AJ6, which has more power than the XK from a series 3). Series 3 brakes are a bit better.

 

My reservations stand. too much load. No trailer brakes.

But sure glad it came out OK!!

 

My series 2 has a tow hitch and was used to tow a caravan for many years throughout the continent. Since I have owned it I have also towed my caravan, when I had it. There has never been a problem with any overheating, so I feel aditional transmission cooling would be a luxury in our temperate climate!

 

My first tow!!! circa 1946. On my bicycle or aboard my mustang mare, dusty, i cruised the back alleys looking for a cheap car that I could afford. Found two! On a HJhenney bodied Packard hearse. The other a 23 T Fords roadster pickup. Each a derelict. No tires on the T. I made a deal $25.00! Then got unc to tow it. 36 Old. I had a chain

About three miles. Most on unpaved steeets. Easier on the bare wheels. It made it in to my parent's drive. After messing with it, A school chum helped. He was my t mentor. he had a great 27 T roaster pcikup. We towed mine withit several times, No go. On a whim. we decided it was a valve issue. Removed the head. billy was enthrolled with my "click click" wrench a rachet set I got at white's auto. Yup one valve was open duting several cranks. hand cranks., not starter!!! A tap with a hammer and then again a few times til it responded each and every. Back on the chain., As soon as I popped the clutch it fired!!!!!!! i insited on unchaining. i drove it home. never before, had I driven a T. Teh genesis of my adventure in grease..

Carl

 

Of course it's less a problem, when the vehicle you want to move, can be split in two parts. and strip it of some heavy stuff. then all of a sudden, my own trailer can do the job..

 

In the Pacific in WWII, the Seabees did stuff like that. cut needed graders in ahlf for air transport. weld them back together at the field.