The manual says the braked limit is 1,500kg.
But what governs this?
And can I tow 1,800kg if modify the car, ie, use a transmission cooler, upgrade brakes, upgrade rear suspension etc, or is 1,500kg the absolute max no matter what?

1500kg is what the car is rated to. You are not meant to tow more than that at risk of damage to your car. You should also check with your insurance company whether they care about towing capacity, which they may.

In saying that, magnas have plenty of torque, as long as you're not towing the Queen Mary 2 up the Kimberlies you should be fine. Plenty of people have towed a 500kg trailer with a 1600kg magna on the back of it. Magnas are proven to be able to carry other magnas.

Rear suspension will need to be beefed up, it is a safe bet to upgrade your front brakes, and a transmission cooler is a must. Go easy and you should be fine.

Insurance will be a big thing. If you are towing more than the stated limit and you are involved in a collision - even if it is not your fault, the insurance company will likely wipe you. Also the mermaids in the RTA (or whoever they are called this week) - they can nail you. The rule used to be that you could not tow anything heavier than the unladen weight of the tow vehicle.

Another thing - Magnas are front wheel drive. Try towing a heavy load uphill on a gravel or slippery surface - all you get will be wheelspin. The cars are certainly capable - strong body, powerful engine etc, but there are limits.

Legally no, if you check RTA web site you will find the formula for towing, is based on the weight of your tow vehicle from memory

Madmagna, legally no but what about from a safety perspective, on the assumption that a transmission cooler is fitted as well as bigger brakes and upgraded suspension?

The drive is 90km on the highway, no major hills or anything. I am happy to drive 80km/h or whatever the minimum speed limit is on the 110km/h highway.

Is this something that will likely attract the attention of police?

Driving at 80 in 100/110 zone would be sure to attract something, cops, traffic build ups, irate drivers.

But let me paint a picture for you..

One of the idea's about keeping the trailing towed load lighter than the vehicle, is the car stays in front of the load under heavy braking. Same as if you tie something heavy to something light, then drop it, the heaviest item likes to get in front of the lighter item.
Just like a semi jack knifing. That will put your car in a broadside slide, sideways, probably into a relativelely pointy object, with a crapload of dead weight pushing you forever onward...
There's no way I'd put myself, my family or my friends in that situation.

And the fact that you will be lifting your steer/drive wheels off the ground. Front brakes do 70-80% of your braking that's reduced, as well as steering is reduced to less than 'floaty'.

I know lots of people can control their cars, but its the same old story, you cant control everyone else's actions...
"Everyone else" doesn't include, animals, poor roads, vehicle failures, nature and your own mistakes...

I think nowadays, if you try to do anything where your insurance company might step out of your cover, might be considered a foolish thing to do. Even if its not your fault, it soon might be..
Its one of those little ideas, that plays with a lot of liability, and that liability, you could be paying for, for a very long time, mentally as well as financially.

But its your call lol

Even with a well balanced trailer, under brakes you will be increasing down weight on the ball. With a 1800kg load, this weight on the tow ball could be high enough to cause damage to the vehicle, ie bend the back end of the car.

If this is a one off, you'd be better off hiring a ute for the day. If you are planning to do it regularly, you may want to look at a different vehicle with a higher tow capacity.

Also agree with what Shoot has said.

Years go I helped friends move from Sydney to Dubbo. They asked me to drive their old Falcon 500 wagon, towing a hired trailer with their things. Their "things"weighed a heap as it turned out. It was the the most frightening experience and I was too young to to just say "no, this is dangerous". I had to brake for a red light in the wet and the wheels just locked, causing me to to slide right through the intersection. It was one very unstable setup. I was only 20 at the time but I still remember the trip.

Driving at 80 in 100/110 zone would be sure to attract something, cops, traffic build ups, irate drivers.

But let me paint a picture for you..

One of the idea's about keeping the trailing towed load lighter than the vehicle, is the car stays in front of the load under heavy braking. Same as if you tie something heavy to something light, then drop it, the heaviest item likes to get in front of the lighter item.
Just like a semi jack knifing. That will put your car in a broadside slide, sideways, probably into a relativelely pointy object, with a crapload of dead weight pushing you forever onward...
There's no way I'd put myself, my family or my friends in that situation.

And the fact that you will be lifting your steer/drive wheels off the ground. Front brakes do 70-80% of your braking that's reduced, as well as steering is reduced to less than 'floaty'.

I know lots of people can control their cars, but its the same old story, you cant control everyone else's actions...
"Everyone else" doesn't include, animals, poor roads, vehicle failures, nature and your own mistakes...

I think nowadays, if you try to do anything where your insurance company might step out of your cover, might be considered a foolish thing to do. Even if its not your fault, it soon might be..
Its one of those little ideas, that plays with a lot of liability, and that liability, you could be paying for, for a very long time, mentally as well as financially.

But its your call lol

Totally agree with Marty on this one although that being said i just towed a VRX back from Sydney to the gold coast for AWD Junior with a AU II falcon wagon I think he worked out we were slightly over once the weights were all put together. The car had enough torque to tow the trailer and the electric brakes on the trailer where turned up to the highest level but it certainly was not fun towing it through the city. I balanced the trailer out just enough with out having to much weight over the back of the axles for the car to be level but i am sure after that drive it will be needing new brake pads on the front and never has a chance again of me towing the trailer with that car and weight combination no matter how many times i did it when i was younger not again

well, this could help you :)

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4026/19515746952248616371670.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/19515746952248616371670.jpg/)

this trailer had no brake's either, and was quite a strain towing a HEAVY car

Driving at 80 in 100/110 zone would be sure to attract something, cops, traffic build ups, irate drivers.
I've driven nearly 27000km towing a caravan aound Australia, including along lots of highway with 110km/h+ speed limits at 90km/h and never attracted any of that. Sure, there are some impatient idiots out there (got forced off the road in SA by one desparado passing in the rain with way too little space), but most people are better than that. Doubtless the SA idiot would have done the same thing even if I'd been travelling at the speed limit (100km/h at the time). Bear in mind too that many heavily-trafficked 100km/h+ speed zones have multiple lanes, so passing is not so much of an issue.

That said, 1500kg is the legal limit. And, AFAIK Mitsubishi hasn't rated the car any higher anywhere (eg O/S).

Yes you may have driven that far, but probably in properly equipped vehicle, with a proper load size.
He's talking about doing something out of the ordinary, and being overloaded as well.

Yes you may have driven that far, but probably in properly equipped vehicle, with a proper load size.
Sure it was.

He's talking about doing something out of the ordinary, and being overloaded as well.
A vehicle travelling at 80km/h towing a van, for example, is not all that uncommon and, without a weighbridge, no-one can tell from just looking at it whether it weights 1000kg or 2000kg. The OP could probably get away with it, but the car simply isn't rated for such a load. What one can get away with shouldn't be the issue - the real issue is what's responsible. Intentionally towing 1800kg with a 1500kg-rated tow vehicle is irresponsible and could be dangerous.

I probably wouldn't advise this even with upgraded everything. You risk damaging a large portion of the car - brakes, the entire drive setup from the tyres through to the transmission, the chassis, the tow bar itself, the list goes on.

Go to a country road, accelerate up to 130 or so and brake hard a couple of times. You will smell the brakes burning and you will notice a considerable amount of difference in the cars ability to stop and the effort required to slow the vehicle down. Now take this, and theoretically double (or even more, forgot magna weight. don't forget luggage + passengers) the figure and imagine the car trying to stop you under those conditions. Your brakes are going to get almost glowing red hot and you might not be able to stop even though you think you've judged the situation correctly.

Also think about driving in the wet. You slam your brakes on, the wheels lock, and you just feel the force of the car carrying you along. that moment of pure terror as your car glides towards a red light, the traffic now travelling perpendicular to you. the weight of the trailer will likely just force you into an intersection even if its not raining.

OP how would you feel if you rear end a sedan with kids in the back because 3,000 ish KG's failed to stop in time. You will be scarred for life, not to mention the trauma of all involved.

Just putting this out there

Tell me the Difference between Towing 1500kg with 4 Adults in the car (legal?)

or

Towing 1800kg only with the driver and being cautious (obviously making sure you have a HD Tow bar setup)

Magnas will Tow Magnas no worries everyday

I can think of far more dangerous things people do to their cars...

The difference is weight distribution between car and trailer. Towing 1500kg with four adults in the trailer would be equal to (and equally unwise as) towing 1800kg.

Just putting this out there

Tell me the Difference between Towing 1500kg with 4 Adults in the car (legal?)

or

Towing 1800kg only with the driver and being cautious (obviously making sure you have a HD Tow bar setup)

Magnas will Tow Magnas no worries everyday

I can think of far more dangerous things people do to their cars...

This :


The difference is weight distribution between car and trailer. Towing 1500kg with four adults in the trailer would be equal to (and equally unwise as) towing 1800kg.





Think about how a car is designed. You have four wheels, 5 people. The difference is, those 5 people are sitting within the square created by the wheels. But when you have 1800kgs of shit forcing onto the rear bumper and causing extreme drag and weight OUTSIDE this square, it throws the logic of comparing the two out the window.

Another way of thinking about the point we are trying to get across, is picture a kid with one of those red wagon. Kids friend sits in it. The kid can pull the other kid along no worries. Hell, two kids can sit in it front and back if theres room to sit, and they can still be pulled along safely although weighting more. But now, imagine the two kids get out, and stand on the back of the wagon, outside of the square of the wheels. What happens? the wagon tips up. This is because the weight of the kids is no longer within this square and the weight isnt shared around the vehicle.


If you're still not following the logic presented in this thread, you shouldn't attempt this. Sure you could do it fine and obviously no one can stop you, but it's a dangerous thing to do.

I've towed this 1,800kg load with a VT commodore and a 90s Falcon (just before AU, not sure of code name) with no issues.
Could the Magna be that much worse?
I am not willing to take risks or anything, I was just hoping that people would say "1,500kg overly conservative and an extra 300kg won't make a difference".

Also the drive is just a straight highway. No traffic lights, no city driving, would not drive it there is a chance of rain etc.

Basically it is to tow a 1,000kg car + I think form what I was told car trailers weight 800kg. Anyone know if this is true?

The last time my parents towed anything, they towed a caravan with a car, and the car wasn't the right weight.

My dad being a good driver didn't help, because the car wasn't of sufficient weight to control the caravan, once the wind caught it on a bridge one day and the caravan jackknifed and made the car roll 8 times before it stopped.

The towing limit of your car isn't just for other motorists safety, it's for yours, and 100 kgs just cause you have two passengers isn't going to help you much if at all, it might just be their lives your putting at risk as well as your own

I've towed a small trailer Max load maybe 300 kg all up, unbraked, and despite being careful still got caught out by needing extra stopping distance. I'd never go to 1,800 Kg even if it had perfect trailer brakes. If it is something large like a car you want to tow, pay for a flat back tow. What price safety?

Simple fact of the matter, it is dangerous, it is illegal and if you decide to do this it is on your back

Yes, physically the Magna will tow this weight, safely and legally it wont.

I think this thread has gone far enough, many have provided opinion, input and in some cases fact. Now is time for OP to make up his own mind as to the safety and legality of this.