Working Jimny

Don't think this is a "was that you" item, more of a "working Jimny" category.

The cockle fish-man who runs this one said "it was bought on price and thought it was going to be too small for the job". Most use 2.7 litre diesels like Trooper, Terrano etc. He has been pulling a inflatable with 2 outboard motors fitted (approx 1/2 tonne total payload) up and down this ramp on the River Dee North Wales in all weathers for the last two plus years.

He said the clutch is starting to go but he can't fault it. Like the North Wales cocklers the Jimny is made of tough stuff.

Them Jimnys are badddd to the bone

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I'm not suprise the clutch is on it's way out towing that boat up that steep slipway all the time, in high range I'm guessing as it's got a hard surface.

Good on him though! I hope the trailer is braked at that weight though!

Kirkynut

I know that I am going to open a “can of worms” but here goes.

Your comment about the trailer being braked started me thinking. As a retired fleet engineer responsible for the engineering & legal well being of a fleet of 44 tonne trucks, I am well used to concerning myself with individual axle loadings, fifth-wheel positions, gross combination weights and the like.

However my beloved little Jimny handbook recommends maximum braked trailer weight as 450 kg – fair enough.

So how come my VIN plate states Gross vehicle as 1420 kg and Gross Combination (Gross train) as 2720 kg. Assuming no axle overloading that gives a huge 1300 kg for trailer/payload.

I'm not into caravanning but it seems the weekend gypsies recommend 80% of tractive unit GCW for a maximum safe trailer weight. In the case of Jimny that would be around 1100 Kg, putting it within the plated VIN figure. Towing at such a weight does not bear thinking about.

So why the high Gross Combination weight on the VIN plate ?

Am I missing something or just having another senior moment !

450kg is the un-braked towing figure. 1,300kg is the braked towing figure.

The caravanners recommend 80% because caravans are long and unwieldy and mosts caravanners are infrequent towers (weekend gypsies sums it up quite well!). A small 8x4 trailer with a ton of gravel on is totally different to tow and would be fine behind a Jimny.

A 1,600kg defender is rated to tow more than twice its weight at 3,500kgs. I regularly tow over 4,000kg behind a 110. Progress is steady but it's fine.

Un-braked is 350kg