Jimny & Towing (is there a mod to allow 2WD Lo Range)

Thanks to all for the brilliant help here, I had thought of a tap in the vacuum line? but the elec switch is better & simpler. Re my license, I passed my car test in 1979 so I think OK there. One potential slight problem is that the trailer I was thinking on has a max overall mass of 1500 Kg including its load, so plated above the 1300 kg max of the Jimny, but weighs 270 kg empty, & I was never going to push it above the 1300 kg total with my load? I think I would like the comfort of knowing the 2WD Lo was available in case I had to re start on a steep hill. Also at 6ft 2in tall I would need to do the drivers seat mod I have seen. 11/60 - when you say the medium sheep trailer at full Jimny capacity - I take it this is a braked trailer so we are talking close to the 1300 Kg, rather than unbraked. Great to get some real world input related to non caravan towing. I cannot thank you all enough. Pete.

Pete1961 wrote: One potential slight problem is that the trailer I was thinking on has a max overall mass of 1500 Kg including its load, so plated above the 1300 kg max of the Jimny, but weighs 270 kg empty, & I was never going to push it above the 1300 kg total with my load?

Hi Pete - This MAY be something you come unstuck on from a legal perspective. It's been a while since I've towed but I remember looking into this and there appears to be a reasonable amount of ambiguity such that I'm convinced your average traffic cop would struggle with the finer points. I was sent a really useful article when researching this - if you want to PM me your email I will forward it onto you. Have just has a quick skim but don't have the mental capacity to absorb myself right now :blink:

One thing to consider, whatever you decide (and I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs here) is to set up your load correctly. Get it properly weighted on the nose of the trailer (use scales) and position some chocks so you know where to line up the machinery thereafter. That will make all the difference should you ever need to perform an emergency manoeuvre.

Cheers
Mark

The plated weight of the trailer doesn't matter as you have a b+e license.

Busta is correct, for a few years the plated weight was everything back in the early 2000s but about 3 or 4 years ago they reverted to actual weight. So what that means is that if I were feeling brave I could take out my big 3.5 tonne twin deck trailer on the back of the Jimny so long as I had less than 200kg of load in the back I would be legal as my total would be somewhere under 1300kg, I would however be asking for a tug off plod as a 12 foot sheep float on a Jimny looks wrong. A Jimny towing a little mini digger that is under weight is going to attract more attention than the same car and trailer over weight with logs. Appearance is more important than legality most of the time until you get pulled in a vosa road side check or have a collision.

11/60 wrote: a 12 foot sheep float on a Jimny looks wrong.

I'm not sure what you mean :whistle:

Busta wrote:

11/60 wrote: a 12 foot sheep float on a Jimny looks wrong.

I'm not sure what you mean :whistle:

Nothing to see here, move along.