Towing Capacity of a Ford Falcon Wagon - 2300kg????

[No Fear]

Sorry this is the probably in the wrong section but it is only a quick question.

Picked up a new company car today , a 09 Ford Falcon XT BF MK Wagon (LPG Gas) and the boss asked if I wanted a tow bar put on.
Jumped on redbook to see what their towing capacity is and it says 2300kg braked. Is that right?
I have a 09 Hilux sitting in the shed and have a boat just under two tonne.....surely I'm not allowed to tow it with the company car??
Although it would explain why I see so many of them pulling big caravans.
Thinking about selling the Hilux and then buy a better boat of the same weight.......It does say on redbook as an option a towing pack of 1600kg for the auto, that sounds more like it.
If someone could let me know exactly what it can tow i'd appreciate it.
Cheers
P.S. The boat trailer has electric brakes despite being under two tonne

[robothefisho]

Would probably be right, my old vz commodore was 2300 or 2100 i forget which, but only with the heavy duty towbar. And i think only the auto is rated that high, manuals are 1600 i think.

[krazyfisher]

yes it is 2300kg if you get the HD tow pack I think it is about $2k!! they are the same as the territory

[No Fear]

Thanks guys,
Yeah its the auto. Might be selling the hilux then and arranging one of those HD tow packs. I hope you can take it off so I can put it on the next company car.....
That new platey is even closer now.....

[Mike Delisser]

I thought the towing capacity of company cars and hire cars was about double that of your own car regardless of the make.

I also believe you'll find that company cars and hire cars possess an off-road ability much superior to privately owned cars.

Cheers
Mike D

[cormorant]

I agree with Mike above - when a boss saw the falcon moving 3t cat around a carpark he had a cough cough . May the fleet manager always believe it is the company trailer that wears out some of the fleet cars. May he never know the workshop boys rotate good tyres and new full size spares to cars which are used for towing and old ones to cars at end of lease.

Weird how the breakdown tow always happens just near the entrance to a dirt road ( 1 case of beer) and it only cost a extra case of beer to run a tow truck and car through the carwash before it gets dropped at the repairers. What was that stick doing on the tar that peirced the fuel tank!!

When the auto fails you always remove the radiator hose - it wasn't the towing obviously mr fleet manager

Glad I don't have a van as they have trackers/ data loggers so no speed runs and such. The downloadable data in cars will eventually stop a lot of this along with the gps dash cameras a lot are fitting to help with insurance and accident claims.

Anyway

Check what the towpack actually includes. We had a better tranny cooler added rather than the through radiator jobby. We had a sedan but I think the wagon still runs leaf springs? We went through brake rotors / pads with short runs on freeways and lots of company fuel, the rear tyres wore as the supension geometry is different orientation under heavy load. Not so I assume with leaf springs in a wagon?. At least the wagon can take some weight in the back as the sedan gets overloaded pretty fast Talk to a caravan bloke as loads use em to tow vans with on long trips and they will know whether to use the ford tow pack or some other tow pack and I have seen a few boat blokes using weight distribution hithes.
Gas is really underpowerd from when I drove others fleet cars and not sure if with a tow pack they do anything with the gas to give it some more beans or ensure the auto locks in a lower gear. They used to only suggest weights over 1000kg or maybe 1500kg at 80km/h yeah right but maybe they don't any more - that was for gas and petrol.

Gotta have the trailer brakes perfect all the time as otherwise you'll go through rotors like us.

Getting up ramps is hard work and the LSD diff if fitted to wagons isn't the best. We have had to let rear tyre pressures down at ramps and a helping hand on steep wet slippery ones.

Check it has a full size spare the other ones are useless with weight on

[Almako]

I also have a falcon wagon as a company car, bloody awful car to drive day in and out. But no choice unless i change job.
I tow my 6.25 Cruise Craft with it no problem at all. Never had an issue on the ramp, never had an issue towing the boat.
The boat trailer has it's own electric brakes so no issues with wearing the car brakes out either. I used Speedy towbars at Underwood, they were one of the cheapest and the guys down there helped me set up the trailer height perfectly. They were even happy to change tongue heights free of charge for towing trials etc a few weeks later.
It's definitely not my perfect choice of tow vehicle but its free and does the job i need it to.

[NAGG]

Towing capacity is one thing - pulling a boat out of the water on a slippery ramp at low tide is another .
I've had company commodores and falcons struggle to pull a 800kg pressed alloy boat out ...... needed to use the boat to help push it out (scary) or at the very least someone to stand on the draw bar

Chris

[No Fear]

Mike and Cormarnt - thats classic.
Certainly in my previous roles I had given the old company car a flogging. Worst incident we had was down at the Tweed River, down a dirt road somewhere and bogged the back wheels of the falcon wagon and got stuck. Performed an awesome Alby Mangle with sticks and stones and finally got it out.....ended up with loads of sand in the back and a few scratches but it was all an adventure. Would never drive my car like any of the previous company cars I had!!

[cormorant]

Ahhh Chris remember it is a company car .
Back down a bit further open the boot and let the water in and then you'll have plenty of weight on the back tyres.

The exhaust will smell like the ocean all week as well.

Ball weight can be a issue if trailer isn't set up properly.

Inspired me to do a search and look up some classic Alby . Rubber band in the rainforrect with mssssss Green.

Of all the fleet cars the company utes cop the hammering on the weekends overloaded to hell followed by the soft roaders dune jumping - airbag and cracked windscreens before they worked that one out of also with front end damage from a redneck snatch.

Just make sure the service people know it is towing big weights so they can keep a closer eye on it and change out stuff early.

[GBC]

The commodores we fleeted only came up to max tow capacity with a weight distribution hitch. Pretty sure the falcon is the same. I'd check your boat trailer can be harnessed up....
You'll get the w.d. hitch when you pay for the h.d. tow pack generally, hence the extra expense.

[Apollo]

I have done a lot of towing with Falcons over the years (horse floats, trailer yachts and power boats to 2255kgs). Some of those falcons have been company cars, but I must be weird because I don't treat them like the above comments suggest. In general, they are fine as a tow vehicle if you you are mindful and probably the best of the non 4wd tow options. Traction i probably the biggest issue on wet surfaces, but I weighted my trailers towards the top end of the max tow ball weight and never got stuck.

Steve

[Feral]

Yep, 2.3 tonne, at 80kph. Speed limit starts dropping at 1.6 tonne.
Get an aftermarket tow bar, the ford one requires the load levelers at that weight.

[mal555]

I have done a lot of towing with Falcons over the years (horse floats, trailer yachts and power boats to 2255kgs). Some of those falcons have been company cars, but I must be weird because I don't treat them like the above comments suggest. In general, they are fine as a tow vehicle if you you are mindful and probably the best of the non 4wd tow options. Traction i probably the biggest issue on wet surfaces, but I weighted my trailers towards the top end of the max tow ball weight and never got stuck.

Steve

Agree with your comment, the vehicle (auto wagon) will handle the max. weight fine with proper driving, transmission cooler and distribution hitch.

I towed a 700l Signature for several years which was exactly on the limit (dry) with no LSD and never spun a wheel more than half a turn on a proper launch ramp.
The thing is to just think about what you are doing, and don't rush on the launch ramp, just ease the throttle on.