Towing capacity?

[tom & tammy]

Any idea what max towing is for 1.9L automatic? Want to pull about 1200#'s this summer without problems.

[Samuel Brière]

i have the same question but on a 2.1L automatic...

[westywoman (Melissa)]

I used to tow jet skiis with my first 1.9L stick shift. That was probably around 1200lbs. I never had any trouble, the Vanagon towed really well. Just slow on hills, naturally.

[whc03grady]

I don't know guys, 1200 lbs. is more than a quarter again the loaded weight of the vehicle. That's quite a bit.

 

The van might be able to pull it without too much trouble but the important question is, how well can the van stop it?

[whc03grady]

More on towing, if anyone stumbles across this thread in the future:

http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=604

[tom & tammy]

thanks, all I did was tow a Harley on a trailer (1200#s?) with two kayaks strapped on in So. Fl. to the Keys (200 miles) and back. The next day the tranny was stuck in 1st gear. Will a transmission cooler prevent problems? Now to have that resolved this summer or fall......

 

[westywoman (Melissa)]

Actually, I think my towing weight was closer to 900 lbs. And do I recall a tongue weight of 150 lbs? Dunno, it was a long time ago. I think GoWesty's article is very conservative, as it should be.

[Michael J.]

I thought it was 1100 lbs towing capacity for a 2.0 pancake engine...

[whc03grady]

Towing more than 800 lbs with stock brakes is asking for it. Who cares what the engine'll put up with; when it comes to towing *stopping* is what's important. See the link in my comment above.

[Guy Kennedy]

I have a 2.1 Automatic. It has now been replaced twice. Once for shifting once for the ring gears. all I can say is you do not want an automatic to fail as they are expensive and hard to get quality service on.

[Gary Marrs]

Hi Guy,

The best place to get your automatic tranny from is German Transaxle in Bend, Or., they are the best. They do all of GoWesty's  trannys.

[Guy Kennedy]

Hi Gary,

That has been my source. Good thing they are in business or the situation would be desperate.

Gary Marrs said:

Hi Guy,

The best place to get your automatic tranny from is German Transaxle in Bend, Or., they are the best. They do all of GoWesty's  trannys.

[Gary Marrs]

It's great having them just down the road a piece too. I bought my tranny from them several year ago, and a few months back the cap for the governor started leaking. I went down to their shop and ask if I could get an "O" ring for it, and it was sure, and they gave it to me for free !!! As for towing, the vanagon will tow easily, there will be a price to pay although with an automatic, as will cause them to run hotter, and that is an automatic's worse enemy.