Technical Qubo 95bhp vs 75bhp 1.3 Towing differences?

[henryrym]

I'm wanting to use my 75bhp 1.3 MJT Qubo to tow a lightweight caravan. Love the car by the way!

If I look at towing braked weights for the 75bhp Qubo, the tow weight is quoted as 600Kg, whereas for the 95bhp version, the tow weight is quoted at 1000Kg.

Can you please confirm that only differences between the 75 and 95bhp version is a modestly greater engine power output - easily achieved by a remap or chip - and that there are no suspension/clutch differences.

So if I boost the engine power, I can tow a greater weight?? Or have I got it wrong.

Thanks

 

[Qube O]

I'm wanting to use my 75bhp 1.3 MJT Qubo to tow a lightweight caravan. Love the car by the way!

If I look at towing braked weights for the 75bhp Qubo, the tow weight is quoted as 600Kg, whereas for the 95bhp version, the tow weight is quoted at 1000Kg.

Can you please confirm that only differences between the 75 and 95bhp version is a modestly greater engine power output - easily achieved by a remap or chip - and that there are no suspension/clutch differences.

So if I boost the engine power, I can tow a greater weight?? Or have I got it wrong.

Thanks

Hi, I've towed caravans with lots of different cars, but after owning my Qubo for over 3 years, no way would I rate it as a tow car.
Maybe a small trailer, like a box trailer, but thats about it.
Not got the power, or the brakes, for towing a caravan, not it my book anyway. Though I am willing to bow to those with greater knowledge.
Good luck.......
Qube O.

 

[raton_laveur]

I'd not want to pull a caravan with the 75 HP version. I've got the 95 and it's a good motorway cruiser and much more pleasent to drive. The difference between them, 20 HP is a 27% increase and you can really feel it with an 0-62 time of about 4 seconds less. I had the misfortune to have a Meriva rental recently. It was the present new style and had the 75 HP 1.3. No problem in town but not well adapted anywhere else. And that was just with me on board. Oddly enough, the 75 makes 190 Nm of torque but the 95 only adds 10 more to that figure so almost no gain. If your caravan has its own brakes, that shouldn't be an issue. I suspect that there's no difference in the clutches of the two engines.

Getting a remap and asking them to favor torque over horses may be your best bet.

 

[Qube O]

I'd not want to pull a caravan with the 75 HP version. I've got the 95 and it's a good motorway cruiser and much more pleasent to drive. The difference between them, 20 HP is a 27% increase and you can really feel it with an 0-62 time of about 4 seconds less. I had the misfortune to have a Meriva rental recently. It was the present new style and had the 75 HP 1.3. No problem in town but not well adapted anywhere else. And that was just with me on board. Oddly enough, the 75 makes 190 Nm of torque but the 95 only adds 10 more to that figure so almost no gain. If your caravan has its own brakes, that shouldn't be an issue. I suspect that there's no difference in the clutches of the two engines.

Getting a remap and asking them to favor torque over horses may be your best bet.

How strange is that........perhaps I have a 'special' 1.3 75 HP, as just been up and down to Newcastle upon Tyne, motorway both ways for like 98% of the motoring. Four people on board, plus a fair bit of luggage in the back and cruised easily at the legal limit of 70 MPH, up hill and down dale, and even at times up to 85 MPH when I needed to pass slower Jags & Mercs e.t.c.. Still returned, even at those speeds, and with the load carried in excess of 60 MPG..............like I said to start perhaps mine is just a 'good 75HP', though I suspect not.............
Qube O.

 

[henryrym]

How strange is that........perhaps I have a 'special' 1.3 75 HP, as just been up and down to Newcastle upon Tyne, motorway both ways for like 98% of the motoring. Four people on board, plus a fair bit of luggage in the back and cruised easily at the legal limit of 70 MPH, up hill and down dale, and even at times up to 85 MPH when I needed to pass slower Jags & Mercs e.t.c.. Still returned, even at those speeds, and with the load carried in excess of 60 MPG..............like I said to start perhaps mine is just a 'good 75HP', though I suspect not.............
Qube O.

This is what I've found with my 1.3 75bhp - it's an 2011 stop/start Dynamic version - very willing 4 up and no problems going up Lake District hills - has plenty of torque and pulling power. Adding 25bhp and 50 foot lbs to the torque by a remap of my 75bhp version made me think it would pull a 750kg caravan without too much problem.

I've towed caravans in the past with Rover 400 TDs and Mondeo TDCis and managed ok. I suppose the suspension, clutch and brakes are as important as engine power and torque.

Qube O have you actually tried towing with the Qubo and your negative comments based on actual experience?

 

[Highlander]

As far as i'm aware towing weight is worked out on 5 elements of the car.
A) is engine power B) gear ratio's C) brake capacity. D) vehicle weight.
E) suspension.
Chassis strength does come into it if trailer / caravan is loaded correctly.
Put too heavy a van of the back of your car and you may find it puts too much strain on engine and gearbox, and if you do manage to pull it, you may find the brakes wont stop it or in the worst case the van starts to push the tow vehicle into a jack knife.

I've just taken delivery of a Kia Venga 1.4 crdi 90bhp. it has a braked towing weight of 800 kilos.
I would not like to be sitting in a Qubo with 1000 kilos behind me, thats when 4x4's come into their own.

cheers Ian

 

[Qube O]

This is what I've found with my 1.3 75bhp - it's an 2011 stop/start Dynamic version - very willing 4 up and no problems going up Lake District hills - has plenty of torque and pulling power. Adding 25bhp and 50 foot lbs to the torque by a remap of my 75bhp version made me think it would pull a 750kg caravan without too much problem.

I've towed caravans in the past with Rover 400 TDs and Mondeo TDCis and managed ok. I suppose the suspension, clutch and brakes are as important as engine power and torque.

Qube O have you actually tried towing with the Qubo and your negative comments based on actual experience?

Hi henryrym,

My apologies if you think I was being negative. Indeed I have never towed with my Qubo, nor would I wish too. My comments were and are based on many years of towing caravans up and down the country with a variety of cars, both petrol and diesel.
If you go ahead, and start to tow I would be very interested to read of your experience, always ready to learn.....

Take care, Qube O

 

[Highlander]

I'm like Qube O, i think I would be slightly apprehensive about towing with the Qubo. Yes there may be enough power there, and yes the shape of the Qubo will knock a large hole in the air for the van to pass through.
My worry is if the drive train and brakes are up to it, plus trying to tow a caravan with a Qubo in a strong cross wind will be like driving a toploader, and I've done enough of that in my youth, and its not nice.
Like Qube O says. old dogs do learn new tricks so please let us know how it goes, It wont be the first time i've had to eat my words......LOLOL

Cheers Ian

 

[Skillage]

Guys,

Im really frustrated about something with my dealer and i want -a stupid though- help.
Because my car is bought from abroad, i dont understand the language of the book service. My dealer told me that the car is 95 hp, and i believe is 75 hp. Where can i see if its 75 or 95 hp? except the book service, or the manuals.

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Guys,

Im really frustrated about something with my dealer and i want -a stupid though- help.
Because my car is bought from abroad, i dont understand the language of the book service. My dealer told me that the car is 95 hp, and i believe is 75 hp. Where can i see if its 75 or 95 hp? except the book service, or the manuals.

It will be on your log book
LUIGI

 

[Skillage]

All books are in Polish. I dont understand a word. Except of any book, is there anywhere else? Or the specific page that says it, so i could try to search this page for words like hp or 75/95 lol..

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

All books are in Polish. I dont understand a word. Except of any book, is there anywhere else? Or the specific page that says it, so i could try to search this page for words like hp or 75/95 lol..

No..... i don't mean the manual but the car registration document [log book]
LUIGI

 

[envy]

I have towed with my 68bhp nemo and to be honest it coped better than I thought it would. Was waaaay overweight too.... VW mk3 polo on a massive trailer as the hire place didn't have small trailers, probably with a combined weight of around 1200kgs. Towed 80 miles from Hampshire down to the south coast through the South Downs, so it was a good test for the van. There were a couple of steep hills that were a little bit of a struggle, but all in all the van did really well and really surprised me! Very stable under braking and on the flat held 60mph as if nothing was behind it.

 

[colstown]

Bit of an old topic this I see but some may still read as i have done several times
Like many I had towed caravans all over the Uk and Ireland when the children were young........Now grown up we have a motorhome......
We towed with everything but we had tow Volvo 440s.........A single point that was pretty torque'y for its day a 1.6 mulipoint that for want of better words was s*** in comparison.....
As I am interested in a Qubo I keep coming across this in may searches and done a little quick check because although rules and advice may have changed but fact has not
We had normal spec not lightweight caravans and never had a problem nor did anyone ever question or look weirdly at us towing a caravan with a 440.......In fact many caravans were towed by 440 Volvo's
The 440 Volvos are given as kerb weight 1069kg
The Qubo kerb weight 1165kg
The powers although varying a little according to modell are basically similar
The tyres on the Qubo are lower profile and more stable
The brakes on the Qubo are larger discs and much larger pads
Now I know the Volvo had the reputation of a tank but not so because the Qubo today is as heavy and probably as safe or nearly as safe and as far as handling is concerned the 440s were anything but racing cars
So if I had a Qubo with 95hp and with the silly torque's of these modern diesels it would not cost me a thought to tow with it............
If I get one the first thing going on it is a tow bar as is always the case with us..............
No I'm not for towing a caravan although we still keep one for the inlaws and if I get the Qubo I'd like and I do tow the caravan with it I'll come back and report how it went........
I dont understand why towing a 1000kg caravan is 4x4 teritory as someone wrote........Big tandem axles vans are 4x4 territory and we towed them with a 240 estate........ABI Jubilee Statesman in its day...........Not a problem

 

[Sinny]

2 things:

You need to look at how the bracket is attached to the vehicle

Towing anything bigger and approaching half the weight of what you're driving is always a gamble. In perfect circumstances, you'll be fine. When the sh!t hits the fan not. I've done a lot of driving on the continent, and I've seen several Disco's on their roofs from pulling caravans in crosswinds across viaducts. Because the sh!t hit the fan, and suddenly you realise that all thats holding the caravan on the road is the back wheels of whats towing it.
Landcruisers, not a single one have I ever seen upended, in the same conditions.
I wouldn't put anything bigger than a medium trailer behind a Qubo, or my Doblo for that matter. Whatever the towing weights, it's irresponsible to expect a little lightweight vehicle to be able to control a caravan when it starts losing control.

 

[varesecrazy]

Bit of an old topic this I see but some may still read as i have done several times
Like many I had towed caravans all over the Uk and Ireland when the children were young........Now grown up we have a motorhome......
We towed with everything but we had tow Volvo 440s.........A single point that was pretty torque'y for its day a 1.6 mulipoint that for want of better words was s*** in comparison.....
As I am interested in a Qubo I keep coming across this in may searches and done a little quick check because although rules and advice may have changed but fact has not
We had normal spec not lightweight caravans and never had a problem nor did anyone ever question or look weirdly at us towing a caravan with a 440.......In fact many caravans were towed by 440 Volvo's
The 440 Volvos are given as kerb weight 1069kg
The Qubo kerb weight 1165kg
No I'm not for towing a caravan although we still keep one for the inlaws and if I get the Qubo I'd like and I do tow the caravan with it I'll come back and report how it went........
I dont understand why towing a 1000kg caravan is 4x4 teritory as someone wrote........Big tandem axles vans are 4x4 territory and we towed them with a 240 estate........ABI Jubilee Statesman in its day...........Not a problem

as Sinny says, the noseweight of the van could be an issue.
FIAT's aren't great for the floorpan loading figures,

I towed with a Tipo TD back in the day and it was fine,
1929cc and @90 BHP

1300cc and 75bhp I'd rather not - 95 would be a better idea

you've also got a DMF to help out..or fail unexpectedly..depending on your luck

 

[colstown]

I can see most are not crazy about the idea of a Qubo towing so I'll let this one die but before I go let me remind you of a couple of things
Our once 2.8i Granda was little more than the weight of a modern light 4x4 such as a Sportage yet we towed tandem axle vans all over Europe and well in excess of the speed limits without a wobble in sight..The 440 Volvo's were seen all over the show with 4 and 5 berth single axle vans in tow....
Todays cars all have much better brakes......I know I'm a mechanic,,The brake pads have twice to three times the surface area..The discs are much larger as are the wheels that accommodate them.
The vehicle weights in general today are huge in comparison to yesteryears cars yet yesteryear we didnt see every second outfit laying in a thousand pieces.
The power and torque of modern diesels are such that even modest cars put the once 2.8i Granda to shame...
My son has an Alfa 159 diesel with over 200hp and torgue's that would put some 1970s trucks to shame...
I have towed more miles than many will think about and I have never considered a 50% ratio.......If that was the case I'd have to get a Scania 143 out to go to lift a broken down van.....The Scania is fine for carrying a truck but it would not pay good for two cars
An Iveco daily can tow,,,more than its own weight empty whilst its empty perfectly legally..
It doesnt have to have a 50% or 90% ratio....
It is circa 2300kg empty but tows up to 3500kg....
It can then go on to gross 7000kg and all that with 120/130hp and to date the DMF in that one has lasted 97k
Perhaps the driver has something to do with the problems..........I have seen countless caravans weaving all over the show and all is wrong is bad loading but that doesnt mean that endlessly changing the ratio of vehicle weight is going to help things....
I have seldom seen a commercial driver should they have a loaded tow vehicle of unladen tow vehicle in the same problems despite the variety of loads they are presented with........I have seen countless beaver tails with no vehicle on the tow vehicle and a car or van on the trailer and I'm sure every reader here has seen these and never batted an eye at it
They make sure they are loaded correctly and they dont have any problems