Page 1 of 1
Towing with a 2000 Mk1
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 7:14 am
by Roymck
Thinking of towing a caravan behind a 2000 , has anybody found the need to uprate the rear suspension and cooling system . Will it tow well ?
Re: Towing with a 2000 Mk1
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 11:15 am
by Dave B
A long time since I towed a van with a mk1, but both my current mk2's have estate rear springs fitted which considerably improve the stance of the car with a van on the back, and keep it at normal height when it hasn't. The biggest problem now is finding genuine estate rear springs.
As for cooling, never had any problem whilst towing, except in crawling traffic on a hot day.
Re: Towing with a 2000 Mk1
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 1:59 pm
by johnnydog
I have towed with my Royal Blue Mk1 since I got it, except when it has been laid up / off the road. In my opinion, it is one of my best Triumphs for towing; the other was the PI. The Mk1 has a shorter overhang, and the overall gearing is lower which is better for towing. As Dave says, estate rear springs are essential to keep it on an even keel. Take care in choosing uprated rear springs, as many raise the ride height too much whilst solo making the rear end looked jacked up. Estate / heavy duty springs are firmer, but also shorter in length as they don't compress as much. The ones on mine were taken off a scrap 2000 Mk1 estate which I saw from the road in a scrap yard near Woolacoombe on the way to the 1993 National , which Cec Lane and I went back for during our stay there!! They are still on the car today!
Mine is a late Mk1 with an MC engine combined with a manual overdrive, which I find pulls and revs better than the MB engine fitted in cars up to 1968. The overdrive is handy for motorway towing because you just flick in and out of it as conditions dictate without actually changing gear. I have in the past towed with a 1966 Mk1 2000 auto, which was a bit dire and it struggled at times (correction - most of the time!!). With an auto, I would suggest having the transmission oil cooler which understand was an option at the time.
I have never had a problem with the cooling system on them, as long as it is well maintained. As a general rule of thumb, if you car will tick over for extended periods without getting hot, then it should be ok whilst towing. None of mine go past 'N' on the temperature gauge whilst ticking over for extended periods, even on hot days, or whilst driving, both solo or towing. I just have the standard cooling system, with no additional fans - I've not found them necessary.