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[Rangie]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

[Doctor Gollum]

Those are potential implications.

FACT remains, the OPs Omega can ONLY tow the maximum weight directed by the Chassis plate ie Gross train weight LESS Gross vehicle weight.

If that is wrong, then perhaps you would care to read your owners manual and explain why.

I never said that the maximum axle / gvw or mgw (as it used to be) maw / train weights should not be exceeded. That is a specific offence in its own right. Whilst normally seen being used in connection with offences committed with goods vehicles, they can also be still applied to 'cars' that have the manufactures axle and maximum authorised vehicle weights displayed. This is more difficult to enforce with older cars that only have a VIN / chassis plate with no specific vehicle weights available, other than recommendations by the vehicles manufacturer.
My point was that the potential aspects you referred to are not offences relative to towing a yrsiler (sorry - trailer  ......my fault for using my phone to post ) that is deemed to be over weight relative to the towing vehicle. There are specific offences for exceeding the permitted axle / gvw or train weight now known as the maw (often referred to an 'over weight' vehicle) which the offender would be summoned for,  but the other matters would not be offences that would even be considered when there is a specific offence covering the actions of the offender.

OP is in Finland, so the penalties won't necessarily scale in the same way as here, although I'm sure they will take a dim view of deliberately exceeding the plated weight regardless of vehicle type.

[johnnydog]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

It would be dead easy if the permissible weights were actually detailed in it, but they aren't - well not in mine.
The VIN sticker is the only reference for the permissable weights.

[Rangie]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

It would be dead easy if the permissible weights were actually detailed in it, but they aren't - well not in mine.
The VIN sticker is the only reference for the permissable weights.

.

I towed with my Omega estate everything was quite clearly stated in the owners handbook, why would it not be ?

[Doctor Gollum]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

It would be dead easy if the permissible weights were actually detailed in it, but they aren't - well not in mine.
The VIN sticker is the only reference for the permissable weights.

Exactly.

[Doctor Gollum]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

It would be dead easy if the permissible weights were actually detailed in it, but they aren't - well not in mine.
The VIN sticker is the only reference for the permissable weights.

.

I towed with my Omega estate everything was quite clearly stated in the owners handbook, why would it not be ?

They aren't.

Gross vehicle weights and payload are, but not train weights.

If the OP wants to know how much his 2.6 can tow he needs to be looking at the chassis plate. If the difference between gross train and gross vehicle isn't enough, he needs a different car. Simples.

[Rangie]

They were in mine , a lot of folk don't bother with reading things thoroughly, it's not just on this forum always get knowledge from reading the manual it ain't rocket science. (2003 Omega estate)

[Doctor Gollum]

They were.

Not in the October 2002 one they're not

And if you read the relevant pages of the download version, (221-225) there's no mention of towing capacity anywhere, just kerb and maximum VEHICLE weights along with a list of 'heavy accessories'.

The only hint at towing capacity is on the page explaining the chassis plates.

Even Johhnydog conceedes this point and he knows as much as Lizzie.

[Rangie]

No point in me reading it cars longtime gone , it's what I read at the time so it was simple to do the mathematics ,it wasn't a particularly difficult read either not a bad towcar & load lugger.

[YZ250]

Just check your manual, dead easy.

It would be dead easy if the permissible weights were actually detailed in it, but they aren't - well not in mine.
The VIN sticker is the only reference for the permissable weights.

.

I towed with my Omega estate everything was quite clearly stated in the owners handbook, why would it not be ?

I towed with both of my Omega estates and many cars before them and the info was definitely there to make use of. 

If I remember correctly the car plate showed the max car weight, max gross train weight and max axle loads. Edit: Just looked at the sticker online and it's definitely got that info.
You then obviously need the kerb weight, which should be in the hand book to show various derivatives.

The caravan plate has always showed variations of MIRO (Mass in running order - caravan weight empty), MTPLM (Maximum technically permissible laden mass - the heaviest the van should be fully loaded) and Payload, which is generally the difference between the other two figures.

As we all know, or should do if we tow, the main thing is to find the vehicle kerb weight and then choose a caravan that has a MTPLM which is equal to or preferably lower than the vehicle kerb weight (the unloaded tow vehicle). That means that your empty tow vehicle should be equal to or heavier than your loaded caravan, so when you load your tow vehicle it will outweigh the loaded van to an even greater percentage. 
You can word this how you like but that's the safest combination. The tow vehicle maximum towing weight and maximum loaded weight is rarely of interest unless you think you are getting close to breaking the gross train weight, which is an offence.  I've seen caravans being escorted to a weigh bridge. 

This isn't aimed at anyone, as anyone that's tows would already know this. It's just a generalisation of the calculations for those not aware of the calculations. 

[Doctor Gollum]

As an aside the SALES brochure does give general towing capacities, with a hefty caveat regarding permitted loadings.

For the OP, and allowing for the fact that the information is for UK ONLY...

Saloons can tow more than estates and manuals can tow more than autos.

EXCEPT the 3.2 auto, which can tow 1,875kgs regardless of shape.

Looking at the chassis plate for the 3.2 manual, it can't actually tow anything as there's no Train weight given.

So in order to tow moree than his 2.6 allows, he either needs a 3.2 or better yet a different car. Most E Class estates can tow 2,100 kgs and being in Euroland, are available with 4 wheel drive with most engines.

The plate on the vehicle will reflect the 'As built' weight.

[Rangie]

If you are going to tow it's probably the first thing you look up or enquire about.

[Kevin Wood]

Well, this has been a useful exercise in that it prompted me to look at the plate on the XE.

When I bought it the "towing weight" advertised was 1800Kg, which seemed adequate so I didn't look further. That was probably a marketing figure, not aimed at a specific model.

Sometime after buying it I looked at the manual which showed the max train weight for my model as 3290Kg and the kerb weight as 1535, which means it's got to be unladen to get to 1755 Kg, let alone 1800!

Turns out, it's a misprint in the manual and the MTW is 3920! That's more like it.

Just goes to show, the best way is to check the plate on the vehicle. That's what the police will do in the unlikely event that they escort you to a weighbridge.

EDIT: Unladen and unoccupied, for that matter. Roll on driverless cars.

[Rangie]

When you see some of the mismatched units out on the road I really wonder how the driver would cope in unfortunate situation, last year I saw a caravan with its arse end nearly scraping the surface of the motorway , it was eventually stopped by one of the  highways agency vehicles we saw it being escorted into the services.

[Kevin Wood]

A situation not helped by the bonkers licensing rules which now incentivise towing with the lightest vehicle you can find.