or Login >>         
C4 - DS4 Owners :: Forums :: C4 Picasso and Grand Picasso - PRE 2013 only :: C4 Picasso Road Tests and User reports

C4GP EGP (BMP) pulling caravan

Home   Forum Rules    Forum Help  Conversion Tools
   
Please Register to enjoy additional Member Benefits
Top Thanked Forum Posts: Today | Week | Month | Year | All time | Most Thanks Given: To member | By user
Author Post
HoneyMonster   
Fri Jul 01 2011, 05:57pm
Member No: #1443
Joined: Oct 28 2007
Location: Wiltshire
I agree Adria a good choice i have an old 1989 still well solid and only an all up mass of 1300kg

irsa   
Mon Dec 31 2012, 03:59pm
Member No: #28633
Joined: Dec 23 2012
Location: Canberra
I was wondering how well the 2.0HDi with EGS would go towing a caravan, we're looking into getting one in the near future. Amusingly I'm looking at the Sprite and Adria ranges due to local vans being too heavy, I think the locals are stuck in the 1980s with their thinking about Australian roads thus building tanks.
Jami Julius   
Wed Jan 02 2013, 05:33am
Member No: #16956
Joined: Dec 23 2010
Location: Ylivieska
Hi, everyone! And Happy new Year 2013! I still have the same combination: C4GP EGP (see below) driven 136,000 km + Adria 613 (inside length 6,13 meters and total weight max 1700 kg) and we are still going strong!

Last October I pulled my Adria upto North-Eastern Slalom hills, and I noticed terrible burning from the clutch. I think I already told this before, but you have to be very careful and fast when reversing with caravan, especially avoid soft soil/ground. The robot slides the clutch a way too much, so less you try to do parking methods, more you save the clutch.

I fortunately still have the original clutch but it tends to judder sometimes after caravan parking. I got gear oils changed before this October-trip, and I noticed normal wearing with the gearwheels (you can see the small amount of metal crumb fasten in to the oil plugs magnet).

The gears work fine. All I can still say, that this car is very strong and steady puller: 6 gears (manually used) gives enough power and torque in smaller mountains and highways, consumption is still reasonable being average 10-13 litres per 100 km at speed about 80 km/h.

The weakest part is the clutch when doing long parking manoeuvres.

And about that terrible burning, I mentioned: I parked the caravan as quick as possible, and waited if the whole car bursted in flames... but after a cup of coffee and 30 minutes I started the car and noticed a little juddering again, but actually nothing else! Right after "hard parking" the automatic gear changes slides a bit more than usual, but it goes back normal soon.

And yes! I know this caravan is a little bit too heavy, because Citroen allows the weight max 1500 kg (towing a trailer equipped with brakes).

I use to load my caravan as light as possible (once checked on Truck scale: 1575 kg) but You know, when me, my wife and our 4 sons + a german pincher - dog, the car IS full and heavy weight!
SamiH.   
Fri Apr 10 2015, 02:57am
Member No: #40069
Joined: Apr 09 2015
Location: Lappeenranta
I would like to contribute with a bit different kind of experience of pulling a caravan with 2.0 HDI + BMP.

I made a trip with C4 Grand picasso 2.0 HDI + BMP '07 coupled with Solifer S9+ with gross weight of 1460 kg. The trip was fine pulling wise (the weather was dreadful while pulling: snow, wet snow, rain, wind...) although I must say the shifting points of BMP were not to my taste and there could be more power to the engine. The rear suspension without the air bags is a bit too soft but again, we can live with it.

But there's something I can't live with. Pushing the caravan to its place slowly and with few extra takes made the clutch overheat and smell. The whole operation didn't take more than 5 mins and there wasn't any uphill pushing but maybe some soft soil resisting the movement a bit. Still I'm considering the manouvering as normal. And after 15 mins of cooling the clutch was sill overheated (flickering indicator in instrument cluster).

I've requested answers from the local dealer and importer as to state whether this is considered "normal" or something is "broken".

The clutch is renewed some 30000 km ago (less than a year) so everything seems to be in order.

Has anyone else experienced clutch overheating? With caravan hooked?

Hopefully this is something not normal and there is a solution to this. Otherwise I must consider passing the C4 on.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Aww, I didn't read the whole thread through. Someone else has indeed have the same issues. Comforting, but still could it be avoided entirely?
Dave_Retired.   
Fri Apr 10 2015, 06:56am

Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006
Location: Northumberland
I can only suggest getting something like a Powrtouch - Click Here - to manouvre the caravan around and save the cars clutch.
Go to page   <<       

Jump:     Back to top

User Colour Key:
Head Administrator, Administrator, Forum Moderator, Forum Moderator, Premier Member, Technical Expert, New C4 and DS4 Forum Moderators, Member