Recent content by SamandRose

Buckman and Beachball - if the site is not somewhere that you would wish to visit, that's entirely up to you. However, with respect, to query whether it should be allowed to operate in its current condition is unfair. This accident was not their fault. I have family in Pembrokeshire and know...

As the OP has probably gathered by now, it's impossible to give a definitive answer or even a sensible guide to this question as there are just so many variables that can affect it. My own experience with a VW Arteon 2.0 TDI is that it typically returns mpg in the low 50s in normal driving...

We towed with a Passat estate 2.0 TDI for 3 years and it was brilliant. Currently use a VW Arteon with the same engine and that's even more brilliant. The Golf takes the same range of engines but is that bit smaller and lighter - but should still comfortably tow 1218kg. The Skoda Superb and...

Tobes - am I right in thinking that you tow with your PHEV? If so, can I ask what the car is, and also the weight of your caravan please? The trouble is that smaller boot space, and particularly the absence of a spare wheel can be big drawbacks. I've recently been unlucky enough to have got a...

True Prof, but I had assumed that we were talking about the FWD versions of the Passat as discussed in earlier posts on this thread. I should probably have clarified. There are heavier 4x4 versions of the Passat and Skoda Superb, but these are rare and expensive. Most people who want 4x4 tend to...

As you say, "to each his own ..."

Hi Stephen The VW Passat is a very, very good car which I would recommend without hesitation if your caravan was a bit lighter. But the MTPLM of your caravan at "just over 1600kg" is getting on for 100kg more than the kerb weight of the car, which goes against the industry advice with which you...

I have to agree Dusty. Granted, a plug-in hybrid car could be well suited to someone who had off-road parking and did mostly short journeys, with only the occasional longer trip. My wife, and my sister-in-law are prime examples. But I can't even begin to think how long it would take either of...

Rather than stop at the Tamworth Moto services, leave at the same exit and follow the A5 dual carriageway westbound for about 3 miles. Exit at the slip road signed Tamworth A51. You come immediately to Ventura Retail Park, which has Asda and Sainsbury's supermarkets, M&S and several other cafes...

The Skoda Kodiaq is basically a VW Tiguan underneath, which is one of the most highly rated towing vehicles out there. There are just a couple of things to be aware of though. Purely on the basis of towing ability, the 2.0 TDI engine (available in either 150 or 190bhp) is a better option. We've...

I vaguely remember when I was very young, my parents bought a small Sprite Alpine caravan and towed it with a Riley One Point Five. It wasn't the best towing vehicle - the gear ratios were such that it spent most of its time in third and you could physically watch the fuel gauge drop. Not great...

My understanding is that in order to prevent the filter from becoming blocked, the engine needs to spend a reasonable amount of time running at normal temperature, which can take 10-15 minutes to reach. But if you're planning on using it for two 10-mile journeys each day (so about 20-30 minutes...

I had read Lutz's post in this thread but, with respect to you both I'm not really any the wiser. Like the OP, I had always assumed that kerb weight and mass in service were either the same thing, or so close to each other that any difference was negligible. I get even more confused when I...

Is it really the case that "mass in service is generally lower than kerb weight" and not the other way round? A data sheet sent to me by the Camping and Caravanning Club states that "mass in service" is defined in an EC directive as "the mass of the vehicle with bodywork in running order...

The model name of the caravan is Eccles Elite 17-5, as indicated on the top line of the chassis plate. I believe that 17 refers to its internal length in feet and 5 is the number of berths (imaginatively)! The first two numbers in the row below indicate the year of manufacture (1991). The...