First time Caravaning.

[wayne_5090614]

In the process of selling my motorhome and buying a Two berth caravan and a tow car. Been to look at a T99plate frontera RS SPORT 2.2 DIESEL and a P96plate Maverick 2.7TDI SWB. Both seem in decent cond. Which one if any would be all right for being reliable ,economy and servicing(DIY).Any help or advice would be a great help. Wayne.

 

[Guest]

I am sorry but your question is reminiscent of the one which goes 'how long is a piece of string'. When you are talking of vehicles of that age then only individual inspection can tell whether they are a good buy or not. If either have been well looked after then they could be good buy, but if neglected, then you could spend a lot of money. look for the obvious first. Is there a service history, and by whom? Check the floor mats and pedals for verification of mileage. Do a check to see if the vehicle is stolen, or not. Look for body damage. Both vehicles can be good tow cars, but.........! they can also be 'dogs'. Only you can decide, and my opinion is, if you don't know, then walk away. There are plenty of secondhand vehicles on the market. Try to get some kind of warranty, and go for the newest your budget will tolerate.

Good luck with what ever you decide on.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I'd say the Maverick has the better build quality of the two and definately the more reliable. Try to find a LWB if you can as they handle better,and make sure it is a TDI and not just a TD,the intercooler makes a lot of difference.Good luck..Brian (Vauxhall salesman,Maverick owner)

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Also try to have a look at the underside if possible to see if there is any evidence of off road damage to the chasis, etc. Personally I would prefer the Vauxhall - I have never really been a Ford fan.Be careful of the Vauxhall engine, I believe that this size was problematic and the 2.5 TDI sourced from BMW engine was the better bet. Good luck - I bought a second hand Fourtrack and it has been marvelous as both a tow car and for normal use.

 

[Lol1]

I never thought I would hear myself saying this but "is your two birth caravan a small caravan if it is, do you really need a large 4x4? If it's a 4x4 you're after, with a light caravan why not have a look at the lighter 4x4s. Suzuki's Vitara makes a great tow car and are relatively cheap to buy and own.

 

[Lutz]

I see that in both cases you are looking at short wheelbase versions. Especially when towing, a long wheelbase gives you a much smoother ride. A short wheelbase tends to be rather choppy.

Just a thought.

 

[RichardH]

I have to say that unless your 2 berth van is lead lined you are looking at a sledge hammer to crack a nut. All you need is a nice 2.0 family saloon / hatchback diesel if you wish although a mondeo or vectra petrol would happily tow your van and give you far better fuel consumption and your budget would get a much newer vehicle as well. If the only reason you are going for the 4x4 is because you think its needed to tow the van then check the van weight and towing stats of other vehicles before you land yourself with a car thats expensive to run and maintain. if you are looking at bigger vans soon or off roading then go for the 4x4.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Also try to have a look at the underside if possible to see if there is any evidence of off road damage to the chasis, etc. Personally I would prefer the Vauxhall - I have never really been a Ford fan.Be careful of the Vauxhall engine, I believe that this size was problematic and the 2.5 TDI sourced from BMW engine was the better bet. Good luck - I bought a second hand Fourtrack and it has been marvelous as both a tow car and for normal use.

Colin,the only thing Ford about a Maverick is the badge,everything else is Nissan.

 

[sparkes]

Richard

For all we know, Wayne has a Bessacar 495 or something similar. This would not be tow-able by the cars you listed as its over 1500kg

Also, he may have other uses for the types of Car he has listed.

Wayne

Do you have more details? Richard is right if you are just getting a lightweight 2 berth, a saloon will do the job. my suggestion for a saloon would be a Skoda 4wd. for the choice you gave, I would go for the Maverick.

 

[RichardH]

ooops my bad, sorry Wayne didnt mean to miss lead I had overlooked the palace on wheels section of the two berth range. Please remember to check the weight of the van and the towing and kerb weight of the vehicles before parting with your cash