looking for first caravan and towcar

[paul_374481299]

Hi everyone , me and the girlfriend have decided to take the plunge and buy our first caravan ,

we dont have a massive budget , approx £3000 , and are looking for a 4 berth i know this is a bit of a daft question , because of the vast amount of vans around but can you all please post your recomendations .

im also looking for a towcar , the ones im intrested in are a kia sorrento ,and a hyundai terracan , my budget for a towcar is £7000 your thought on this would also be appreciated , also would be greatfull if you know of people selling car or vans in the manchester area !

many thanks paul and donna

 

[UKHunk]

Hiya Paul,

First of all i would visit this site..

www.whattowcar.com

The kia being the better choice but of course you dont say what Engine size,I would tow with no less than a 2 litre,A 2.5 or a 3 litre is excellent,but you must find the kerb weight of the car and then you can safely tow 85% of that,It is not only very danergous but against the law to tow to heavy and its not worth it for your own sakes,As for a van thats more or less a personal choice,if its your fist one take someone with you who knows about vans as water ingress runs wild in a lot of vans these days,3k will get you one 10 to 12 years old,but this time of the year i would think about buying private,dont part with any money but look at a few first as you will be amazed at the difference of how some are and are not looked after,also look at www.preloved.co.uk all the best to you and happy caravanning to you both.

 

[James_374408700]

"It is not only dangerous but against the law to tow to heavy"

I think you need to clarify that statement!

Jim

 

[Dustydog]

"then you can safely tow 85%"

In addition to Jim's point may I add

85% is not a rule , merely a guideline.

More importantly there are a number of other vital factors that need to be taken into acount, eg noseweight, tyre pessures , loading and so on.

Have a look at the Caravan Club site. They have a section for beginners.

Mr Mods may also be able to give you some pointers from this site.

With a little aforethought and correct guidance you will be able to enjoy caravanning . It's great.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[marlot]

Paul,

If you passed your driving test in 1997 or later you'll be restricted in what you can tow - shout if this applies and I'll give you more information.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Paul

The replies that you have had illustrate the point that you need to do a little bit of research before parting with any money.

Our members are quite rightly pointing out to you that there are important safety considerations to look into, don't make a random decision otherwise you might make an expensive mistake.

Having said that the information that you need is here via the home page of this website, click on the HOME PAGE logo in the blue rectangle and follow the clickable links for 'Beginners', 'Towing Law' etc.

Kia Sorrento's are popular towcars and they have an online owners forum:

http://kiasorento.proboards.com/index.cgi
This will provide you with information about Sorrento's.

If you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997 have a look at 'Towing Law' where licence requirements will be explained.

In the meantime have a look round as many caravan dealers as you can, look inside the caravans and get an idea of your likes and dislikes, layouts etc. Dealers often stock trade ins which will fit your budget, be prepared to haggle.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Caravanning is a fantastic hobby, more a way of life really so good luck in your search and let us know how you get on.

 

[paul_374481299]

Hi Paul

The replies that you have had illustrate the point that you need to do a little bit of research before parting with any money.

Our members are quite rightly pointing out to you that there are important safety considerations to look into, don't make a random decision otherwise you might make an expensive mistake.

Having said that the information that you need is here via the home page of this website, click on the HOME PAGE logo in the blue rectangle and follow the clickable links for 'Beginners', 'Towing Law' etc.

Kia Sorrento's are popular towcars and they have an online owners forum:

http://kiasorento.proboards.com/index.cgi
This will provide you with information about Sorrento's.

If you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997 have a look at 'Towing Law' where licence requirements will be explained.

In the meantime have a look round as many caravan dealers as you can, look inside the caravans and get an idea of your likes and dislikes, layouts etc. Dealers often stock trade ins which will fit your budget, be prepared to haggle.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Caravanning is a fantastic hobby, more a way of life really so good luck in your search and let us know how you get on.

Good evening everyone and thanks for the replys so far .

I think i am swinging towards the Kia sorrento as my towcar as it seems to have good reviews by most people who use them to tow , i have done some reading and i do understand the 85% rule , please correct me if im wrong but you can only tow something 85% of the kerb wieght of your car .

the caravans i have been viewing are between 950kg and 1400kg so if my calculations are correct i think im ok to tow these vans ,

I also passed my driving test in 91 so i think im ok on that front .

one question i do have regarding the car is what would be the favored transmision , auto or manual ? i must admit i have always owned manual cars but would really like to change to auto , but if this makes a differance towing and manouvering i will stick to manual !

once again thanks for taken the time to reply to me , we are both very excited and plan to tour scotland over xmas and new year , but we really want to make sure we have the right outfit before we part with our hard earned cash !

Paul and Donna

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Paul

As Dusty said 85% is not a rule, it is only a guideline. - It has no legal implication.

What a car is allowed to tow is defined by the car manufacturer. They will quote a maximum towed weight in their specifications. You can legally tow up to that weight, however it is not always wise to go to the specification limit especially with the boxy shape and size of a caravan.

85% does not guarantee a safe or easy tow, but in the case of the Sorrento it will probably be fine and well within its specification.

I have towed with both manuals and Auto's and I have no problems with either, I currently use a diesel manual, but mainly because the size of vehicle I needed did not come with an auto box.

There have been recent reports about many modern cars being fitted with Dual Mass Flywheels, and these do seem to be more prone to burnout especially when manoeuvring the extra load of a caravan. - autos of course don't suffer with that.

The choice is yours

 

[Parksy]

My car has an auto gearbox and providing that the auto transmission fluid is kept clean and drained and replenished as part of the service an auto box is fine. Manoeuvring and particularly reversing is very easy with an auto gearbox, the downside is poorer fuel economy and some cars fitted with auto gearboxes fall within the higher road tax band.

 

[nelmo]

I just went through a similar process for the towcar and also had a

 

[Martin24]

Car first as that's the easy bit. For under

 

[jacquie1]

Hi paul, we have just bought our first caravan, its an ace jubilee envoy 1993, it is in excellent condition, we were sold it as a four berth but when we got it home someone noticed it had a bunk so its actully a five berth.We paid

 

[ANDREW_374368566]

Paul

I would not bother with Kia or Hyundia they wont be cheap to run, and also handling is poor with roll on corners and a slight down market feel. I would go for a used MondeoTD last shape - poss estate. Then look at a tourer say such as a Ranger though good ones even at 14 years are near

 

[forestgump]

not so andrew had 6 hyundia over 9 years got tucsson good mpg and good handling with esc tocontroll boady roll