New to caravanning - Kia Cee'd SW

[towballs]

Hello all, after many years of enjoying the outdoor holiday life in tents me, my wife and daughter have decided to take the plunge and look into owning a caravan. We're not doing this without doing our usual extensive research in order for us to get the most out of this exciting new venture.

I was wondering if anyone else like us owns a 2013 model or newer Kia Cee'd SW (estate) 1.6 diesel. I'd like to know how well this tows and performs. Obviously this is towing it's max weight of 1240kg.

Any other advice would be gratefully received.

Many Thanks

 

[Raywood]

Welcome to the forum. Not sure what the kerb weight of the car is so check this as the caravan needs to be lighter than the car. 85% is recommended for beginners but possibly too low to get what you need with this car. The engine should be up to towing a lightweight caravan although I have no experience of the Ceed.
In the long term something heavier might be better but to start with you should be safe with a suitably matched caravan.
If you have any questions feel free to ask as there are plenty of people on here with lots of experience and who have met most problems.

 

[LizziePope]

Hi towballs! Welcome to the Practical Caravan forum and to caravanning!

It sounds like you're approaching this very sensibly. This video might help with your outfit matching. Also see our tow car reviews and our Tow Car Awards website.

Hope that helps!

 

[jamestaylor18]

Hello, I have got a normal Cee'd (not the SW). MIne is a 1.6 diesel on a 13 plate (2013)

I tow a small 2 berth van with a MTPLM of 1276 kg. On the whole, it pulls fine on motorways, but if you go down any country roads with steep inclines, and i mean very steep, not just a bit of a hill, then it would struggle. The car is a turbo diesel, and sometimes you need to work the turbo to get a good pull ie make sure your revs are >1700 to get the turbo to kick in for the extra pull if on a hill, but you find this with most cars i expect. 5th gear is fine, but you have no chance of 6th so don't even try!

All the sites suggest it would be for advanced drivers only, but i am a beginner and its absolutely fine. I usually tow at 55mph max, but have done 60mph and the outfit remains stable. Aprox MPG is about 33-35mpg.

I have just done Manchester to Devon and back and it was a pleasure.

I plan to upgrade my car in a year or two, but for now, my cee'd is pretty spot on!

 

[towballs]

Thank you very much for the links, very helpful.

 

[towballs]

Thank you very much for that. We're looking at a 4 berth so maybe we need to look at something a little more punchy. Thanks again.

 

[Raywood]

You will be very limited looking for a four berth but there are a few around, they will however be the smallest basic models. Not sure if you are looking new or second hand and what price bracket though.

 

[towballs]

As we're new to this we don't want to invest heavily too quickly. Looking to spend between £4k and £7k max second hand 2007 onwards maybe. Ideally with a washroom at the rear, no fixed beds for 2 adults and 1 child.

 

[Mel]

Hi towballs. Welcome to the forum. The caravanfinder website is a good place to look to get an idea of what is out there and at what price. If you are buying privately ( and tbh even from a dealer) beware the dreaded damp and don't be afraid to enlist the services of an NCC approved mobile caravan engineer to give it the once over before you part with your hard earned cash. It will cost you a small amount but it could be money well spent.
Happy hunting
Mel

 

[Martin24]

Don't get hung up about the age in this price bracket, condition and lack of damp is much more crucial. Good advice given there by Mel

 

[Hutch]

After being away with The Woosies, at Pickalot, and seeing a couple of the guys with damp meters I invested in one so as to be able to do my own checks. £14 amazon. That way you could have a quick check before paying for a damp survey.