Donβt forget β noseweight measurement βπBit like always coming back to CRA2015
Donβt forget β noseweight measurement βπBit like always coming back to CRA2015
85% is only advisory it's not a limit. Recurring references to "limit" or "rule" tend to reinforce the misinformation illusion that it has some regulatory base or even guarantee of safety, especially for novices who can trawl the internet for information.
There is a wealth of information on the internet about the advisability of staying at an 85% ratio between the towing vehicle and the towed caravan for people who are new to towing.Safety is not a guaranteed, and that's another reason why it's best not to give it extra credence by calling it a limit or a rule.
True, but the chances of a bad match at 85% are so low I doubt they are worth considering. I know it is contentious, but you have to give people some idea of what is and is not a sensible figure to aim at, and although I always quote the 85% figure, I do say more to try and cover the situation more clearly.Safety is not a guaranteed, and that's another reason why it's best not to give it extra credence by calling it a limit or a rule.
Some cars in the COTY have matches below 85% on account of the cars specified maximum towing limit. So new folks should always be advised to check both.True but the chances of a bad match at 85% are so low I doubt they are worth considering.
Hi everyone - I am a total newbie to caravans, we are about to purchase our first second hand van.
The issue is I have a petrol car (I have been told diesel is better for towing) which I cannot change at the moment as it was brand new just over 12 months ago.
The car is a Nissan Qashqai 1.6 DIG-T Petrol - the book says 1500kg braked towing. The caravan I am looking at is a Bailey Ranger 540/6 2009 MTPLM 1306 kg.
What percentage will towing affect my MPGs please? Is there a website to calculate it? I currently get around 40-45mpg (average)on a motorway run - 30mpg around town. I am scared that I'll buy this van and get 10mpg or something! What realistically can I expect please?
Some of the more modern turbo petrols do have their torque coming in at lower revs. The VAG 1.5 TSI being particularly good, as are some others. Mine is petrol and torque comes in from 1500 rpm and it spends much of its life below 2000 rpm even when it was towing. But the lower power non turbo really did need to rev up as load was applied. But as you say in general even the modern turbo petrols donβt equate to a diesel for economy whilst towing.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 (mixture of urban and motorways but not an awful lot in between)! and 30 ish towing a 1300kg caravan on long journeys. I note that these figures seem similar to Icaru's in a Passat with exactly the same engine.
Many petrol engines (though I can't speak for the OP's Nissan) produce more of their power higher in the rev range, which may mean that when towing it might be necessary to change down sooner and rev the engine harder - which can only mean it will use more fuel.
Purely on the basis of the two points above, I'd say that it's not an unreasonable guess to expect the OP's fuel consumption to roughly double.
And, of course, neither compare to electric for economy while towing. With torque available at 0rpm, no gearbox to damage or clutch to wear out, huge torque, generally high power, high kerb weight, they make great tow cars, with two caveats;Some of the more modern turbo petrols do have their torque coming in at lower revs. The VAG 1.5 TSI being particularly good, as are some others. Mine is petrol and torque comes in from 1500 rpm and it spends much of its life below 2000 rpm even when it was towing. But the lower power non turbo really did need to rev up as load was applied. But as you say in general even the modern turbo petrols donβt equate to a diesel for economy whilst towing.
That's very slow, hope I don't get stuck behind you πIβve towed several caravans with many cars over the years including Nissan, Kia, Ford, Vauxhall, Ssangyong to name a few. Iβve always found that in all cars I get anywhere between 22-26 mph. On my last trip being conscious of fuel prices I lowered my speed and drove conservatively, on a 500 mile round trip I got 28 mph, probably the best Iβve achieved in over 30 years of towing.
500 miles at 28 mph. That's nearly 20 hours drivingThat's very slow, hope I don't get stuck behind you π