I mentioned about the vehicles pulling caravans on our holiday in east Germany Eastertime, they being nearly all saloon cars pulling large heavy caravans. Last week we spent an enjoyable week at the CC Longleat site, and what did we see ,nearly all 4x4 ,one had tow hook at front very slick for parking,and the Disco's with those v6 engine (music to my ears).My parts bin Skoda is still excellent for pulling at a fair rate of knots so will not change.
observation on towcars
- Thread starter Robert_374242026
- Start date
HI Robert.
I've touched a few raw nerves on tow cars with my observations that were simlar to yours. It seems that people think they have to have a heavy 4X4 to tow any caravan these days. Wrong.
Like you I've opted to use our family Laguna estate to tow our 20ft twin axle van, and have not experienced any problems at all.
There have been thoughts that a 4X4 suffers less of a drop in fuel consumption while towing, which is true. But when you do the figures an average family week away probably only has 30% of the drive time occupied with towing. So while our cars drop 10mpg while towing, we are at least 10mpg better off for 70% of the holiday while driving solo.
Another myth people seem to be under is that 4X4's cope better with weight and are more forgiving to bad loading, which is again very wrong.
My only jack knife was with a Diahatsu F70 towing our 3500Kg Ifor Williams trailer and that was at a mere 20Mph !! I had to hit the brakes hard in a country lane as a tractor pulled out of a field without stoping.
By loading our caravan to 75Kgs hitch weight which is the max for the Renault, we have a very stable outfit and one which has had to stop quickly from 60Mph and did so without a murmor.
Steve L.
I've touched a few raw nerves on tow cars with my observations that were simlar to yours. It seems that people think they have to have a heavy 4X4 to tow any caravan these days. Wrong.
Like you I've opted to use our family Laguna estate to tow our 20ft twin axle van, and have not experienced any problems at all.
There have been thoughts that a 4X4 suffers less of a drop in fuel consumption while towing, which is true. But when you do the figures an average family week away probably only has 30% of the drive time occupied with towing. So while our cars drop 10mpg while towing, we are at least 10mpg better off for 70% of the holiday while driving solo.
Another myth people seem to be under is that 4X4's cope better with weight and are more forgiving to bad loading, which is again very wrong.
My only jack knife was with a Diahatsu F70 towing our 3500Kg Ifor Williams trailer and that was at a mere 20Mph !! I had to hit the brakes hard in a country lane as a tractor pulled out of a field without stoping.
By loading our caravan to 75Kgs hitch weight which is the max for the Renault, we have a very stable outfit and one which has had to stop quickly from 60Mph and did so without a murmor.
Steve L.
Having towed with both types (car and 4x4 )I know which I prefer- 4x4.I wont, and never have, tried to influence anyone on which they should drive because at the end of the day,everyone has different needs, uses, hobbies etc etc, and not least freedom of choice is surely the No.1 factor ( or it used to be anyway !). As far as I'm concerned the weight of any tow-car is the most important issue regards towing,(not forgetting the legal implications)be it saloon or 4x4.I have seen changes over the years with race car transporters that were towed with saloon cars (all sizes),but now they have been replaced by 4x4s or vans ? ? ?. Also considering the amount of 4x4s towing caravans, is it because they like spending money on all the extra costs involved in owning such a vehicle or could it be there is piece of mind with regards to the weight issue.We are all different thank goodness,because I'd hate to stuck on a site full of robot vanners or worse ANORAKS !lol
- Mar 14, 2005
- 10,093
- 909
- 40,935
No criticism of what you say, Geordie, but I do feel that many people buy a 4x4 for towing because they think they need one, not because they actually do. If it gives them peace of mind, so be it. Over here on the Continent the running costs of 4x4's have largely outpriced themselves for the average motorist and most people have to make do with a saloon car or estate. However, I am not aware of any figures which would show that the accident rate is any higher than in the UK.
hi all
one observation I have made over the last 4 or 5 weeks being out on the road all day is that more and more often I see cars towing vans rather than 4x4s true most of the 18/20 footers seem to still be towed by 4x4s but most of the smaller vans are now towed by family saloons maybe it has somthing to do with the incease in road tax or the fact that van owners are becomming more aware of the towing law and realise that a 1.6/2.0ltr modern car with lower tax and emissions will tow quite adequitely a smaller lightweight van I don't know?
I think that steve in leo has probably hit the nail on the head though its more likly to do with economy than any thing else.
I do about 20k a year 19 of it solo the car averages about 48mpg solo 32mpg towing thats a loss of 16 mpg for 1000 miles which is more than offset by the
one observation I have made over the last 4 or 5 weeks being out on the road all day is that more and more often I see cars towing vans rather than 4x4s true most of the 18/20 footers seem to still be towed by 4x4s but most of the smaller vans are now towed by family saloons maybe it has somthing to do with the incease in road tax or the fact that van owners are becomming more aware of the towing law and realise that a 1.6/2.0ltr modern car with lower tax and emissions will tow quite adequitely a smaller lightweight van I don't know?
I think that steve in leo has probably hit the nail on the head though its more likly to do with economy than any thing else.
I do about 20k a year 19 of it solo the car averages about 48mpg solo 32mpg towing thats a loss of 16 mpg for 1000 miles which is more than offset by the
I should also have said (wanting to be fair)if people like 4x4s then they would probably tow with one if only towing a 100kg camping trailer.
Indeed Colin, if you like 4x4s then drive one whether it has a towbar or not but a heavy car is not necessarily a stable towcar, suspension and tyres are every bit as important, on the caravan as well as on the car.
I once had a boat trailer on 145x10 mini tyres on indespension units and it would tend to start snaking if I went above 55mph behind my Fiesta XR2, the trailer was unbraked so I converted an old caravan chassis (coil springs & dampers) into a boat trailer which, in my irresponsible youth was rock solid at 85mph!!!
I once had a boat trailer on 145x10 mini tyres on indespension units and it would tend to start snaking if I went above 55mph behind my Fiesta XR2, the trailer was unbraked so I converted an old caravan chassis (coil springs & dampers) into a boat trailer which, in my irresponsible youth was rock solid at 85mph!!!
Hi all,
I agree with most of the postings on this subject and I do feel people buy 4x4s because they think they need one, we have an ML270CDI auto and it is poor on fuel compared to a car, we bought it as we go to a lot of winter rallies and we have been stuck with a passat before, although off the mud it was an excellent towcar. We also have a dog so a hatch or estate is essential, the caravan we now have is 1700kgs so the car needs to be heavy to be safe although a 4x4s centre of gravity is far higher than a car, but we are also presently looking at buying a boat and I would not put the back end of a saloon car into half a metre of water to launch it. Previously we had an Audi 2.5tdi quattro 180bhp 4x4 saloon car, it towed a 1400kg caravan with ease and never got stuck, and the fuel consumption was not too bad, upto 40mpg solo, 25mpg towing but it was a saloon and with the arrival of a dog it had to go. This is my justification and I dont care wether people accept it or not, and I fully agree that most 4x4s are unnecessary but some may be genuinely used for things that even a 4x4 car simply cannot do. If I did not need one I would not have one, but I would go for 4x4 estate car like an Audi Allroad if I had no plans for a boat. I understand why people buy older Discoverys and Shoguns as they are quite cheap, have loads of luggage space and shouldnt get stuck in mud, they also dont have to worry over wieghts when looking to change a caravan, but if I was in the same position as most caravanners and only use sites in good weather a 2wd turbo diesel estate would be my choice. Eveyone is different.
spj.
I agree with most of the postings on this subject and I do feel people buy 4x4s because they think they need one, we have an ML270CDI auto and it is poor on fuel compared to a car, we bought it as we go to a lot of winter rallies and we have been stuck with a passat before, although off the mud it was an excellent towcar. We also have a dog so a hatch or estate is essential, the caravan we now have is 1700kgs so the car needs to be heavy to be safe although a 4x4s centre of gravity is far higher than a car, but we are also presently looking at buying a boat and I would not put the back end of a saloon car into half a metre of water to launch it. Previously we had an Audi 2.5tdi quattro 180bhp 4x4 saloon car, it towed a 1400kg caravan with ease and never got stuck, and the fuel consumption was not too bad, upto 40mpg solo, 25mpg towing but it was a saloon and with the arrival of a dog it had to go. This is my justification and I dont care wether people accept it or not, and I fully agree that most 4x4s are unnecessary but some may be genuinely used for things that even a 4x4 car simply cannot do. If I did not need one I would not have one, but I would go for 4x4 estate car like an Audi Allroad if I had no plans for a boat. I understand why people buy older Discoverys and Shoguns as they are quite cheap, have loads of luggage space and shouldnt get stuck in mud, they also dont have to worry over wieghts when looking to change a caravan, but if I was in the same position as most caravanners and only use sites in good weather a 2wd turbo diesel estate would be my choice. Eveyone is different.
spj.
We are the 4WD camp with a more car like beast of an SUV.
We have also towed caravans and boat trailers etc with estate cars and people carriers and other 4WD's. On yachting trips I've driven and been passenger in a wide variety of tow vehicles.
With 99% plus of trips being on the road not off road, people carrier / minivans from Renault, Ford, Mercedes, VW Group have proven more than a match for many 4Wd offerings. They are often far more comfotable with a better ride and more economic and have more carrying space. They also have a good weight to trailer ratio and often a better aero profile for the trailed unit to follow than with a 4WD.
James
We have also towed caravans and boat trailers etc with estate cars and people carriers and other 4WD's. On yachting trips I've driven and been passenger in a wide variety of tow vehicles.
With 99% plus of trips being on the road not off road, people carrier / minivans from Renault, Ford, Mercedes, VW Group have proven more than a match for many 4Wd offerings. They are often far more comfotable with a better ride and more economic and have more carrying space. They also have a good weight to trailer ratio and often a better aero profile for the trailed unit to follow than with a 4WD.
James
Lutz, interesting point about the accident thing, but it seems in this country that the safety issue is a no-win situation for some. We hear constantly about the need for safe loading etc etc, but because some vanners tow with a 4x4 its a case of overkill(no pun intended).Whatever the reason for their popularity, the fact remains they remove weight issues for a lot of people and whether they are / are not on par with a saloon car for comfort,(a discussion for anothr day) mpg etc etc, it is neither here nor there for most owners because they know whats in the package at the out-set.I am not starting a crusade for 4x4 owners but tow-cars are no different to caravans with regards to choices but we dont see anybody having a go at someone's choice of van. Hidden agenda's ? ? me thinks!
I have owned two 4x4 mostly because I want to be able to drag our van out of the mud on some cl's. If there was a carlike vehicle for a reasonable price but with a 4x4 capability I would buy it. Skoda do a 4x4 but I have not seen one in the second hand market. Subaru have one but fuel consumption makes it a no brainer; so where do we go from here?
There are 4wheeldrive versions of the VW Golf, Passat and Sharan not to mention the array of Audi Quattro's, we have snow/mud chains for our 2 wheel drive but as yet have never needed them
I have just purchased another "big" 4*4, a Mercedes ML320 CDI. I testdrove an Audi allroad but, despite its apparent size, the boot area wasn't particularly spacious. I occasionally take my bike with me when I go caravanning and, in the ML, I can stand two bikes upright (front wheels off) and there is still plenty of room for the two Labradors. You just can't do that with an ordinary estate car. And don't mention roof racks for the bikes! Over the years, I have spent a fortune on bike racks and I don't plan to buy any more!
I don't think folk should be so judgemental about the cars bought by others. Some people buy particular cars because of need, others because they can, but who is to say one is right and the other wrong? There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that towing with a big 4*4 is effortless and stress free. Yes a smaller, lighter car could possibly tow my 1500kg 'van but it wouldn't be such a comfortable tow, especially on motorways.
My Superstorm has a MPLTM of 1900kg and my children like to take friends with them, so I needed a vehicle which could carry 6 and tow 1900kg with ease. The relatively economical Ford Galaxy which has a recomended tow limit of 2000kg would be a poor match with the van well exceeding it's kerbweight, the Kia Sedona seating is unflexible so I had no real alternative but to buy a 4x4. I chose a Shogun 3.2 did because it fulfilled all of my requirements returns 25mpg towing and 33mpg overall when not. For 90% of the time it is in two wheel drive mode with 4 wheel drive being engaged for towing and off road use. If I had a lighter van I would consider an estate car or an mpv but for towing capability it is hard to beat a 4x4.
Regards
Steve
Regards
Steve
Hi,
Just back from Cornwall.
600 miles down with the van, and 600 miles back solo. The run down and back was effortless. I do notice I have the van on the back when towing (MTPLM 1850kg), but I have never felt any loss of acceleration compared to when driving solo. MPG I don't check, after all I need to go and I need to come back. We don't decide where we are going due to the MPG costs. With fuel all I look at is can I get 5p a litre off at Tesco, and can I get max points on my Tesco Credit Card. Oh and I drive what I drive because I want to !!!!!!!!!!!!
Val & Frank
Just back from Cornwall.
600 miles down with the van, and 600 miles back solo. The run down and back was effortless. I do notice I have the van on the back when towing (MTPLM 1850kg), but I have never felt any loss of acceleration compared to when driving solo. MPG I don't check, after all I need to go and I need to come back. We don't decide where we are going due to the MPG costs. With fuel all I look at is can I get 5p a litre off at Tesco, and can I get max points on my Tesco Credit Card. Oh and I drive what I drive because I want to !!!!!!!!!!!!
Val & Frank
Do they have the equivalent of caravan rallies and CL's on the continent? or is it predominantly established sites with hardstanding such that the traction of a 4x4 is not required?
Some drive offroaders simply because they like driving them regardless of what size caravan they have. some of us limit the weight of our caravans so we don't need four wheel drive.
Some drive offroaders simply because they like driving them regardless of what size caravan they have. some of us limit the weight of our caravans so we don't need four wheel drive.
Facebook
Twitter