Transit Choice

[howard_374236204]

I intend to buy a 2007 Bailey Ranger.

I want to spend about £8k (inc VAT) on a transit van as a tow vehicle. Which model is best? and do i go front or rear wheel drive?

 

[Garfield]

Which model transit you choose (pickup, panel, swb, lwb, etc) would depend upon what else you want to use it for but avoid any of the engines with less than 100hp.

Be warned!!!! many / most caravan sites will not let you on with an outfit towed by a van due to travellers / gypsies using this type of outfit.

 

[BeemerMal]

Haward....Gary is giving good advise here. Our friends Shogun was off the road due to an accident last year and they borrowed a transit type van (Renault Master) from a friend.

They were turned away from a number of sites. Most site owners and wardens said the same thing that they would not take the chance because once thw travellers get on site it is a bu**er to get them off.

 

[BeemerMal]

Haward....Gary is giving good advise here. Our friends Shogun was off the road due to an accident last year and they borrowed a transit type van (Renault Master) from a friend.

They were turned away from a number of sites. Most site owners and wardens said the same thing that they would not take the chance because once thw travellers get on site it is a bu**er to get them off.

Howard...sorry for spelling your name incorrectly...more speed, less haste....read before you post Mal!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I've seen Transits etc on CC sites . I think they accept them as long as they are not signwritten, best to check first. In answer to the question whether its front or rear wheel drive should'nt make much difference but I suppose if given the choice I'd opt for rear wheel.

 

[GRAHAM_374234069]

You can get the transits and other makes of vans with some rear seats and also some side windows. I towed with my Mercedes Vito for a couple of seasons, with no problems. It was not sign written however. All my signs are on magnetic boards that I remove each time the caravan goes on holiday.

The new transits on front wheel drive. My merc was rear and kept getting stuck. Go for the front wheel drive.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Graham,

I think that your assertion that your rear wheel drive Vito kept getting stuck, thus front wheel drive is better, is not based on sound facts.

I assum that by sstuck, you mean teh driving wheels were skidding and spinning.

Whilst I was not there, I am quite sure that if the rear wheel Vito got stuck, given the same circumstances it is more than likely a front wheel drive van would also get stuck.

The moving power that any wheel can impart is determined by the the down force on the wheel, and of course the quality of the surface under the wheel. A loaded van will have more down force on its rear wheels than the front, and thus a rear wheel van will be able to creat more traction. This will be even more true when the nose weight of a caravan is added to the tow bar.

The loss of traction is more likey to be the result of unsifficient control of power than the location of the driven wheels.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Howard,

Form most motoring needs on proprer roads, there is no real advanatage to front or rear wheel drive. The reason most car manufactures now use FWD is that the engine and transmission can be assemebled and then installed in the car body in one go.

When towing, the nose weight of the caravan tends to push down on the cars rear wheels, and like a see saw tends to lighten the load on the front wheels. Provided the car and caravan are loaded correctly the reduction in front wheel load should not cause a problem on normal roads, but on poor surfaces such as a gravel incline or wet grass, the contact friction may be lowered to the point wher reliable traction is difficult to maintain. Under these conditions rear wheel drive may have an advanatage, because of the greater down force on them.

If you only intend to caravan on well maintained sites, the front wheel drive should be quite satisfactory, otherwise you mayb be better considering a 4x4, which offers the best of both worlds.

 

[Lol1]

Hello Graham,

I think that your assertion that your rear wheel drive Vito kept getting stuck, thus front wheel drive is better, is not based on sound facts.

I assum that by sstuck, you mean teh driving wheels were skidding and spinning.

Whilst I was not there, I am quite sure that if the rear wheel Vito got stuck, given the same circumstances it is more than likely a front wheel drive van would also get stuck.

The moving power that any wheel can impart is determined by the the down force on the wheel, and of course the quality of the surface under the wheel. A loaded van will have more down force on its rear wheels than the front, and thus a rear wheel van will be able to creat more traction. This will be even more true when the nose weight of a caravan is added to the tow bar.

The loss of traction is more likey to be the result of unsifficient control of power than the location of the driven wheels.

Hi John L. This topic has cropped up before. True when a caravan is added to the back of a car or van the weight is increased and the traction is better. That isn't the whole story though. The weight of the engine over the wheels of a front wheel drive car is still considerably more than the weight of a caravan on the back of a car, even allowing for a minimal shift in center of gravity. I don't drive many cars that are rear wheel drive, but have quite a lot of experience of rear wheel drive vans. In slippery conditions, laden or not front wheel drive vans offer better traction. You do correctly point out that much depends on throttle control and gear selection, but rear wheel drive in slippery conditions, I find particularly difficult to control.

Imagine, a slight incline, you are waiting at traffic lights and there is a fresh layer of snow/ice on the ground. When the rear wheels start to spin, not only does forward momentum suffer, so too does sides ways movement. You will often see rear wheel drive cars move left to right when the wheels are spinning, with front wheel drive, it is much more controllable, the power you put to the wheels generally goes in the direction you are pointing it. I am perhaps not explaining this very well, but believe me, rear wheel drive, great for going fast, front wheel drive for going slow. The added advantage is that the chances are that the front wheels are closer to the hard standing/road than the rear wheels when trying to tug the caravan of the pitch, every inch counts (apparently).

 

[Lutz]

I wouldn't quite second that, John. Front wheel drive can be a disadvantage when trying to move off quickly from standstill or doing a hill start even on well-surfaced roads if they are wet or in wintry conditions. The make and type of tyre can make matters worse.

 

[George_374224949]

I wouldn't quite second that, John. Front wheel drive can be a disadvantage when trying to move off quickly from standstill or doing a hill start even on well-surfaced roads if they are wet or in wintry conditions. The make and type of tyre can make matters worse.

There are valid points being made for both front and rear wheel drive. As someone who has just got rid of a rear wheel drive Nissan vanette, I promise you I would never have another rwd. In my view for what it is worth when the weather is bad front is best.

The main advantage of rear against front is likely (from a towing point of view)is that rear driven vans usually can handle a heavier nose weight. Front has the advantage of lower chassis for loading and in my view cornering. If the pennies are important you can usually get a newish van for around

 

[ProfJohnL]

I wouldn't quite second that, John. Front wheel drive can be a disadvantage when trying to move off quickly from standstill or doing a hill start even on well-surfaced roads if they are wet or in wintry conditions. The make and type of tyre can make matters worse.

Hello Lutz,

I did qualify my statement in my first line. - Fast get-aways are not normal conditions!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi John L. This topic has cropped up before. True when a caravan is added to the back of a car or van the weight is increased and the traction is better. That isn't the whole story though. The weight of the engine over the wheels of a front wheel drive car is still considerably more than the weight of a caravan on the back of a car, even allowing for a minimal shift in center of gravity. I don't drive many cars that are rear wheel drive, but have quite a lot of experience of rear wheel drive vans. In slippery conditions, laden or not front wheel drive vans offer better traction. You do correctly point out that much depends on throttle control and gear selection, but rear wheel drive in slippery conditions, I find particularly difficult to control.

Imagine, a slight incline, you are waiting at traffic lights and there is a fresh layer of snow/ice on the ground. When the rear wheels start to spin, not only does forward momentum suffer, so too does sides ways movement. You will often see rear wheel drive cars move left to right when the wheels are spinning, with front wheel drive, it is much more controllable, the power you put to the wheels generally goes in the direction you are pointing it. I am perhaps not explaining this very well, but believe me, rear wheel drive, great for going fast, front wheel drive for going slow. The added advantage is that the chances are that the front wheels are closer to the hard standing/road than the rear wheels when trying to tug the caravan of the pitch, every inch counts (apparently).

Hello Lol,

I have also driven both front and rear wheel vans both solo and towing on caravan parks and elswhere, my experience is different to your own recollection. I do agree that lighltly loaded vans do tend to suffer with skitishness, largly due to the hard suspension, but under load (which was my qualifying point)traction in rear wheeled vans was in my opinion superior for the reasosns given.

However when traction is lost in either type of van such as on snow and ice, then in each case the driven wheels tend to follow the camber of the road and end up in the gutter. There are areas where FWD do have the advantage, as the front wheels can steer they can be turned to help pull in the desired direction, and also because they always take the slightly longer track they do have a slight mechanical advantage.

I do agree that FWD will reach better surfaces first.