We Need to Replace our Tow car

[Dustydog]

My take is the OPs current BMW is still within load limits for his new caravan proposal. Why not go ahead and use the BMW for a few tows and see how you feel. Better than splashing out £20 k on something which is unknown to you.

 

[Beachball]

BMW 330d Kerbweight 1610 Kg & Bailey MTPLM 1596 (Plus Mover)
He says he would prefer stay in the 85%
it his choice if he wants to test drive 4WD SUV .
Keep us updated how you get on

 

[Grador]

Thank you everyone for offering advice, we respect and appreciate all the comments. While looking for a new caravan recently, everyone of the dealerships we visited discounted our current vehicle as a suitable tow car for the Bailey i.e. kerb weight too low.
We definitely wouldn’t be comfortable using it as a tow vehicle, so will need to compromise on something.

 

[Raywood]

I have to say that virtually any of the bigger SUV's will tow the caravan without problem to the point where that is not the problem. As others say the main point has to de you have to live with it on an everyday basis and therefore finding one you can live with is more important. Possibly you need to look at a shortlist of the suitable models, see how they fit into your lifestyle and test the top three to see how you get on with them.
Despite what others say about BMW the only one I have driven was 5 series and I did not like it. Personal taste is simply that and we all look for different things in a car.
Possibly with a second hand model, making sure you get a good one is more important than the make.

 

[Grador]

I have to say that virtually any of the bigger SUV's will tow the caravan without problem to the point where that is not the problem. As others say the main point has to de you have to live with it on an everyday basis and therefore finding one you can live with is more important. Possibly you need to look at a shortlist of the suitable models, see how they fit into your lifestyle and test the top three to see how you get on with them.
Despite what others say about BMW the only one I have driven was 5 series and I did not like it. Personal taste is simply that and we all look for different things in a car.
Possibly with a second hand model, making sure you get a good one is more important than the make.

Thank you, agree 100 % .

 

[Beachball]

I hope you have a short list on the SUV, then take them out for a test drive to see which one you would prefer and to use it everyday then you would know you have a suitable match for your new caravan ,

 

[xtrailman]

From what the op has said I would try towing with the old car before changing to another,, although I'm a SUV fan myself, on my fifth now.

A Tiguan at 1755kg kerb weight.

 

[otherclive]

From what the op has said I would try towing with the old car before changing to another,, although I'm a SUV fan myself, on my fifth now.

A Tiguan at 1755kg kerb weight.

I think the OP has made his mind up already. 😂

 

[Guzzilazz]

Beware about the "bigger SUV" trap... A lot have very low kerb weight (e.g. Peugeot 5008,, Renault Kadjar)

 

[RogerL]

Beware about the "bigger SUV" trap... A lot have very low kerb weight (e.g. Peugeot 5008,, Renault Kadjar)

Many recently announced models are lower kerbweight than their predecessors as makers reduce weight to improve emissions, by reducing fuel tank size, omitting spare wheels and using higher strength steel which is thinner.

 

[Grador]

Thank you, yes, unfortunately finding the true kerb weight of any vehicle seems nigh impossible unless you actually take it to a weigh bridge! We’ve noticed that they are getting lighter but we’d be buying a 3 to 4 year old vehicle probably, definitely not new. Great advice, thank you.

Many recently announced models are lower kerbweight than their predecessors as makers reduce weight to improve emissions, by reducing fuel tank size, omitting spare wheels and using higher strength steel which is thinner.

,

 

[WayneS]

HI Grador, If you enter car and caravan details into one of the outfit matching sites, such as https://towcar.info/outfitmatch.php it will give you at least a very good idea: it's still important to validate though before a purchase.

 

[Grador]

Thank you that’s very helpful. We’re thinking of an X3 and I was hoping to find someone towing a similar outfit or someone with the same caravan who could tell what they’re towing with. 😊

 

[JTQ]

From BMW purchasing experience, admittedly before the X3, I would be checking that any particular used X3, comes with the same additional towing prep features, a factory fit would come with.

 

[Beachball]

If you going for Bmw X3 Retractable tow bar you press a button and it comes out it so cool ....

 

[RogerL]

If you going for Bmw X3 Retractable tow bar you press a button and it comes out it so cool ....

Just like my VW - I think Skoda use the same fitting as well.

 

[otherclive]

Just like my VW - I think Skoda use the same fitting as well.

If you aren’t towing for quite a while do you periodically activate it to make sure it will work okay. I had a Powrtouch powered mover on a previous van but it wasn’t consistent and occasionally stuck or stalled. So when we bought this van I opted for the simplicity of the Powrtouch Classic hand actuated.

 

[Clifford_374377114]

You don't have to have an SUV with aerodynamics of a brick.
We tow with an Audi A6 Allroad towing a Bailey Unicorn Valencia. Tows very well.
Cliff

 

[RogerL]

If you aren’t towing for quite a while do you periodically activate it to make sure it will work okay. I had a Powrtouch powered mover on a previous van but it wasn’t consistent and occasionally stuck or stalled. So when we bought this van I opted for the simplicity of the Powrtouch Classic hand actuated.

I haven't had it stick yet

 

[RogerL]

You don't have to have an SUV with aerodynamics of a brick.
We tow with an Audi A6 Allroad towing a Bailey Unicorn Valencia. Tows very well.
Cliff

If you check out the platform, floorpan and drivetrain, the A6 Allroad is just a lowered Touareg/Q5 - so of course it will tow well.

 

[otherclive]

I haven't had it stick yet

Yes but do you test it periodically even when not planning to tow the caravan?

 

[JezzerB]

The vw. Tow ball electrically releases but drops on its own weight.

 

[Kevin M]

I’ve had 2 BMW with the electrically automated towbar, fantastic bit of kit and worked faultlessly, the last Q5 had the manual retractable towbar, as Jezzer says, press a button and it drops down, pull to clic in place, very hit and miss in use and usually needed a tug to drop down.
Kev

 

[RogerL]

Yes but do you test it periodically even when not planning to tow the caravan?

No, I don't test it periodically - due to illness and now Covid we've had two years without using the caravan, each with 16 month gaps - during my illness the car wasn't used at all and although I ran the engine once per month the battery still went flat.

 

[otherclive]

No, I don't test it periodically - due to illness and now Covid we've had two years without using the caravan, each with 16 month gaps - during my illness the car wasn't used at all and although I ran the engine once per month the battery still went flat.

Thanks. My neighbours Nissan GTR is continuously getting a flat battery through little use. He used to go to work 2 days a week and it’s exhausts could vibrate the windows. Fortunately Covid has left him working totally from home so no more 0545 rattles. Every cloud etc🤐