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Subject Topic: Suitable tow cars?
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Person8-5 hour for lunch
15/8/2018 at 9:36am
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Hello folks.

I hope someone can help.

We've recently purchased an Abbey adventura 316 2006.

It's our first caravan and we're total novices, so I apologise if this is a predictable question.

Simply put, what can we tow it with?

I've been using the caravan club match up page and pretty much every car, suv, 4 wheel drive is a poor match?

Can any of you recommend a suitable vehicle to tow please? Our budget is £6000.

Many thanks in advance.


PersonRob and Tina
15/8/2018 at 9:49am
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Can you the confirm the MTPLM of your caravan? I think it should be 1408kg but you need to confirm this. Using the 85% guideline you need a car with a kerbweight of around 1650kg or more so most SUV would be suitable or a large MPV like a Galaxy.

When did you get your licence? Do you have a B+E licence? Many of the cars suitable for your caravan will put you over the 3500kg limit of a B licence.

Rob

Ps I think your caravan is an Aventura.


Person664DaveS
15/8/2018 at 9:51am
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What is the weight of the Abbey?
Most Suvs are good towcars, especially larger ones such as Discovery! First generation Kia Sorento will tow 3 tonnes, more reliable than Disco too!

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!


PersonThe 2 Tops
15/8/2018 at 10:14am
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I have had two VW Tourans, both TDI 105PS, which towed our 1436 KG MTPLM caravan easily - even with the Touran well loaded too. You should be able to find a good one within your budget.
E.G., I have just traded in my 09-plate Touran (5-seater with full sized spare wheel) - FSH and only about 5,500 miles on the clock - for £3,500.
Bertie.

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The 2 Tops


PersonTroon
15/8/2018 at 12:43pm
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My choice would be a post-2006 Merc E-Class estate E220CDI automatic. 170PS / 400Nm, rear air suspension (standard on estate), several under £6k now.

They feel special and tow beautifully; and the engine and gearbox are very durable. It's a van drivetrain in a car that's used as a taxi. I had a 56-plate: lovely car. Only sold it due to promotion and company car scheme.

Example. Make sure you get the post-facelift, identifiable with the three-part lower front grille, non-integrated door mirrors and full-width high-level brake lamp. Earlier versions have the potentially expensive Bosch SBC brake system.


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PersonSamandRose
15/8/2018 at 2:10pm
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Assuming that the MTPLM of just over 1400kg is correct then you're looking at a large family car as a minimum. We use a Passat estate and it's brilliant. Skoda Superb is mechanically identical but a bit cheaper and lighter (and less comfortable), whilst the same engines are also fitted to the Audi A6 and the VW Sharan and Seat Alhambra 7-seat MPVs. They're good for big mileages provided they're serviced on time but can fail expensively if neglected - if it doesn't have a full service history, best to find another one.

Just about any medium-sized SUV (VW Tiguan, Ford Kuga, Toyota Rav4, Land Rover Freelander etc) will also be fine if you prefer that sort of thing but will probably be more expensive to buy.

Go for a reasonably powerful diesel engine (140/150bhp or so, more is good if you can afford it) for a good compromise between reasonable performance when you're towing and good fuel economy when you aren't.

Just a word about the so-called '85% rule' - whilst sensible in principle this is very crude and based on very limited research that is now decades old, and needs to be treated accordingly. It's certainly not the case that at 84% you're guaranteed to be safe and that at 86%, or even 90% you'll inevitably have problems. The two main caravanning clubs advise that "experienced" towers may tow up to 100% of the car's kerb weight - but they make no attempt to define "experienced". Best advice is to go away for a few weekends first with the caravan lightly loaded to get used to both towing it and living with it.

Final point, as Rob says is that if you don't have a pre-1997 licence you'll almost certainly need a 'B+E' extension (obtainable by taking an extra test). Without this you're limited to a maximum permissible weights (note: NOT actual weight) of 3500kg for the car and caravan combined.

-------------
"Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."


PersonJuanHuNose
15/8/2018 at 3:39pm
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I`m assuming the OP already has a car, so would it not be worthwhile finding out what that is, and if it`s suitable before advocating blowing away cash which may not be needed?

The 316 is listed as having a MTPLM of 1375kgs, so there will be a large range of suitable towing vehicles. With a budget of £6K, I`d be looking away from 4x4s (unless you need one), and well clear of `prestige` cars (Mercs, BMWs,Audis etc) which will all be of an age or mileage where repair bills could potentially turn a `good` buy into a money pit. Something like an Insignia will do the job, you will get a much newer/lower mileage model that can be fixed on the street corner with a selection of hammers.

And I have a BMW.


Person8-5 hour for lunch
15/8/2018 at 5:53pm
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Thank you so much.
Yes our caravans max laden weight is 1408kg.
I think I've been overly reading everything and now I'm worried that the car has to be a perfect match.
Like I've said almost every car I've entered into the caravan club has come back as no good.

I'm assuming I should be looking at a car that can tow the maximum weight of the caravan and not the un- laden weight, that way I'll be covered? Sorry if that's an obvious question.

Sadly I passed my test long before 1997 😥


PersonRob and Tina
15/8/2018 at 6:01pm
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Yes the guideline is the max weight of the caravan should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the car.

Is your current car likely to be suitable?


Rob


Person8-5 hour for lunch
15/8/2018 at 6:23pm
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Currently I have a 1.6 Skoda Octavia estate elegance. According to the caravan club it's definitely a bad match. We also have a golf GT sport 2lt, again it's a bad match...

I'm now looking at a used Volkswagen Tiguan.
Kerbweight 1723kg
Maximum towing weight 2305kg


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PersonRob and Tina
15/8/2018 at 6:48pm
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Tiguan sounds good, 82% match so plenty of opportunity to go to a heavier caravan if you decide to change caravans in the future. I presume you are looking at the 2.0 diesel engine which should be fairly dependable. If the Tiguan doesn't have a towbar fitted don't forget to try and haggle the price down to pay for it.


Rob


Person8-5 hour for lunch
15/8/2018 at 7:26pm
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Yes it does have a tow bar, I've asked the seller how much it can tow (just to confirm) but he said he's never used it to tow anything, nothing wrong with that apart from the fact he's the only owner. Either he's saying that because he doesn't think buyers would like the idea or he's had a tow bar fitted for no reason at all.
Thanks by the way. Really helpful.
I just want to get out on the rd now!!


PersonTrigGLX
16/8/2018 at 12:59pm
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Hi to tow your van at 85% guideline (ONLY GUIDELEINE) ratio to car weight you need a car which is Kerbweight 1656 Kgs, thus ruling out alot of current hatch backs etc.

You need to be looking at a SUV, or large estate really. Also be aware of what the vehicle can actually tow, have a 2.0 diesel engine does not automatically mean it will tow your caravan.

I have been appalled over the summer whilst towing our van around at some of the mis-matched outfits.
Its unsafe for them and unsafe for others.

We tow 1300 Kgs loaded with insignia estate at 1715 Kgs at 75% ration, new car will be 1615Kgs so weight ratio goes upto 81% approx.

hope this helps


PersonSkoda Bob
17/8/2018 at 11:21am
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Quote: Originally posted by 8-5 hour for lunch on 15/8/2018
Currently I have a 1.6 Skoda Octavia estate elegance. According to the caravan club it's definitely a bad match. We also have a golf GT sport 2lt, again it's a bad match...

I'm now looking at a used Volkswagen Tiguan.
Kerbweight 1723kg
Maximum towing weight 2305kg


Your Octavia will tow it all day long , The CC is out of touch with reality, just check the manufacturers maximum towing weights and go by 85% of that


Personbessie500
17/8/2018 at 11:56am
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Your Octavia will tow it all day long , The CC is out of touch with reality, just check the manufacturers maximum towing weights and go by 85% of that.

Thats bad advice, you go by the cars kerbweight and work it from that. never tow a caravan more than the cars kerbwight.

Bessie


Personblueexpo97
17/8/2018 at 12:42pm
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Boab,bad advice, surely not!

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XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.



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