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Subject Topic: Manual or Automatic for towing?
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16/7/2009 at 5:06pm
 Location: Shropshire North Wales borders
 Outfit: Adria Win
View bordercaz's Profile View Profile   Reply to bordercaz Reply   Quote bordercaz Quote  
Joined: 15/10/2002

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Don't think I'd be tempted by one that big - too darned awkward for parking in towns!   17.

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Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.


17/7/2009 at 10:38am
 Location: Blackburn Lancashire
 Outfit: Coachman Laser 650 and Discovery
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I know, problem for me too. Not just handy for poppong to the shops.  It would be better towing a little car, but you might as well tow a caravan in the first place.

Doesn't matter really, need the Lottery win first, and it's a bit slow coming.  Perhaps this weekend.

Jim



17/7/2009 at 1:48pm
 Location: Leeds ish
 Outfit: Bailey Pegasus 546
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As a TD% Auto box driver:

Dont even contemplate a manual!! Imagine trying to pull out into a busy round-about with the 'van on the back. With the manual your passengers are thrown forward and back with every gear change. With the auto: it just flies out in one smooth manouerve.

Moreover, have you ever had to manouerve your outfit, forward or backwards in a tricky space? Or inch down the motorway in standing traffic for 20+ minutes? You know that manual burning clutch smell?? Us auto drivers don't get that smell, or hat leg-ache.

I cannot understand why anyone would want to tow with a manual.

Strax.

 



17/7/2009 at 9:14pm
 Location: Lancashire
 Outfit: Caravan now Sold
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imho.all motors made will be automatic soon,with required petrol savings and engine management,the only way forward is for the engine to manage itself under all circumstances and that includes gear change.

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the only silly question is the one you do not ask.


18/7/2009 at 7:30pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Bailey Orion 560-5
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But at this exact moment the auto gearbox is an expensive luxury, both at initial purchase and fuel economy. When these cost penalties are fixed, everybody will ant one! Until then, i for one will stick (no pun intended!!) to my trusty manual gearstick!


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19/7/2009 at 10:03am
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Higear Voyager 6 Tent
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The sink or the dishwasher?
Twin tub or automatic washing machine?
Brace and bit or electric drill.
Screwdriver or cordless screwdriver.

I was happy to pay £1100 extra for an auto when i goy my Hilux Pickup cause i realized straight away from a test drive that it was much more of a pleasure to drive. Caravans aside for a moment, i have owned 4 manual box cars and my Hilux is my first auto, i will never go back to a manual again, Why would i want to? No answer! As for economy, i think you would need to do the perfect drive, with perfect gear changes at the rite time on a manual to notice a difference and even then it would be very small difference indeed.

Now for towing.
I'm very new to this indeed, but feel that the auto has helped me here. Having less things to worry about, IE what gear your in, clutch etc helped me get the hang of towing right from the outset, i could concentrate more on my mirrors and what was around which gave me more confidence.

My first time on site with my van, i got talking to a couple of guys who were having clutch problems and you could smell the chaps car. The other guy who had an L200 manual pickup said he just paid £700 for a new clutch as he burnt it out cause he had to reverse a little up a hill after he got a bend wrong. I got all panic stricken knowing that when i got home i had to reverse the van up our close and onto the drive which is steepish. I was told if its an auto dont worry as you wont have a clutch problem with one of those.

For me, and i am very new to towing its a no brainer. Caravan in tow or not an AUTO every time.

Mike and Tracie


20/7/2009 at 1:04am
 Location: lancs
 Outfit: bailey senator wyoming
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I am a great lover of manual cars. However, for towing, auto is in my opinion, a must. I have a steep driveway and the smell of burning from my clutch in my old audi 100 v6 when shooving the caravan up there made me cringe. The auto box handles this with ease.  Many people think that the burning smell from from their car when they finish pitching up is due to the journey. You will find that it is in fact due to the clutch slip whilst positioning their home from home. 

As stated so many times above, even an auto box can be ruled by the driver with it's various selections.  This is even more so with the ever more popular trip-tronic auto boxes. 

One thing I would say though, the bigger the engine, the better the auto-box performs.  A 1.8 auto saloon will be useless and even most 2 litre cars will have to work hard.  I've had a 3.1 Trooper, an Audi allroad 2.5tdi and now a disco 3. All have been fantastic auto tow cars. 



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ant



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