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   Caravans and Caravanning -  Caravan Towcars and Towing Advice 		Share   Post on X / Twitter  Share on Facebook  Email  Printer Friendly Version Print
Subject Topic: Tow car - which one? (Sorry) Post Reply Post New Topic
PersontheKingCat
03/9/2014 at 2:54pm
 Location: Manchester
 Outfit: Swift Charisma 2007 View theKingCat's Profile View Profile   Reply to theKingCat Reply   Quote theKingCat Quote  
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I know, I know, this question must have been asked a million times and for asking it again I am sorry...

We currently have a Trigano Galleon trailer tent that we tow with our Peugeot 206 2.0 HDi, but after much discussion we have decided to go for a caravan instead (mostly due to the practicality of being able to turn up, put the legs down and chill, rather than spend nigh on 2 hours putting up and pegging the trailer tent).

Anyway... we realise that our little Pegueot is not going to be enough to pull a caravan, so we need to upgrade the car. We dont have a lot of money so will be looking second hand, but just dont know where to start to look. (reckon we will get £1200 or so for our current car, and would like to spend not much more than £2500 total for the new one.
So any advice on models of car to go for would be much appreciated.

I suspect the caravans we are going to be looking at (4 berths) will be no more than 1500kg fully laden.

Also any advice on how and where I can do the test to get the heavier towing weight categories on my licence (also some lessons would be helpful as Im not too good with reversing our trailer tent).

Thanks all



-------------
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Feel nostalgic (probably the wrong word) for the trailer tent, but love the caravan. "Camping" all year round is fantastic.


Personmillermicm
03/9/2014 at 3:11pm
 Location: west country
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Assuming you do not want to go 4x4 A mondeo TDCI is always a good choice for an inexpensive tow car and there are loads around. Manufacturers towing limit is about 1800kg but 85% of car weight will give you a max tow of 1300kg.

If you have a post 1997 licence you can tow at a combined weight of 3500kg so you would be ok with this match.

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Steve


PersontheKingCat
03/9/2014 at 3:18pm
 Location: Manchester
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oh thats great info millermicm.

wasnt aware i could do that on my current licence, I thought I was limited to 750kg, but obviously not lol

have seen a few cheapish mondeo tdci's (2005/06) for under £2k so that might work out quite well.

-------------
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Feel nostalgic (probably the wrong word) for the trailer tent, but love the caravan. "Camping" all year round is fantastic.


Personmillermicm
03/9/2014 at 4:12pm
 Location: west country
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Here you go. Straight from the horse's mouth.
towing limits

You just need to be careful of the 85% guidelines. I am sure there is a 4 berth out there that will match.

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Steve


Personjanus
03/9/2014 at 5:10pm
 Location: Rochdale
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The mondeo mk3 hatch ( the 2005 and 2006 last facelift ones are the best look for the stripey rear light clusters ) is a great starter for someone with a b licence only. The kerb weight for them is about 1500 kg and the mgw for them is 2025 kg making them legal for you to tow anything up to 1475kg with. I towed a 1450 kg hymer nova with my tdci 115 and it did the job superbly with never a hint of instability. So get a Mondeo hatch of that era ( if you get the estate it reduces what you can legally tow ) then buy whatever caravan you want that has a plated max weight of less than 1450kg drive it carefully and to start with keep the speed down and you will bever regret it.

Remember the 85% guideline is just that a guideline so do not get too bound up in it, it is a good starting point and with no other guidance is the thing to do, but with a well cared for mondeo mk 3 the car is extremely capable as a towcar and your 85% is not a restriction.

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Bill

For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013

Mondeo Titanium 140 tdci


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Personnavver
03/9/2014 at 9:55pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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Yep Mondeo TDCI 2.0. I have the tiptronic auto which tows really well but does use a bit more fuel and makes the tax £270 a year. Saying that I get over 50mpg on a motorway run and mid 30s to 40 running round s much better than the figures suggest.

I towed our van with 1325kg MTPLM easily.

Just watch rear engine oil seals are a weak point.


PersontheKingCat
03/9/2014 at 10:13pm
 Location: Manchester
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thanks for all the info everyone, it is much appreciated.


it looks like we will be going for the mondeo tdci 2.0 then. have to get on autotrader and find a few suitable ones. and then onto looking for caravans, have to save up a bit first.


-------------
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Feel nostalgic (probably the wrong word) for the trailer tent, but love the caravan. "Camping" all year round is fantastic.


Personnavver
04/9/2014 at 11:07pm
 Location: West country
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Buying privately you'll probably get a 05 or so for £500.


PersonMoondaisy
05/9/2014 at 6:49pm
 Location: Lincolnshire
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I have recently bought an 05 and paid £1000 for it and then spent over £1000 on it! So beware of too cheap. It is a very good tow car though.


PersonGrampian91
05/9/2014 at 8:52pm
 Location: Midlands
 Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram View Grampian91's Profile View Profile   Reply to Grampian91 Reply   Quote Grampian91 Quote  
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My current car is a 2004 TDCI Estate. Its great.

With a bit of restraint and a FIL in the passenger seat that thought we may die if we overtook a lorry doing 56mph.

I managed 39mpg fully loaded and towing a caravan.

If your doing lots of short journey's then it can drink the fuel a bit. But much better than the 2L petrol models i had previously.



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Personsteve57
06/9/2014 at 4:55pm
 Location: warminster
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One word of advice,if your looking for a mondeo tdci.or any other diesel,try to find one thats had its clutch and dual mass flywheel replaced,its an expensive job !!

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steve


PersonGrampian91
06/9/2014 at 5:17pm
 Location: Midlands
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£600 ish. But its something that will need doing on any car of a similar age.

The diesels do wear them faster due to the extra torque from the engine.

Although it will trundle along in a high gear at low revs your shortening the life of the DMF.

Keep the revs up a bit 1800-2000rpm and dont race everyone away from every set of lights.

If you get one with 6 gears dont use 6th when towing. Stick to 5th and you get get better economy.
My best so far is 39mpg whilst towing.


PersontheKingCat
06/9/2014 at 5:35pm
 Location: Manchester
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ok cheers for that advice steve, after rushing into buying cars in the past (more due to necessity than anything), we will certainly be taking our time with this purchase.


-------------
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Feel nostalgic (probably the wrong word) for the trailer tent, but love the caravan. "Camping" all year round is fantastic.


PersontheKingCat
06/9/2014 at 5:38pm
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depending on if we can find any decent mondeo's in the short term I am still looking at caravans that we would be able to tow with the Peugeot 206. I know they wont be a comfortable tow, but the winter breaks would likely be nearish to home anyway, and I dont mind taking A roads rather than motorways to keep the speed down a bit.

It all depends if we find a car or caravan first and if the caravan is towable by the 206 or not.


-------------
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Feel nostalgic (probably the wrong word) for the trailer tent, but love the caravan. "Camping" all year round is fantastic.



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