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Topic: Buying a tow car

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Train52

21/10/2015 at 1:41pm
Location: Norfolk
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Hi     I am looking to buy   a car   which I can use
to   use a    work car and to tow a two berth
caravan am looking at   a Skoda Est   or a Passat Est   I   have about £4000 to £5000      can any one advise the points I have to watch for.

Regard

Andy

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Andrew   Owen Stevenson

Octavia4x4

21/10/2015 at 2:03pm
Location: Harrogate Yorkshire.
Outfit: Skoda Octavia 4x4 & Compass Omega 482

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I use my Octavia Estate for work and towing, good load / carry space, I can get 15 bodies in the back!!! they come in blue bags with the name Anne! so plenty fo room for caravanning.

Good cars, the van I tow has a mtplm of 1,230kg, in 2 weeks our new van will have a mtplm of 1,318kg. Get a good mpg when towing and solo

If you can get a 4x4 variant go for it, they are heavier than the standard spec. and get more traction on muddy fields.

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Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4 (2012) towing a Compass Omega 482 (2014)

Opensauce

21/10/2015 at 3:19pm
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Unless cars have full service history showing job has been done, budget for a cambelt/waterpump change by a place you trust to do the job properly.

Skoda Bob

22/10/2015 at 1:25am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Swift charisma Skoda Scout 4x4

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Plenty of manual 1.9 and 2ltr diesel estates on auto trader, 4x4s and scout versions, as long as the belt and a metal water pump is fitted you should be able to get 300,000 miles very easily, and change the oil and filter every 10,000 religiously, best tyres I have found is all season, should get around 40,000 on the fronts and 60,000 on the rears, if new.
when you test drive, at idle, listen for a sound like a cement mixer full of gravel, it will mean the DMF clutch needs changing, the cheapest and best option is the 1.9tdi, if the DMF goes you can get a single clutch system fitted for half the price of a DMF around £350, making the clutch peddle lighter and it will last much longer, get the correct top up oil from Asda, normally on offer

MrT007

22/10/2015 at 1:21pm
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I've got a Audi A4 2.0 tdi and pulls like a train.

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Up there for thinking, down there for dancing. 😎

alan29

22/10/2015 at 4:44pm
Location: Wirral
Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch

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Satrt with te weight of the caravan and work from that.

Train52

22/10/2015 at 11:02pm
Location: Norfolk
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Hi THANK you all for helping

   Would it be silly of me to tow with a   VW Golf est?

Regards   Andy

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Andrew   Owen Stevenson

Opensauce

23/10/2015 at 4:50am
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Depends on size of caravan. Diesel Golf would be ok for up to just over a tonne probably but check the figures in the handbook.

jim oldham

23/10/2015 at 9:59am
Location: Wigan
Outfit: VWSharan. Sport 442.

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Quote: Originally posted by Train52 on 22/10/2015
Would it be silly of me to tow with a VW Golf est?
Regards Andy

Not silly, but it would really restrict the range of caravans you could tow.
A Passat, or similar, would give you a far greater choice, but also more room to carry more "stuff"

Skoda Bob

23/10/2015 at 4:46pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Swift charisma Skoda Scout 4x4

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The Golf in a skoda suit, nothing wrong with it, as long as its the 2ltr diesel engine

Train52

24/10/2015 at 3:03pm
Location: Norfolk
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Hi Thanks u for your answers,    My   son has found   a TOTOTA   AVENSIS   1.8 V-Matic   84,0000   2009
would this pull a two berth    van?

Regards
Andy

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Andrew   Owen Stevenson

Rob and Tina

24/10/2015 at 6:04pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Swift Major 4SB

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It depends on the weight of the caravan. As mentioned above start with the max weight (MTPLM) of the caravan, this should ideally be less than 85% of the kerbweight of the towcar. You can get an idea of car weights on websites such as Parkers but you need to check that you will not exceed the max tow weight of that particular car you are thinking of buying. There is loads of advice on this forum about towcar choice, diesels are often better due to the higher torque at low revs.

Rob

geoff+emmy

24/10/2015 at 8:22pm
Location: Huddersfield
Outfit: swift conqueror 645+jeep commander

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Doesn't the Avensis have a very low nose weight?

Skoda Bob

24/10/2015 at 10:57pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Swift charisma Skoda Scout 4x4

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What engine has the golf, any from a 1.8 petrol or 1.9 diesel will tow a small 2 berth van up to 1350kg

Alan Partridge

28/10/2015 at 6:11pm
Location: Herts
Outfit: Eriba Troll & Mitsubishi Outlander

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You might find this helpful, although you should check the information given as to towing limits, noseweight limits.

http://www.towcar.info/index.php

Train52

30/10/2015 at 5:38pm
Location: Norfolk
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Hi    Thank you   ALL   for u   info, its good to know there   are good   bods    about   xxxx

Am now   looking at the    Fiat   MULITPAS   or

the   DOBLO     both of which   have    1900   engine

is any one   running one of these   please???

Regards    thanks

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Andrew   Owen Stevenson

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