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Topic: Good tow car under £1500

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landyz

30/3/2018 at 9:08am
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Hi all,

Can anyone advice on a good tow car for under £1500

Thanks in advance

J&J

Post last edited on 30/03/2018 10:14:11

Post last edited on 30/03/2018 11:10:19

Skoda Bob

30/3/2018 at 10:18am
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What make and weight of van?? will you be towing

landyz

30/3/2018 at 10:38am
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i don't have a caravan yet , but it would be a 2 berth , say something like an elddis

blueexpo97

30/3/2018 at 12:50pm
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I think you need to find the right caravan, don't buy yet, and then come back with all the details.

Saying something like an Elddis is of no use.

-------------
XVI yes?

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How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
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tango55

30/3/2018 at 1:46pm
Location: Lichfield
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If you want a 2 berth caravan you need to decide which layout suits your needs ie. end kitchen or end washroom etc. and when you have decided which, then have a look at the caravan weight plate which will be near the entrance door. There will be either 2 or 3 figures on that plate which are the MIRO which is the unladen weight, the MTPLM which is the fully laden weight and possibly the Payload which is the allowance amount of personal items. The MTPLM minus the MIRO equals the payload. The only figure you need with reference to a suitable towcar is the MTPLM so once you have the MTPLM then a figure can be calculated in what towcar would be suitable to your budget of £1500.
Without this information, nobody can provide a postive answer to your question.

issym

31/3/2018 at 9:40am
Location: Cambridgeshire
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Do you already have a car? Have you towed previously? What year did you, or the person who will be doing the towing, pass the driving test as this may limit your choice of van/car combo.
Exciting times!

664DaveS

31/3/2018 at 4:45pm
Location: Shropshire
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Your user name is landyz ,do you have a Land Rover?
They are good tugs.

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

landyz

31/3/2018 at 5:00pm
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hi all

my current car is an Alfa Romeo GT 1.9 JTDm i don't think it would make a good tow car. I may be wrong !!

I have tow 2 tonne machines in the past so towing is not an issue . Yes I used to have a Discovery TD5 , I also used a 2.0 Freelander to tow our caravan, but was rubbish going up any kind of incline. Was thinking a nice TD4 Freelander see if the TD4 was better at hills, ??

Colin21

31/3/2018 at 8:25pm
Location: East Herts
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I have a similar budget and I am currently looking at a diesel, automatic, Kia Sportage or Sorento. However, although I have found several online that would be suitable, they always seem to be 300 miles away! I think they must be banned in East Herts, as I haven't even seen one in a car park.

However my Volvo V70 makes a good tow car and there are plenty of them about for sale. The main thing for me though is that I am looking for something with a higher driving position as I have back problems.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin

664DaveS

02/4/2018 at 11:33am
Location: Shropshire
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My mate had a TD4 Freelander which was a good tug.They are getting on a bit now so you would have to look carefully for a good one.

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

landyz

02/4/2018 at 5:04pm
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I see you have a Hyundai Santa Fe, I have looked at them but don't know if they where any good. Are they ?

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John

Colin21

02/4/2018 at 5:37pm
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Quote: Originally posted by landyz on 02/4/2018
I see you have a Hyundai Santa Fe, I have looked at them but don't know if they where any good. Are they ?

Likewise, but once again there don't seem to be any in East Herts. Any I find online are always hundreds of miles away. Also, do they have the same issue with the semi-permanent 4WD?

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Best Regards,
Colin

664DaveS

02/4/2018 at 5:53pm
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Santa Fe is a great towcar,ours is a 2016 bought new.
We have had 3 Sorentos in the past also excellent.
The ours is normally front wheel drive but goes into awd automatically, you don't notice it.Sorento after 2009 is the same.
Early Sorentos have selectable 4wd and low range so very capable but heavier and thirstier.

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

Colin21

02/4/2018 at 6:59pm
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Quote: Originally posted by 664DaveS on 02/4/2018
Santa Fe is a great towcar,ours is a 2016 bought new.
We have had 3 Sorentos in the past also excellent.
The ours is normally front wheel drive but goes into awd automatically, you don't notice it.Sorento after 2009 is the same.
Early Sorentos have selectable 4wd and low range so very capable but heavier and thirstier.

Only XE models of the Sorento have selectable 4WD, so I have found out. The XS and XT have semi-permanent 4WD which drives the rear wheels, but when the system detects spinning it engages the front wheels as well. I have heard these can be problematic, unless you always have the best tyres (greater diameter) on the rear.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin

svjmiller

02/4/2018 at 7:47pm
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Have you thought about a Nissan X Trail they have selectable 4 wheel drive.

-------------
windy

Baileyjake

03/4/2018 at 1:32pm
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I guess it depends on how far you want to travel, how much kit you want to take, how big the 2 berth will be.

your car is the GT coupe right? a lovely car. you probably want to keep it? i hired one once and thought it was a really nice car.

i tow with a shogun but my caravan is 1600kg, i have 2 sons and i like to take bikes and boats and things for them which is why i went from a jeep to an outlander to a shogun. but if there are 2 of you.....

looking at https://towcar.info/GB/outfitmatch.php

your ~Alpha is ok with a light weight 2 berth.

Verdict

The Alfa Romeo GT - 1.9 JTD 16v and the Elddis Xplore 302 of a laden weight of 930 kg is an excellent combination for all journeys on all kinds of roads.

Weight

The chance of snaking is small even at higher speeds.

Flat roads
The performances of the engine of this outfit are in general very good. Under all conditions on motorways it is possible to drive with 60 mph in the 5th gear. In that case the engine runs approximately 2300 rpm. In a headwind or for example on a crossover there is no need to downshift immediately.

Mountains

On most motorways inclines (1:20) driving is easily possible in the 4th gear with 50 mph and even full throttle with 66 mph. Hill starts are possible on steep slopes, theoretical up to 26%, if the wheels have sufficient traction. While driving the engine has enough power to drive on every normal road.
Results

The main details in a list. Ideal for comparing different combinations with one another, for example your present with a new one.
Weight
Towing limit
1300 kg
Weight ratio
58%
(laden Caravan / laden Car)
(930 kg / 1590 kg)

this is all pasted of the website. do your own match though.

for £1500 you could buy an old shogun and use it only for towing.

the other car i would like as a tow car is the chrysler 300c but i suspect these would be more than £1500.

you could probably get a 2.2crd PT cruiser for that kind of money. they are not to all tastes but are built like brick....houses so are heavey and have a powerfull mercedes engine.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

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