So after years of camping, my health means that putting up a tent is not going to be an option in a few years.
Hubby and I have thought long and hard and have decided to go for a caravan.
Lots of research, and then this morning went to a local dealer, found the most helpful sales person, who suggested we go and have a look at which of our short list our car could tow, the answer.....NONE!!
yep the newly ordered Audi A5 sportback can`t tow a 4 berth
so off we go then to the Audi dealer to see if we can change the order for an A4 which can tow pretty much anything.
The dealer said this is going to become a problem as new cars are being built lighter and it is all to do with emission targets.
Does this mean caravans are going to have to change? can they get lighter?
Feeling fed up at the moment, I am sure we can get round it, We even tried my Quashqai 4x4 but that is the same as the A5.
We can only have certain cars as it is a company vehicle
so very limited choice, and of course it needs to be able to carry all my Hubbies work stuff as well.
Dealer's talking bosh - I think he doesn't want the paperwork.
I've got a new Merc C220 estate auto - directly comparable with the A4. It tows like a train and is rated to tow 1800Kg (but the 85% ratio means a max caravan weight of 1415Kg)
You would be limited to lighter 'vans but there are many our there that wold fit the bill.
For a heavier caravan you would probably require a 4x4 or big soft-roader.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
As you mention it appears a common issue with the newer models. As they try and reduce the MPG they put in smaller engines and reduce the weight, thus the kerbweight is less and has a knock on with a towing match. The new x-trail is no different and the automatic version is pretty poor when compared to the manual. I think we will hang onto our 2009 model for years due to this!
One thing I always say is people is to take your car and actually weigh it at a local weigh bridge (with driver in the seat and 3/4 tank fuel). Sometimes it will be over what you expect and that way you are working to an actual weight, as opposed to some figure off the internet. Cars do vary a lot depending on options so its always worth checking.
The sooner the British public realises this whole vehicle emissions thing is just a big con the better. We could park up every vehicle in the UK and not move them for a year and it would have zero impact in preventing so called climate change.
It is another avenue for this govt to tax us to the hilt and also gives the tree huggers something to cling onto that the gift are doing something.
Until china the USA and other major industrial nations cut back on their emissions then the uks efforts are futile.
I'm sure I read somewhere that cows cause more damage than cars. Are we going to tax them?
------------- Who needs travel agents,we have our static
Those might be heavy for your car but there are plenty of lighter vans out there, ours is a 4 berth fixed bed and weighs in at 1320kgs fully loaded.
Audi print the unladen weights in the brochure, check there, or 'build' the car you have ordered on the Audi configurator as I am sure the weight is shown in the spec when you print it off (from memory) then grab a copy of Caravan Buyer as in the back there is a guide to every caravan on the market and shows the wrights and lengths etc. Aim to get a caravan that weighs around 85% when loaded of the cars weight.
The A4 saloon and A5 Sportback are built on the same platform so I doubt there is a discernible difference between the two. I'll have a look when I'm in the office tomorrow as I work at an Audi Centre (in the fleet department, not in the showroom).
Unfortunately (or fortunately) cars are getting lighter and lighter in a bid to reduce C02 emissions and improve MPG. And car manufacturers are doing a good job of chasing the ever moving goal posts. It seems however, that caravans are going in the opposite direction as consumers demand a 'home from home'. I agree with Fife bloke - taxing based on C02 is purely revenue based - if the government wanted to be green they would probably have to encourage us to keep our old cars instead of building new ones. Buts that's a whole different discussion.
Don't know which engine you specified on your A5 but they have published tow capacity of 1500kg upwards. They are however, light cars which means the recommended 85% rule gives you a caravan weight of about 1325kg. I have no doubt a 4 berth can be found within that.
This is so confusing, the Caravan club and AA say you can tow 85% of your cars kerb weight, the sheet given to us by the dealer used towing limit.
Which one is it as if it is kerb weight that brings more caravans into our choice,one website said to allow for so much BHP per wieght of caravan, the A5 is well within those limits.
Think my head is about to explode (glass of wine is in order!)
Download the brochure from Audi.co.uk/brochures. Page 85 gives the towing limits and the unladen weight of each model. You should aim to get something that weighs around 85% of the weight of the car. The towing limit is what the car can tow not what it is safe to tow - hence the 85% guide.
The lowest powered A5 is 136PS - people used to tow with 60 or 70hp Ford Cortina's so I don't think you should worry about power as long as you look at something with a safe weight. Caravan Buyer magazine has a handy guide within.
No problem. Once you know which vans fit (there are loads of lightweight 4 berths on the market) you can enjoy the process and take your time to find the right layout etc. Remember the end result should give years of pleasure.
There is always a compromise, in your case perhaps a lighter caravan than you first thought - in our case we wanted a fixed bed but were restricted by length due to where we keep it. We found the ideal van in the end 6.5m long and 1320KGS. Our kids want their privacy so we treated ourselves to 2 annexes for the awning so they have their own bedrooms and we don't wake up with sleeping teenagers cluttering up the caravan.
Let us know how you get on - worth visiting the NEC in October so you can see them all under one roof.