We are due to change our car next year October 2021, and are begining to look around for a suitable tow vehicle for our van max weight 1300 Kgs, single axle.
We dont carry alot but still have a 15 yr old son whopm comes with us. I am fully aware of all teh guidelines and kerb weight issues etc and have been towing the van the last 12 yrs with a succession of vehicles all mostly 2ltr diesel.
Looking at whats availble, engine sizes and car kerbweights are all reducing, so what would you guys out there suggest as potential for towing the van, considering it will be "NEW".
Currently, (well not this year tow with BMW X1 xdrive 2.0ltr Sport diesel)
Hoping to stick with diesel, just for best return of MPG when compared to petrol. have looked at Hybrid, but am reserving judgment .
Stick with diesel. It will be around for a while yet. Best & most fuel efficient for caravan towing. If you can afford new BMW prices then you will be spoiled for choice of diesel SUVs of all makes more than capable of doing the job in that price range.
Purely from the perspective of towing caravans, I'd agree that sticking with 2.0 litre diesel and 150bhp or so is still the answer. Anything from Ford Focus or VW Golf-sized upwards with that level of engine performance should be capable of towing 1300kg, and if you intend to stick with something of a similar size to your BMW X1 you'll be well and truly spoilt for choice.
Things might get a little more complicated if you go for a hybrid, or particularly a plug-in hybrid because many (including BMW 3 and 5 series) can't be fitted with tow bars at all whilst others including Ford Kuga have greatly reduced towing limits. Fuel consumption when towing with these will increase drastically and performance is also likely to fade as the level of charge in the battery reduces.
However, there'll obviously be something of an off-set against that if when not towing with the car (i.e. for the other 48 weeks of the year) you'll mainly be using it for short urban journeys that you can drive mostly on electric power alone. It really comes down to what best suits your overall needs.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Quote: Originally posted by retiredjohn on 13/11/2020
lots to choose from you might want to consider if you new car has or has room for a full size spare ,just a thought
Good point John. As illustrated by our experience in the summer.
We had been lucky enough to be able to take our planned holiday in Cornwall, and had spent the evening with some friends (obviously paying due regard to social distancing) watching the sun set on the beach in Falmouth. On the way back to our caravan, in fading light and with no real idea of where the sat nav was taking us, I hit a traffic calming kerb and burst the front tyre. A local resident came out and said "That happens ALL the time. The council insist that the warning signs are good enough but they really aren't".
Changing the wheel, in what was by now dark, when the alloy wheel had somehow fused itself to the steel hub and was refusing to budge, wasn't much fun. But at least, with a full-size spare in the car, it was possible.
The following morning, I discovered that I had managed to damage the side wall of the left rear tyre as well, which had started to bulge. The nearest depot that had a tyre in stock that would fit was in Penzance, which was about an hour's drive away. Having to nurse a damaged tyre over that distance was nerve-wracking. But in comparison to have had to make the journey on a recovery truck? I'll take it every time, thank you.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Yes. I recall the last time I had a puncture in my Berlingo. It was in France. We came out of a supermarket & I noticed a tyre was going flat. There was a nail in it. I opened the tailgate. Put on my gloves. Undid the spare wheel carrier & removed the spare which was the same as the other 4 wheels. I then undid the wheel nuts with the 2 foot breaker bar I keep in the car. Jacked up the car with the jack provided. Changed the wheel. Put everything away & continued on our way. Took about 20mins. I took the flat tyre to a local tyre place & they fixed it for 15€.
I would never have a car that could not carry a full sized spare that would allow you to continue journey as intended. I can change my own wheel but even if you can’t at least you can call out breakdown who can.
Hyundai Tucson's have a full sized alloy spare, which we also needed when towing and had a flat on a busy dual carriage layby. Never had one before and don't wish to repeat the experience.
If you have a 15 year old in tow (no pun intended), have you thought about such as the new Navara or L200's? Both popular as family cars, have plenty of 'toys', and will pull anything you may change to with ease. And, plenty of room for all your gear in the back as well.
Hi all thanks for all the comments,all very worthy and justified. Will start our search in the new year.
Problem we are finding is that most new cars are now very light.
We always try to stay at the 70-80% of car kerbweight. The ford Focus is quite light even the 2.0 ltr D., resulting in not being able to tow full weight. need 1530 Kgs kerbweight or higher to tow van at 85% weight ratio.
It’s often the case with fords tgst the brochure weight is gar lower than the true kerbweight.
The higher the model spec the heavier the car, I weighed 3 mondeos a s max and a ford kuga all way heavier than the brochure some by over 150 kgs
If you can take one on a test drive and put it on a weigh bridge you might find it will do e job
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Topic: New Tow vehicle
via mobile 15/11/2020 at 11:54pm
