hi there are a few questions I have really... firstly will a bigger caravan really mean a lot more fuel consumption when towing - even if it's just maybe another say 3 feet longer ?
Presently have a small 2 berth caravan (just about 13ft) and I would ideally like a caravan with comy bed that can be left up as well as small seating area with table. However we wouldn't really want one any bigger than about 16ft...
So can anyone tell me
1) roughly what sort of % our fuel consumption is likely to increase by
2) if you get 16 ft caravans with separate bed & seating area
it depends on the weight and frontal profile of the caravan rather than the length.
i believe you can get a fixed bed model at around 4.5 to 5 metres in length now , think there was a bailey ranger at about that size with fixed bed and also quite lightweight as well.
good luck
the greater the mass the more energy required to lug it. The current models are wider than the old style so there is a greater surface area at the front so more wind resistance (unless they have made slope more angled and not more upright - but a number of vans have become more upright as well thus increasing wind resistance) oh dear
google in the various caravan manufacturers and you can find the layouts for all their models on the websites as angus says loads of what you want
I'm guessing here, but I suspect it might depend on the towcar too. Our Disco, which can drink deisel considerably faster than I can drink wine, doesn't seem to take that much more fuel towing than it does solo.
We have a Disco but never use it to tow, we use the Defender when towing but it does still increase the fuelk consumption a fair bit I think. Diesel is so expensive that any more than a very slight increase is rather a lot more money onto your holiday costs.
Well it's like asking a Donkey to pull a larger load than normal. It would get rather exhausted because more energy is required to pull the extra mass therefore a bigger horse such as a Shire would be required to undertake the task. When a vehicle tows a larger load it is going to require some extra energy so the fuel consumption will be reduced but to what degree in percentage all depends on the increase in weight from the previous caravan. This is assuming that the same towcar is being used for the bigger unit then a like for like calculation can be made.
Agree with all the above. You will notice it more if you are near your towing limit. A small car will have to work much harder to pull the extra weight.
Jim
Hi again - we tow with the Defender (landrover) as I said I'd (wrongly !) assumed that a longer caravan would be heavier, just really wondering what sort of % more we'd be looking at... but I think maybe that question is nigh on impossible to answer without having actual weights.
Thanks anyway
At least I now know we ought to be able to get a caravan with separate sleeping bit without buying a very long one - just to work on persuading OH it's worth whatever extra it'll cost !
It also depends on the size of the towcar. The effect of the weight will vary depending on how you drive. A heavier outfit will have more inertia, so if you drive economically and avoid braking then the additional weight will have minimal effect. What extra fuel you use accelerating the outfit will be saved when you ease off as you will travel further under your own inertia. (Every action has an equal and opposite reaction - Einstein or Newton?)
Frontal area will have an affect as it increases the drag, so you need more power to move the caravan and it will slow it down quicker. That said, the shape will have as much influence as the actual size. There is not a lot of difference in any of the caravan's frontal areas, regardless of the length though.
My last car would use twice as much fuel towing, sometimes more, depending on the wind direction but my current car is hardly affected at all.
Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 27/5/2011
Hi La-la, I have found that towing my small 2 berth 900kg max, with a 1.9cdti, 120bhp, I use around 1/4 to 1/2 more fuel than when solo.
Hi ! Thanks for trying to help me jhsw - but it's actually the difference between towing our present caravan & towing a bigger one I'm wondering about ! It's probably pretty difficult for anyone to guess though - I never really thought about it before I posted but think now I'm asking the impossible tbh
Same tow car (PUG 406 Estate 2.0 turbo hdi 110)Same route Same distance Different Vans ( 800kg miro Abi Marauder and
Longer wider heavier Compass corona. miro 1040kg)
Identical fuel consumption results on computer 43.8mpg
Hi Hookup, that's interesting. We've gone ahead with getting a bigger 'van, so on our next trip we'll be towing an 18ft twin axle. It's about 1/2 a tonne heavier than our little 2 berth (3.8 metres) one.
Based on our average sort of journey around these parts my OH guesstimates we'll get about 4 miles less to the gallon. If it's very windy or we take some of the worse uphill routes of course it's going to be worse unfortunatlely .... Oh well, I think it's worth that bit extra money for the luxury of being able to have a bed left permanently set up as well as decent sized seating area & table. Just hope we can continue to afford it - pray the diesel doesn't go up too much more in the near future .... !
Hi Hookup, that's interesting. We've gone ahead with getting a bigger 'van, so on our next trip we'll be towing an 18ft twin axle. It's about 1/2 a tonne heavier than our little 2 berth (3.8 metres) one.
Based on our average sort of journey around these parts my OH guesstimates we'll get about 4 miles less to the gallon. If it's very windy or we take some of the worse uphill routes of course it's going to be worse unfortunatlely .... Oh well, I think it's worth that bit extra money for the luxury of being able to have a bed left permanently set up as well as decent sized seating area & table. Just hope we can continue to afford it - pray the diesel doesn't go up too much more in the near future .... !
Don't know how much fuel is in your neck of the woods,Here OH pays 132.7 litre for unleaded and diesel costs me 134.7 litre. Drive 8 miles and it each type costs 6p a litre more!!!!
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Topic: Bigger Caravan - Lots more fuel to tow ?
It's probably pretty difficult for anyone to guess though - I never really thought about it before I posted but think now I'm asking the impossible tbh 
