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Nothing further to add !
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The Superb would be ideal really. All that low down torque. £350 is a bit pricey for a towbar. If you're reasonably handy, it's not a difficult DIY job. I fitted one to my Octavia for £80. Two full straightforward evenings of work. All the wiring instructions came with the kit.
How do these smallish petrol turbos cope with pulling a big van, I wonder? I can imagine the engine working very hard. My neighbour bought a RAV 4 2.2 diesel to tow, something tells me big is best but I'm no expert.
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I would go rear wheel/4wd drive as the the extra load lifts the front wheels.
Any yes, a forester AWD would be ideal
Really? The car has a specific noseweight limit which is way less than the permitted boot load of any car - taking "levers" into account, the noseweight would only lighten the front axle load by abour 20 kg.
When was the last time a RWD car won Towcar of the Year? Do you not realise that many AWD cars are FWD for 90% of the time anyway?
Having had many FWD tow cars, then some 4wd cars I can confidently say that on tarmac roads, FWD is not found wanting. Off-road, or wet grassy caravan sites is different but most of those have tarmac roads now.
For the OP, any car weighing 1500kg kerbweight or more will probably do the job just fine, so get what you need for solo purposes.
Edited by RT on 12/05/2016 at 14:24
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Thanks so far. RT I appreciate your comments. I have friends with caravans and most just use a decent sized car, nearly all with FWD. They do say that 4WD is largely unnecessary due to the majority of sites having good access and hard standing. I appreciate too the comments about small petrol engines with boost. They have now been around for some time and seem to be working quite well, especially the Ford ones. After my Skoda experience so far I am gravitating towards an Octavia, although the Ford Focus/Kuga/Mondeo will all do the job too. At present Ford are offering some excellent deals. Even when you pick the bones out of it the deals are very good. Along with services plans and cheap spares it is a big incentive. I will look at Subaru this weekend to see what is available, however they do seem to bust my budget on price. As for servicing, I don't know yet.
Keep it coming men. Any experiences are welcome from vehicles to towing in general. Thanks again. Concrete
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How about another later petrol Superb - The 1.8tsi goes well and is not too thirsty
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Like others I'd say hang onto the Skoda. What's the issue that stops you taking it abroad?
Another take on moving 'van off grass is that you've probably got a motor-mover and can use that for manouvering it over fifteen metres from back of pitch to the metalled site road.
PS What's the make & model of the caravan?
Edited by Bromptonaut on 12/05/2016 at 22:20
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I have been a caravanner years ago, used my old Landcruiser as a tow motor which was brilliant, and in my mispent youth was a banger racer so have done plenty of heavy towing with cars, as well as my usual lorry driving work.
The one thing that you can't ever beat is engine displacement coupled with decently low first and reverse gears, and in the opposite nothing worse than a small engine reliant on compressed intake to make its power especially if its coupled with too high first and reverse gears.
Most modern engines will be ok once on the move, its getting them moving time after time especially on hill starts or in heavy traffic where such weaknesses show up, that will take so much pleasure from your caravanning.
Thats one of the reasons i suggested the Subaru, they don't go in for small engines, if they are turbocharged its for loads more power not to make something usable out of an engine that would be worthless in NA form...though i wouldn't recommend the Diesel at all, Subaru dropped the ball big time with that one and only time will tell if they've sorted it.
The simple and durable full time 4WD is an added bonus.
In my previous work i drove too many vehicles, some surprising ones inc expensive 4x4's that could barely pull themselves up a transporter deck so underpowered were the engines below spool up revs coupled with stupidly high first and reverse gears, they would be utterly useless as tow motors, so take care on test drives to feel as best you can on incline starts what it might be like if towing.
BHP means almost nothing here, its torque with as much as possible of its max from as low revs as possible what you want...something makers (including lorry makers) don't tend to shout about like they do the relatively meaningless max BHP @ umpteen thousand rpm.
Edited by gordonbennet on 12/05/2016 at 22:59
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If the majority of miles are going to be done with the caravan on the back, try to steer clear of the very small (less than 1.6l) turbo engines. The fuel economy of the small engines completely goes to pot when towing a large trailer at cruise speeds. This is because they run with the turbo continually at full boost. The larger turbo engines (both petrol and diesel) don't have that problem as the engine has enough power to overcome the air resistance without needing the turbo.
A Leon ST 1.8tsi may be worth a look, as well as the 1.6 ecoboost Mondeo. Also possibly a Mazda 6 with the 2.0 (non turbo) petrol
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Hello Bromptonaut, the Skoda is approaching 11 years old and most insurers for roadside help or retrieval will not cover a vehicle older than 10 years when abroad. I might still have a towbar fitted and just use the caravan in the UK until I get some experience. I have been told of a mobile fitter who fits them for about £200 all in.
The caravan is a Bailey Pegasus Genoa with a motor mover fitted so I am confident that will help greatly with manouvreing. At some point though we will wish to go abroad, probably for weeks on end and a reliable vehicle would be sensible. I take note of the comments regarding smaller boosted petrol engines but there are some makers who offer nothing else. The Ford 1.5 Ecoboost 150PS delivers 240Nm while the 1.6 diesel deliver 230Nm. I take the point about the revs needed but hey do quote good towing capacity. I am not against diesel at all, just the DPF problems I would probably inherit with one. Unless once a week I took it out for an extended run up the M20 and give it a good blast for 50 miles or so. A bit of a dilema. Love the diesel driving style but petrol makes more sense for low annual mileage. Need to think more. Cheers Concrete
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I would go rear wheel/4wd drive as the the extra load lifts the front wheels.
Any yes, a forester AWD would be ideal
Really? The car has a specific noseweight limit which is way less than the permitted boot load of any car - taking "levers" into account, the noseweight would only lighten the front axle load by abour 20 kg.
When was the last time a RWD car won Towcar of the Year? Do you not realise that many AWD cars are FWD for 90% of the time anyway?
Having had many FWD tow cars, then some 4wd cars I can confidently say that on tarmac roads, FWD is not found wanting. Off-road, or wet grassy caravan sites is different but most of those have tarmac roads now.
For the OP, any car weighing 1500kg kerbweight or more will probably do the job just fine, so get what you need for solo purposes.
Thank you for telling me what I know/Dont know. The last time was in 2012 Jaf XF
Depending on whose awards you read the Land Rover Discovery 4WD has who this year and in previous years. From 2015 this would be 4WD based on a FWD engine/gearbox, key point 4WD.
I'd further say a hint of gravel/wet grass on a up hill slop soon results in FWD wheel spin. So the best option is is 4WD, but RWD copes better
A diesel has the toque to make driving comforable and economic too, so yes many recommendations will be for diesel too.
I can tell you my old V6 ford petrol drank some juice when towing.
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Greetings Concrete,
I still have my Mk1 Superb AWX (130 PS PD diesel) which I bought originally as a tow car and still use it as such occasionally.
A few observations:
The car is much better built and longer lasting than I had originally hoped. Running gear and body are good.
The towing ability of the AWX engine is exceptional; high levels of torque are available at useful engine speeds.
The traction available on poor surfaces is surprisingly good due to the overhung engine mass (this of course is to the detriment of the handling). I have towed a trailer load of hay on virtually sheet ice on (good) Summer tyres without drama.
The traction control is best turned off at the dashboard under these conditions - and any others of marginal grip.
So, my recommendation would be to keep your Mk 1 Superb (as long as it has a manual 5 speed transmission), spend a little money on it as required, and perhaps seek specialised breakdown insurance as you wish. I trust my Superb on foreign trips without a thought.
If you have a good manual AWX - keep it. You may well be disappointed with newer offerings, irrespective of maker, thanks to the Eurocrats.
659.
Fitting a towbar is simplicity itself. All mountings are pre-drilled and covered with masking tape (painted) in the boot. Once the bumper skin is off, it's a meccano job. The wiring is non-multiplexed, so no electrical problems either. I bought a "Bosal" towbar for a Passat on eBay years ago - no problems at all.
Edited by 659FBE on 13/05/2016 at 18:15
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Hello 659FBE. Thank you for that very informative post. Like yours my 2005 Superb AWX is an excellent car. 5 speed manual and hardly uses any oil between servcies. The engine is as sweet as a nut and the car is really good to drive still. What concerned me was the original clutch and suspension at 200k miles and the effect of towing a 1250Kg caravan might have. From what you say I have little to be concerned about.
Interesting what you say regarding the towing kit. For that sort of money it is worth it even to get another year or two from the car. I only wish I could buy one exactly the same from new!
Cheers Concrete
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If you've had 200,000 miles on the original clutch, it doesn't owe you anything - and treating it to a new clutch is cheaper than changing cars.
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Good point RT. It had crossed my mind too. But of course with an older car there are other niggles like sticking locks, parking sensors failed etc. Nothing major and easy to live with but begs the question; when do you give in and replace?
Question for FBE659 here. What tyep of towbar did you buy for your Superb? Fixed or detachable? If you can remember, some advice would be appreciated.
Cheers Concrete
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Just ordered a Bosal detachable kit for the car. Full electrics included.
A neighbour has a fixes towbar and regrets not getting a detachable one. Cheers Concrete
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I fitted a fixed Bosal towbar - no regrets at all. The protrusion is of no consequence to me and I value the added security of a fixed bar. Unlike the contents of a caravan, horses do move around in a trailer and I prefer not to have an unlubricated/unmachined joint to fret and consequently develop free play.
B5.5 stoplamp switches are notoriously unreliable, so I would suggest putting a relay in the boot to feed the trailer stoplamps when you wire the trailer socket. The power for these lamps can very conveniently be taken from the rear of the boot power socket.
I took the opportunity to wire the LH rear foglamp - everything is there including the bulb, it just needs a wire link to the RH lamp. This is beneficial for driving on the right. You may know the Superb headlamps can be set for LH drive. This can easily be done in-situ if you know how - ask for details as required.
Just as a parting gem of information, the fuse designation card (at the end of the dashboard) in the Superb is wrong. The blighters fitted a card for a LHD fuse box which is the mirror-image of the one actually fitted to a RHD car. Just what's needed on a dark wet night...
The fix is easy - scan your fuse card and laterally flip the image in Microsoft Word, then print it out. The text is junk, but the symbols remain valid.
200k motorway miles will not neccesarily wear out a B5.5 clutch. If you decide renewal is needed, change the dual mass flywheel as well - and swallow the bill. Otherwise, cambelt, all idlers + water pump as required, and by now, if not changed, replace the freewheeling alternator pulley.
Bon Voyage.
659.
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Thank you 659. The kit is on it's way. People in the village with detachable towbars do say there is a slight judder when braking, but otherwise they are happy with the results. Most of them tow a lot more weight than I am going to. Probably no more that 1300Kg.
Good information about the electrics too. I shall print it off and show the fitter. The cambelt has been changed twice and all the ususal components too. I had a new Alternator fitted a few years ago but not sure of that included the pulley, will dig out the bill. It was done under extended warranty so probably not. There is a chap in the village who specialises in gearboxes and he did a minor repair on mine about a year ago. He said he thought the clutch was just fine and would happily tow with a Superb. Just waiting for the kit and the fitting date to proceed.
Cheers Concrete
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I also fitted the Bosal kit, it was very straightforward. The kit came with some fairly poor quality scotch connectors, if I recall, I used some better quality ones I had and double taped them to be sure. All the chassis holes are pre-drilled, but masked by underseal. Just make sure you have or borrow a torque wrench. I am very pleased with the quality of the fixed installation and as 659 says, it is a bit of added security at the rear! It also acts as my reversing sensor.
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