What car to tow (1 Viewer)

[RustyRuss]

Tell me more about your MX5 Please! We have an MX5 mk2.5 Phoenix, I’d read that you can’t tow them as it buggers up the gearbox and differential. Did you have any issues? We currently tow Kathryn’s Aygo but when the Samoyeds pass away we’ll only have Rosie the Yorkshire Terrorist with us and she loves the ‘5. (The Samoyeds and the Terrorist can’t all fit in the ‘5 if I take SHWMBO as well)

Cheers!

Russ

Didn’t see the pic as I had very poor internet when last reading this thread!

 

[Lisa]

We just don't get this tow a car behind a motorhome thing, surely if you want to tow it would be better going down the car/caravan route.
Our thoughts are how much to fit a tow bar, buy the tow car, then the means with which to tow it, cost of insurance, service etc etc.
When away and we need a car we just phone Enterprise or whoever and they deliver a car, when we are finished with it they come and pick it up, so we avoid all the hassle and expense of owning and towing.

Horses for courses

We use the VW Up as a second vehicle anyway, so need it regardless of whether it’s being towed or not. We don’t always tow it but like to have the option, depending on where we are going.

When towing it, you don’t even know it is there. There is far less hassle with a toad than there would be towing a caravan and then setting it up upon arrival.

 

[Old and wise 1]

We just don't get this tow a car behind a motorhome thing, surely if you want to tow it would be better going down the car/caravan route.
Our thoughts are how much to fit a tow bar, buy the tow car, then the means with which to tow it, cost of insurance, service etc etc.
When away and we need a car we just phone Enterprise or whoever and they deliver a car, when we are finished with it they come and pick it up, so we avoid all the hassle and expense of owning and towing.

I understand people thinking that, but in my case, it was a logical decision. I already had the Motorhome. But we realised that an additional means of transport would be great, especially to visit the busy, narrow streets of the Cornish fishing villages. Our existing (wife's) car, was too underpowered to tow a decent caravan. Having sold my van, I needed a car. So, I bought an already converted, 2nd hand Smart car. Made sense

 

[robnchris]

Car & Caravan = heavy car required to tow decent sized Caravan. Potentially unstable if wrongly loaded. Difficulty parking large car.

Motorhome & Smart = No stability issues. Always a parking space left by some bad parkers fit for a Smart. 70mpg instead of 30mpg whilst exploring.

Motorhome on it's own = depending on size (anything much bigger than a T5) marooned on site. Extreme difficulty parking it anywhere (especially UK touring). Packing up each time you want to explore.

Personally if I could not take the Smart I would not have the Motorhome at all. They come as an outfit.

Hence us hiring a car if and when we need one, for the cost of owning a small car to tow plus the price of a tow bar etc etc you can hire a lot of cars and don't have the hassle of towing anything behind the motorhome. For those that say "you don't even know it's there" we have seen many times people struggling when refuelling, struggling when meeting on coming vehicles in the narrow roads.

 

[Lisa]

For those that say "you don't even know it's there" we have seen many times people struggling when refuelling, struggling when meeting on coming vehicles in the narrow roads.

I think you’ll find that is more to do with the quality of their driving

I’ve watched people struggle without a car behind them

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[robnchris]

I think you’ll find that is more to do with the quality of their driving

I’ve watched people struggle without a car behind them

Have to agree with you about their skills as a driver, even worse is they also have the right to vote

 

[Paul F]

For those that say "you don't even know it's there" we have seen many times people struggling when refuelling, struggling when meeting on coming vehicles in the narrow roads.

Or trying to reverse, or turn round in the narrow lane that you inadvertently took by mistake. Tow cars are fine on good roads when you know where you are going, but trying to reverse or turn round an 8m or 9m MH with a 4m car on the back in a tight space is not straightforward (much easier with vehicle sizes the other way round). A motorbike in the garage or on the back is so much more flexible in my view - although I appreciate not everybody is a biker.

 

[Collmec1]

We've been motorhoming for 20 years. All have been >7.5 metres, the last two being an Arapaho and a Kon-Tiki 649. We rarely struggled to find a parking space and only single track roads were avoided where possible. We started towing a car behind us because my wife suffers with hip and back problems and can't walk very far so we changed my travel to work car for one that fitted in our towing parameters (weigh less than 1000kg, and carry 5 adults) got a towing bracket fitted (thanks Armitage's) and we've never looked back. You can't tell the car is there, no heart stopping moments when an artic goes past, and some extra storage capacity when travelling. Definitely better than towing a caravan.

 

[minesapint]

We have a 2010 Autotrail frontier navajo.
Thinking of getting a car to tow.
What cars do you tow?

Hyundai I10 fitted with a TowAFrame system, great set up.

 

[minesapint]

Or trying to reverse, or turn round in the narrow lane that you inadvertently took by mistake. Tow cars are fine on good roads when you know where you are going, but trying to reverse or turn round an 8m or 9m MH with a 4m car on the back in a tight space is not straightforward (much easier with vehicle sizes the other way round). A motorbike in the garage or on the back is so much more flexible in my view - although I appreciate not everybody is a biker.

Tried a motorbike, we did not feel it was as safe as a car and went back to a car. Reversing was an issue but after a little practice it was easier.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Badknee]

We just don't get this tow a car behind a motorhome thing, surely if you want to tow it would be better going down the car/caravan route.
Our thoughts are how much to fit a tow bar, buy the tow car, then the means with which to tow it, cost of insurance, service etc etc.
When away and we need a car we just phone Enterprise or whoever and they deliver a car, when we are finished with it they come and pick it up, so we avoid all the hassle and expense of owning and towing.

Our toad is my darling carers car, I don’t have one I use the camper if I need transport.

 

[offagen]

We tow a VW Up (Beats version) which is a true 5-door car with adequate rear legroom for adults. Mrs OG uses it as her daily car and likes it a lot. It goes with us on most of our motorhome trips in the UK. We'd like the option of hiring a trailer to take the Up on our European travels but our AutoTrail only has a towing limit of 1250kg so, with the Up being just under a tonne, there is inadequate allowance for a trailer.

Benhudson check what insurance cover the car will have while being towed to be sure you are happy with it. You'll also need to notify your insurers of the A-frame conversion which they will regard as a modification. It had no effect on our annual premium.

Regarding motorhome with toad v car and caravan, I've several times been asked by smug caravan owners why we tow a small car instead of having a larger car and caravan. My standard reply is that we can use the motorhome without towing the car but how far can their caravan go without a car?

 

[Conniedriving]

Fiat 500
And yes have towed it abroad with no issues.
No one has ever been to court in Europe for towing with a Aframe and those who say they have been fined for doing so cannot show the paperwork for such a fine

 

[TheAleMan]

How can you compare a VW gti with the i10 which we have. Yes it's no sports car but it is a very good little run about and toes very well.

I wasn’t comparing at all. The old Hyundai was a great run a round but way underpowered for my liking. I actually thought it was dangerous joining motorways as I couldn’t get up to what I would consider a decent speed most of the time especially if the on slip was slightly uphill. Just felt a bit vulnerable driving it.

 

[ALI G]

I wasn’t comparing at all. The old Hyundai was a great run a round but way underpowered for my liking. I actually thought it was dangerous joining motorways as I couldn’t get up to what I would consider a decent speed most of the time especially if the on slip was slightly uphill. Just felt a bit vulnerable driving it.

Yes I agree specially if the air con is on but it does ok for a run about.Our one is my wife's car.
Alan.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Reallyretired]

Another Smart fortwo. Surprisingly there is room for two border collies in the back with two people in the front.
Has to be on a trailer though as we don't tour in the UK.

Only needed as neither of us can walk very far.

 

[minesapint]

Another Smart fortwo. Surprisingly there is room for two border collies in the back with two people in the front.
Has to be on a trailer though as we don't tour in the UK. View attachment 827089
Only needed as neither of us can walk very far.

It does not have to be on a trailer, many people have towed on a new electronic braking A frame all over europe with no problems at all. See site on facebook ((A Frames not Trailers in Europe)) A french company is even making and fitting A Frames, hope this helps.

 

[minesapint]

I wasn’t comparing at all. The old Hyundai was a great run a round but way underpowered for my liking. I actually thought it was dangerous joining motorways as I couldn’t get up to what I would consider a decent speed most of the time especially if the on slip was slightly uphill. Just felt a bit vulnerable driving it.

The newer i10 that we used to tow fitted with the 4 cyl 1200 cc engine is OK on any motorway, very nippy and lots of room for 4 adults.

 

[TheAleMan]

The newer i10 that we used to tow fitted with the 4 cyl 1200 cc engine is OK on any motorway, very nippy and lots of room for 4 adults.

Ours was an 18 plate, had it from new. 1.2L premium SE..NO guts at all, but as in a previous post, a great little car for pottering around in.

 

[ALI G]

Ours was an 18 plate, had it from new. 1.2L premium SE..NO guts at all, but as in a previous post, a great little car for pottering around in.

Our one is a 62 plate had it 8 years now and recently sadly had to negotiate from the fens east of Peterborough to the M25 twice for funeral's but it kept up with the traffic ok . Used to tow behind our hobby but not towed it with our consort pvc yet .But it's there if we need to.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ingwe]

No problem with payload!

 

[bobnick]

Ours at the top of The Grossglockner Pass recently.

 

[Speve]

This our tow car rig never had a problem on site

 

[TheAleMan]

Our one is a 62 plate had it 8 years now and recently sadly had to negotiate from the fens east of Peterborough to the M25 twice for funeral's but it kept up with the traffic ok . Used to tow behind our hobby but not towed it with our consort pvc yet .But it's there if we need to.

No probs keeping up with traffic once it’s up there, the problem with the i10 is getting it there in the first place acceleration it does not do very well sadly.

 

[Reallyretired]

It does not have to be on a trailer, many people have towed on a new electronic braking A frame all over europe with no problems at all. See site on facebook ((A Frames not Trailers in Europe)) A french company is even making and fitting A Frames, hope this helps.View attachment 827115

I might have more faith if this was from an independent source rather than the manufacturer. A frame suppliers in the UK have been putting out 'information' about the legality of their frames in Europe for years regardless of truth.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

I might have a 2013 VW Up with TAF A-frame for sale in the Spring. Not finally decided yet but thinking of downsizing to Malibu Van and giving up towing.

 

[Ingwe]

Mrs Ingwe goes back to basics on our towing issue.