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[i]Freelander on the same journey towing the same caravan was 29mpg, solo driving is around 35mpg. [/i]
Ours is an auto and normally does 30mpg, but with a horsebox, 2 horses and all the 'tack' its low twenties...
I've never seen a caravan on its side on the motorway.
I saw a car upside down on the central reservation, the caravan was still attached and balanced on it's side on the armco. ooops!
Like you say, you take it to events, sleep in a proper bed, get warm in front of a proper gas fire, cook on a cooker, sit on (your own) proper toilet. If you take a leisure battery or small gene you can have lights, telly/music too. What's not to like?
PS: I can do you some block paving at a good price too 😆
molgrips, the fuel economy was slightly poor with the A4. I put it down to the weight of the van being close to the max capacity of the car and also just the pure aerodynamics. The A4 wasn't very high towing a massive block behind it, whereas with the Freelander, it is already moving the air and the carvan isn't much higher so I guess there is less drag effect.
Br, you have probably guessed mine is manual. Having had a auto from Land Rover Assist for 3 weeks I think I would have an auto next time.
Do it. We bought an old one for £800. Sold it 2yrs later for £1600. Thats the difference between buying in Autumn/Winter, & selling on Spring when everyone wants one. New one is somewhat bigger, 1500kg fully loaded. Was towing with a Mondeo TDCi. Made a great tow-car & returned 30+mpg while towing; but always concerned about stability despite being very pedantic with noseweight, loading, tyre pressures etc. We've recently swapped it for a Galaxy. This tows very well, & does about 28mpg towing. Just back from 2-weeks in Devon. Cost us £200 for 2-weeks. Could have added a £1k to that for a static/holiday let I suppose.
Towing is easy enough. Plenty of times we've had people overtake only to find there's a 3 cars in front of us, but always drop back to let them in as well as pulling in periodically anyway if there's a que behind. Caravanners get enough bad press, mostly unfair as modern cars suffer little real-world loss of speed while towing. My kids love it. Planning plenty of Winter breaks this year also, cant really do that in a tent with young children.
I'm going to be towing with a Passat TDI 140, with the trailer stability programme built in. It's only a 750kg van so hopefully it'll be alright......
We used to spend 5 weeks in the South of France each summer when we were kids. It cost the same as our friends' 2 weeks in Torquay in a hotel. That's why caravanning's good!
You'll barely notice a 750kg caravan on the back of a Passat. As per previous advice, pay attention to loading (heavy stuff over axle etc.) and noseweight, and you'll be fine.
We're on to our second caravan (wife's idea, her parents had them growing up). Off to France next weekend for 3 weeks with 4 bikes, surfboards etc. Lots of space with awning on the side.
Paul
A Passat will easily tow that.
I love caravans, so convenient, flexible and cheap.
Only issue is storage. You need it on your property to get the most out of it.
I'd have one if I had room on my property, especially for £1500!
I'm currently considering the floating variety which cost a minimum of ten times what you are considering spending. The cost of ownership is considerable too, but you do get to get away from it all, literally.
Sailed to Oostend in a mate's boat last weekend. Cost us £20 in fuel as we couldn't sail the whole way, and mooring was 20 Euros. Not bad charges for overnight accomodation for three blokes and 180 miles getting there and back! BTW, Oostend is a very lively town by night with dozens of packed bars. Lots of tall slim women too. 😈
We've got a double parking space down the side of our house. It's not especially discrete, but hopefully no-one'll complain. If the van's any longer than about 18-20ft then I won't be able to get the car in as well 😕 Older vans tend to be smaller so there won't be a problem with this one - but it'll be fun when we upgrade to a flashy new one 🙂
you're already thinking about the upgrade!
Hell yes. Don't have the money for a flash van now, but definitely on the cards 🙂
We've got a double parking space down the side of our house. It's not especially discrete, but hopefully no-one'll complain.
Sounds like a "playing away" opportunity. Hope the soundproofing is good! 😆
(BTW, if you have teenage kids, keep the key safe)
Caravan owners have been annoying the Cornish for years.For that I salute them
Unfortunately they have to drive through Devon before they can start annoying the Cornish and for that reason I hate them.
My camper does 29mpg, with the horsebox (twice the weight of a caravan at nearly 3000kg but more streamlined as it has a wedge shaped front, same width as the van and only foot or so higher) it drops to 20mpg. Worst was 18mpg 😯
Molgrips, I would be amazed if your van is only 750kg, most are at least 1000kg unladen, plus payload. Nothing to worry about though as the Passat will tow loads, 1800kg apparently for your model so on a par with a Mondeo.
It's an old 2 berth van mind. Old vans are lighter, cos cars were crapper back then.
The biggest problem ive had is the snobbery on the sites. 😯
The worst thing about caravans is the insistence of manufacture / it's cheaper to have them all in white / cream. It makes them an eyesore on camp grounds for miles. No white does not make them cooler. Otherwise they are pretty good idea. My Parents just bought one of these small freedom caravans.
http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=freedom%20caravan&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1600&bih=1065
Perfect for two or with a awning you could do 4 and can be pulled with a small diesel car. I think my dad was on about high 40 mpg even towing.
I like the ide of a caravan but when you look into them they are a royal PITA from storing the ****ers for 50 weeks of the year, to worrying about them being pinched to the absolutely sh1te mpg you get back compared to the cost of just staying in a tent or an actual very nice hotel.
It's better if you have storage at home, like we do.
Re cost of additional fuel - if you assume 30mpg for towing a van vs 50mpg for not, it'd cost us £20 ish extra to take the van to SITS from Cardiff.
However it'd still cost us only £20 extra if we stayed for a whole week. I doubt you'd get a week in a very nice hotel for £20 🙂
Personally I think it's worth the £20 anyway to have decent accomodation and not have to spend a couple of hours farting about packing and unpacking stuff and pitching tents and whatnot.
I should add that one of the main drivers for this purchase is bike races.
Ohh this has got me tempted. One of the things i have always wondered about caravans is are they subject to any kind of safety/gas/electrics/MOT inspection. They could be a moving timebomb, especially second hand.
We are going on a Canvas holiday type thing this year to france. If everything works out ok i could be tempted to take a trip over with a caravan next year seeing as i have the offer of a free one from my brother any time i like.
Oh, and i have the perfick motor for pulling a caravan. 150bhp Vito Sport Dualiner. Nearly 2t of pulling motor with perfect rear wheel drive config for towing. Oh and bags of torque 🙂 How do those little front wheel drive cars get on pulling big caravans. Surely they end up scrabbling front tyres on piece.
The What Car test for towing cars included a 1:6 hill start. Some FWD cars floundered, but some were ok. Obviously 4wd is better.
Don't worry about the car tho. We towed all over France, tens of thousands of miles in a variety of old 1.6l cars; my auntie and uncle towed a 5 berth van with their three teenage kids in an old Mini.
TheLittlestHobo - Member
Ohh this has got me tempted. One of the things i have always wondered about caravans is are they subject to any kind of safety/gas/electrics/MOT inspection. They could be a moving timebomb, especially second hand.
We are going on a Canvas holiday type thing this year to france. If everything works out ok i could be tempted to take a trip over with a caravan next year seeing as i have the offer of a free one from my brother any time i like.
Oh, and i have the perfick motor for pulling a caravan. 150bhp Vito Sport Dualiner. Nearly 2t of pulling motor with perfect rear wheel drive config for towing. Oh and bags of torque How do those little front wheel drive cars get on pulling big caravans. Surely they end up scrabbling front tyres on piece.
Good luck getting onto sites when they find out its a van your towing with. 😮
I'd rather buy a Hi-Ace and convert it 🙂
Hobo, look for a service history when buying, and consider a check over by a mobile caravan machanic after buying a second hand caravan. The gas systems are well thought out and have been in use for many years, fires in caravans are not that common, if they occur they usually do in the same way as fires at home, smoking, kitchen accidnets etc. CO incidents are probably even less common, but I will admit to having a CO detector in our caravan as a "just in case".
Bump, be aware that vans such as Vitos sometimes are not welcome on caravan sites (especially the Caravan Club sites) as they might be considered a "commercial vehicle", which sites might turn away if they are concerned or have had problems in the past with the travelling community.
We're on our second caravan and are 5 years into caravanning, sadly not been out as much in the last 12 months due to my medical driving issues, but have still got away regularly - next trip end of August, Kent to see some sights and then across to Pas de Calais area for a few days there.
Re speed limits, caravans can do up to 60 mph on motorways & national speed limit dual carriageways, but on single carriageway national speed limit roads their max speed limit remains at 50 mph. Biggest problem for me is solo cars sitting in the middle lane doing sub 60mph on a motorway, as a towing vehicle cannot use the third lane on a motorway, so passing is nearly impossible.
Seen a bus clip the side of one of the fibre glass menaces recently, how I laughed at how it disintegrated.
Seen a bus clip the side of one of the fibre glass menaces recently, how I laughed at how it disintegrated.
Yes, reminds me of a couple o years back when a lorry did the exact same to a stagecoach bus(oh how I LAUGHED)
I used to 'camp' all the time until I did 'mt Keen circular' a couple o years back.
Was camping in Aboyne, was pissin raining and cold(early August) sat in tent with stove burning to stay warm, drinkin a few beers and feelin shitty.
All I kept thinking about was my mate, (who was on holiday in the lake district at the time) sitting in his caravan cosy, warm, fridge, telly, dry, cold beers, hot coffee/shower etc) sitting wi his feet up loin it.
So bought a cheapo second hander last year and has been the best money I've ever spent on doing stuff outdoors.
Interested to read this as I am also thinking of getting a van.
Would really like a motorhome but the price is lots higher. I get a decently sized 140hp diesel as a company car so have no issues with a towcar.
Spent much of my younger years towing rally cars around so not bothered about towing either.
There is certainly no need for a caravan to be a major traffic obstacle if they are being towed properly. I can appreciate they can be a visual blockage for potential overtakers but good driving technique (hanging back for a better view) should resolve that.
What is the standard equipment in a normal caravan these days? My olds had one when I was a kid & that was really quite limited for facilities (no shower) & a horrible WC...
Get a good tent and save on fuel, get there faster and avoid being hated by everyone.
There was one upside down on the A30 (Cornwall, Fraddon) a couple of weeks ago - caused total mayhem.
@Marge
I think most caravans built in the last 10 years will include the following:
- Water heater (for shower, sink etc.) runs on gas or mains electricity
- Fridge (runs on mains electricity or gas (the 12V setting is for when you're driving))
- Cassette toilet - waste tank comes out the side of the van. Much better than previous designs (I believe)
- shower, kitchen sink, bathroom sink
- heater (gas or mains electric)
- gas cooker
Marge, standard facilities haven't changed much for the past 10yrs or so. But you should get, 240v hook up, fridge (which runs on gas or elec), oven, hob, water heater (gas/elec), blown air heater (gas/elec), cassette toilet (ie, a sealed unit with an access door on the outside of the van).
The quality of the bathroom depends on the caravan layout. Generally bathrooms at the end of the van are bigger than ones elsewhere in the van. Our new one has a seperate shower cubicle, whereas some have a wetroom style bathroom, which I don't like!
On some vans you make get built in microwave, air conditioning, built in televisions.
My van is almost 20 years old and has hot air heating, hot water, shower, oven, leisure battery, motor mover, electricity supply point, fridge with freezer compartment and a cassette toilet.
Get a good tent and save on fuel, get there faster
Yeah and spend ages packing the car and pitching and taking it down, and sleep on the floor 🙂 If you want to make camping nice you need so much stuff you may as well get a caravan I reckon. Far far easier and more comfy.
I lived in caravans for many Summer and Easter holidays when I was a teen. I have done lots of tenting. I have done lots of campering. And lots of hotelling and B&Bing. And lots of self catering.
I'd rather camp or self cater/hotel it depending on where it is.
Time to pitch our tent and get it "cosy" - 10 mins. Time to park and level a caravan? More than that. Time to get beds ready? About 5 mins. Time to get our your paper doylies and "best" china set from your van? More than that.
Time to get to a campsite with a tent - x. Time to get to a caravan site with a van - x + 30%
Time to get our your paper doylies and "best" china set from your van?
Eh what? That's not mandatory for caravans, is it?
Time spent queueing for the showers at mayhem - 3 hours
Time spent packing the car with camping crap - 1 hour
Time spent sleeping on hard lumpy floor in tent - 8 hours off and on
Time spent queueing for bogs at mayhem - 30mins
I too have camped, stayed in a range of hotels and caravanned. For weekend races and the like, I am definitely looking forward to a cosy warm caravan. It may turn out to be more faff, in which case I'll sell it again.
Eh what? That's not mandatory for caravans, is it?
It is on certain sites... 😉
Not been to Mayhem - sounds like mayhem.
It can be. When it's muddy and everyone wants a shower.
I'll do it in a pair with you if you want, next year. I'm sure we could raise a lot of money for charity as the most argumentative sporting team ever.
My camper does 29mpg, with the horsebox (twice the weight of a caravan at nearly 3000kg but more streamlined as it has a wedge shaped front, same width as the van and only foot or so higher) it drops to 20mpg. Worst was 18mpg
We've just upgraded our camper - the new one is a lot faster than the old one (on a 2.4TD Transit, old one was a 2.0TD Ducato) and will cruise at 80mph+ no problem. Fuel consumption dips towards 15mpg like that though! Better to stick to a steady 60mph when it does a bit over 20mpg.
The new one is great for the bikes as it has a much bigger garage than the last one:
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Right, got the caravan back home. Bit of a white knuckle ride tho. It was quite wobbly. Better after I pumped up the tyres tho. And I think the stabiliser hitch isn't working properly, the friction pads in it are dirty I think.
29mpg into a headwind.
Better to buy new friction pads than try and clean them. Also, your towball should be completely clean. Check age of tyres aswell, should be replaced every 5 years. Do a Google on how to read the date markings.
I'm going to try and get hold of new friction pads, and new tyres.
Went to SITS and back with the van, got fairly used to it in the end. Mrs Grips even did a bit, which seems to be unusual - hardly ever see women towing vans.
The van doesn't appear to actually have any suspension. Is this likely? It all seems to be in the tyres, which would explain why it feels bouncy. Are more modern vans more stable?
Another question - I had to do a semi-emergency stop, and the van brakes locked up intermittently - not as fast as say ABS would work on a car, but bursts of tyre screech maybe twice a second. Is that normal? How do van brakes cope with locking up? I remember as a kid we had to do a few full on emergency stops (seems to be how you have to drive in France) and I don't recall any locking or screeching.
Brakes on a trailer work by compression of a sprung damper on the hitch assembly. When it compresses past a certain point the brakes come on but of course then the compression reduces due to the braking effort of the van and the brakes are released again.
Don't know how vivid your braking 'bursts' 'were but perhaps your damper needs some attention. I've definitely locked the wheels on a car transport trailer before but only in unladen condition.
I mean it went EEK EEK EEK EEK EEK as I stopped. Tyre screeching, not brake squealing.
I guess it could be the damper. Will try injecting more grease.
The sound was more a EEE Eee EEE Eee. Definitely tire screeching.
That was your wife going EEK EEK EEK EEK EEK as you stopped... she made need greasing though too... 😉
You may regret saying that you need a greasing on here 😉
If the damper is no longer damping, the 'van will shunt into the car when you apply the brakes firmly, you will feel it. The brakes will apply too quickly, preventing them coming on smoothly.
To test the damper, push the hitch it (you might need quite a lot of force) it should be smooth and slow. When fully in, release and it should extend smoothly and slowly.
It could be that the brakes are fine and the tyres are skidding as the van is jigging up and down on the road, its likely to have rubber suspension which is quite stiff. Check tyre pressures aren't too high.
Do a google for a step by step guide to adjusting overrun brakes, essentially you slacken off the cables, raise van and adjust brakes shoes first, then cables, then damper etc.
Well I found out that we were getting a caravan via text when overseas! I was hoping to buy a 30' yacht but got the 'land-yacht' instead. 😳
After the initial horror and fear of no-one ever speaking to me again, I can honestly say it's brilliant.
It's huge (27.5') but my T5 tows it fine, and it wasn't cheap but will pay for itself (even if we were to scrap it) in 3 years at current usage rates.
i can dump it at the campsite and enjoy the convenience that my T5 offers at the beach; my mate bought a 6 metre Hymer and I don't envy him. He's gotta lug that round all holiday, plus pack everything away on a daily basis. Compared to tenting (which we've done for years) the kids get to enjoy a dry holiday and we get decent space to chill out in.
You need decent power to tow, but anyone who genuinely believes Clarkson's views on the subject must bear in mind he's a) just a journo fishing for publicity and b) knows nothing about motoring (he'll admit that too).
The argument about fuel economy doesn't add up; the amount of miles towing/year are very low.
Well, how the mighty have fallen. From complete disgust to convert in 4 months!!
you're still an anti-social g*t though...
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