Welcome to Motorhomefacts, we are a thriving motorhome community (Largest in Europe). Why Not JOIN NOW and get instant access to more of the website. It costs nothing to join and only takes a few minutes. We have 200,000 different people visiting our site monthly and this amount of motorhomers in one place guarantees a fast response to any questions you may have. We also have unique facilities not found elsewhere such as our Online Logbook, stopover tracker, Motorhome directory with Ebay type feedback and the largest repository of motorhome campsites reviews found anywhere
I am considering kitting out our VW Lupo (1.4S) with a towkit and pulling it behind our (surprise surprise) VW 2.5 TDi (Auto) T4 Calypso Compass.
1/ Is it considered too heavy a car?
2/ How much would it (or any tow car) affect the MPG?
Thanks in advance
Paul
______________________________________________________________ Current MH is Compass Calypso on VW T4. Last one was Autosleeper Trooper on a T4 and before that two VW T2 campers - you get the idea...?
Well Paul, I never had you down for a 'backtofronter' . Im amazed how many frustrated caravaners there are on here.
I wonder if there are any web sites for proper motor homers
"I am considering kitting out our VW Lupo (1.4S) with a towkit and pulling it behind our (surprise surprise) VW 2.5 TDi (Auto) T4 Calypso Compass.
1/ Is it considered too heavy a car?
2/ How much would it (or any tow car) affect the MPG?
Well, Your Lupo weighs 980kg plus whatever clutter you put in it. Call it onen tonne.
Your Calipso in touring trim will not be far short of 3500kg. So the towcar plus A frame etc will increase your all up weight by about 30%. Although the windage will be largely unaffected the rolling resistance will increase because you have two more axles to turn. Gradients will require a corresponing increase of energy to climb them. So I would guess that you will get 30% less MPG when towing a Lupo.
Thats my logic. Anyone got anything ifferent?
Happy New Year for tonight from Lytchet Minster Manor camp site.
I'm already thinking that a Motorscooter plus our two bikes would be a better idea than committing myself to towing a car - for occassional use - halfway around the world!
Thanks CliffyP for 'all' your help
Thank you Clive for some 'real' help Your facts and figures indicate its do-able
What do you thonk my current 30/32 mpg would drop to with the Dub on the back??
I'm thinking that by the time you factor in the cost of a bar and the tow kit and then the loss of fuel that we could hire a car for 'lets say' a prolonged stay somewhere...
______________________________________________________________ Current MH is Compass Calypso on VW T4. Last one was Autosleeper Trooper on a T4 and before that two VW T2 campers - you get the idea...?
Roughly 22-27 MPG would be my guestimate. We carry a couple of motorbikes in our garage but she's a big beast trundling along at 18 MPG. Have thought about A framing a 107 or Aygo when its dull and wet but do I really want to be towing?. Then the sun comes out and we go exploring all those little tracks on our motorbikes that you would never take a car down and I smile. Mrs just got herself a new Kawasaki so she is keen as well. Having both would be good but hang on, where does this CAMPING hobby change into being a Picfords driver!!
My thoughts were that if you were a laid back sort of person happy to let the other buggers rush past you then your MH will trundle along quite hapilly with the Lupo behind. But if you are always in a hurry then no way jose.
Compass Avantgarde (3500kg) towing Smart (800kg) - 28MPG solo down to 26MPG towing
Compass Avantgarde towing Fiat 500c on trailer (1350kg combined) - down to 24MPG towing
Compass Avantgarde towing 500c on frame (1000kg) - down to 26MPG towing
Autotrail 696G (4000kg) towing 500C on frame - 23MPG down to 21MPG towing.
My experience is that (at least for overcab) for motorhomes, the windresistance is the largest influence on fuel consumption, so adding extra weight only impacts things by 10-15%, unless you hit a tipping factor where the engine labours with frequent downshifts. The trailer I had obviously pushed things beyond that tipping factor.
That said, all of the above was with modern diesel engines. The old 2.5 may strain a bit. I doubt it with 1000kg inc frame though. For me it would be the autobox that'd be the biggest unknown.
Paul
Edit : Food for thought. When towing the Smart it broke down over in Switzerland and made its own way back on a transporter courtesy of Britannia Rescue. Fuel consumption on way back travelling solo was actually higher than on way there pulling the Smart. Why? Heavy right foot solo versus Christian driving when towing....
That is a good choise for a tow car. We have towed a Seat Arosa 1.4 since buying it and having a Car a Tow ( Poole ) bracket fitted in 1998. We already had the A frame, originally fitted to a Vauxhall Corsa. The VW is a rebadged Arosa so my view should be fairly accurate. We have kept, the car as a second vehcle , at the moment it is only being used as our tow car as the wife fancied a " summer car " I did not want to fit one of the new electronic braked systems to her new car as it would cost more than what the Arosa is worth. As far as the problems exist in towing I do not see any for the near future except the well discussed problems in Spain. We have towed the Arosa behind, Autotrail Dakota, Chieftain, Burstner 821, Adria Vision and at present a Swift Bolero, the Bolero is a 2.3 with a Tune It plug in diesel " chip " fitted, adjused to its mid setting, ( approx 150 bhp ) . Our last trip in it was from Dorset to Braunton in North Devon and then onto Hale in Cornwall, a very up and down and twisty route, and eventually back home via the A30, making use of the cruise control, 60 mph, the fuel consumption showed 30.2! Well allow for it being a Fiat, I recon thats about 27 - 28 mpg, I am more that pleased. The most surprising thing is that the Bolero is perhaps the best motorhome we have towed it with, not the Swift bit, but you do not know the car is hung on the back. Go for it. Dipsie.
I was wondering if a Toyota Land Cruiser would pull my motorhome on an A Frame ?, It seems silly to pull a little car behind my motorhome, when I can tow the m/H behind a nice big comfortable car, or is that to close to caravaning
As a matter of interest, do you have some sort of automated program on your PC Cliffy....detects when someone posts asking a practical question about towing a car to respond decrying why anyone would ever want to tow a car and call them silly for contemplating it?
Funny how these threads always follow a common pattern...
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 1 of 3Goto page 1, 2, 3Next
France
. Im amazed how many frustrated caravaners there are on here.
