Trailers & Tow cars.

[Tim Falce]

err, sorry I don't know, what is the unlden and gross weight of it?

[andypipe]

Originally Posted by falcemob

err, sorry I don't know, what is the unlden and gross weight of it?

Will find out over the weekend

[Al Weyman]

Go Autogas you guys, when are you gonna wake up and smell the coffee!

[Tim Falce]

You won't be saying that when the full duty is put on it in a few years.

[Al Weyman]

I doubt that will happen, they want to encourage its use and even if they did a few years of 41p a litre and no congestion charge or worring about this new smog charge is still worthwhile. I love it and recon my car runs better on gas than petrol, did you know you can run a higher compression ratio without detonation on gas.

[eclectic]

Thanks to all of you for your advice, both here and on the VSCC Forum.

I have just bought a 5 year old Audi A6 Quattro Allroad tdi, cruise control and tiptronic. It is rated to tow 2,100kgs, enough to tow my Brasier.

Woodford have quoted me just over 1,500 quid plus VAT for a purpose built, galvanised trailer, just wide enough for the Brasier and with the wheels underneath the deck, so it can be stored under the car in the garage.

So I hope it is all going to run well for next season.

PS The Audi cost new all of 37,000 pounds, but I paid 8,200 pounds at 85,000 miles.

[terence]

I wish you many miles of happy motoring.

[GordonG]

A while earlier in this thread I mentioned using a people mover as a tow vehicle. In terms of accommadation and price I think the Citroen/Pug models are great. However there only really a choice of 2.0 petrol (138 bhp, 114mph) or a 2.0HDI turbodiesel (110bhp, 109mph). The diesel has better economy, but that's a secondary consideration.

I'm used to towing with a BMW 323 touring (170bhp). Now I know the Synergie/806 isnt going to be as swift as the 323 with or without trailer, but I can afford to lose a certain amount of grunt as the Beemer has more than enough to tow my light car at any speed I want to go no matter what the terrain (or more specifically that the cops and the government want me to go).

Given the figures above, would the diesel or petrol be better for towing? I hear that diesels have more grunt, but the figures (power and top speed) above suggest that the petrol would be better. Any comments?

G

[Al Weyman]

Petrol will have more grunt not diesel.

[Notso Swift]

Grunt, depends on how you define it.

D's have it in torque, if you wan't to tow in the real world this is what you need.
Petrol can be faster but you will need to work it realy hard to get there.
That 806 petrol motor is bacically the same as we had in my wife's old 406. I had to tow with it once and you have to really work, hitting the hills you wanted 5000 plus on the tacho to maintain a (ahem) "good cruising speed"
Since the 406 would be about 500 kg lighter I think it will struggle.
I think a petrol needs 50% more power to match a Diesel in towing stakes

[Al Weyman]

Depends what petrol engine I guess but my v6 Chevy will pull clean from 500rpm in 5th gear (not towing of course) and I am not a lover of diesel as I have had a few problems in the past. I did have one good diesel tow barge though, a Chevy G50 van fitted with a straight six 5.7 litre MAN diesel engine pushing a three speed GM autobox, now that baby could pull but was a bugger to get started in the morning!

[Tim Falce]

Al you're going to have far more torque from a big V6 chevy compared with a 4 cylinder Pug engine. I can't see how you can compare it.

Even the smaller diesels are different, Eric has a Citroen C5 and a Renault Laguna, both about 2 litres. The Citroen has great top end torque at about 3K revs but is crap towing around town and nightmare to pull away from a set of traffic lights.

The Laguna is OK up at lower speeds but on a motorway it's like driving with a Perkins P4 under the bonnet, it drops about 2 or 3 gears when it sees a bump on a motorway

[Tony Crossley]

Small engineed diesel will be better for towing than a small engined petrol.
Personally I'd go for abig capacity engined petrol

[eclectic]

Originally Posted by Tony Crossley

Small engineed diesel will be better for towing than a small engined petrol.
Personally I'd go for abig capacity engined petrol

Better still a big engined diesel, the Audi Allroad has a 2.5 litre twin turbo V6 diesel with a lot of grunt and only a little turbo lag.

[Tim Falce]

electric, I was looking at the spec for the Audi Allroad but couldn't find out if it is 4X4 or not, is it?
Also what sort of prices are they for an older one? I see they are an arm and a leg and a couple of hands when new.

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by eclectic

Better still a big engined diesel, the Audi Allroad has a 2.5 litre twin turbo V6 diesel with a lot of grunt and only a little turbo lag.

The V8 petrol one is even better!

Providing you can cope with the fuel consumption.

[eclectic]

Yes, Falcemob, they are all 4x4 with the quattro system, traction control and ESP too.

I paid 8,500 quid for mine, X plate 80,000 miles, and it seems fine, similar cars are listed on eBay up to 12/13,000 quid. Mine had a 'category C' repair done when 9 months old that made it chaper, apparently it had a new rear nearside door, the shut lines are perfect and there is no sign anything was done at all.

The next best one for sale at present is near Telford, I have seen it and its good, but petrol, with the Audi tow pack, leather, 5 cd interchanger etc, you will find it on Ebay here;http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2001-AUDI-A6-A...QQcmdZViewItem I beat the vendor down to 10,5000 quid, new Mot and 2 new front tyres, but decided that I wanted a diesel, then the one I bought turned up more than 2,000 less, so I don't mind not having the leather seats. So far it seems to be a good buy especially as it cost 37,000 quid new.

I was a bit puzzled when I found a button on my Audi marked ESP, and intrigued that my car had the ability to interpret my thoughts I looked at the Audi online glossary, to find this............

"The electronic stabilisation program (ESP) makes the vehicle easier to control in handling situations close to the limit It reduces the danger of swerving and thus improves directional stability. ESP identifies the car's intended direction and response. It applies the brakes on individual wheels, thereby generating one-sided forces that help to keep the car moving in the desired direction. The program uses the anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), the electronic differential lock (EDL) and the traction control (ASR) system, and is permanently active.

The latest version, ESP 8.0 also offers a dry brake function: in adverse weather conditions, the system wipes water off the brake discs at regular intervals by applying the brake pads. This process goes unnoticed by the driver and reduces the stopping distance in wet weather compared with conventional brake systems.

Note:
ESP cannot override a car's physical limits. If a driver pushes the possibilities of the car's chassis and ESP too far, ESP cannot prevent an accident."

Firstly it guesses where I am trying to point it, then it takes over with four different systems to enforce that guess!

Also it wears out my brake pads for me.

No wonder they have had to put the rider at the bottom.

You lawyers out there might be able to concoct a legal defense here along the lines.

'Naturally M'lud, my client endeavored to take action to avoid the policeman, but the Audi ESP determined that my client wished to run over his toes and took action to ensure that he did.'

[terence]

ESP ,switch it off in the wet!

[Tony Crossley]

Originally Posted by eclectic

Better still a big engined diesel, the Audi Allroad has a 2.5 litre twin turbo V6 diesel with a lot of grunt and only a little turbo lag.

Yeah, but I bet it doesn't make a lovely noise like my big American V8. Woofle woofle woofle.

[eclectic]

Originally Posted by Tony Crossley

Yeah, but I bet it doesn't make a lovely noise like my big American V8. Woofle woofle woofle.

Does your V8 manage 34 mpg?

Anyway, the Brasier, my current race car, has a 12 litre Hispano Suiza V8 and it woofles 220bhp at 1,500 rpm!



Or for a more modern woofle, I have nearly finished rebuilding the 1953 S.A.M. it features a 4,250 cc Mercury flathead V8, now they make a fabulous sound, but it has not been fired up yet.

[Tony Crossley]

Nice bits of kit there, never driven anything of that vintage but I bet it would be an eye opener.

[eclectic]

Falcemob, Pistonheads has more Audi Allroads here.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/lis...&Submit=Search

[Flat Out Farr]

I really need a 2-wheel trailer to take my Mk3 Fiesta that will go into a standard Council lock-up, unless any kind soul round the High Wycombe area has some space to rent, in which case a small 4-wheel trailer will be Ok. I had access to a 2-wheel Brian james and it was great to tow, but it was too wide for a standard Lock-up. A BJ Minno would fit, but I have to reverse it up a small slope with not too much room for manouvre. Oh the joys of divorce! I had to give up a treble garage in that episode!

Any one out there that could help? PM me

[schomosport]

Clubmen have to make the best of what they have......I started out using a 16V Jetta to tow a Mk1 Golf on a 4 wheel James. Let you work out for yourselves that mismatch. Very entertaining trying to get out of Lydden hill from a standing start.....even today my race car is worth more than the combined value of both family cars and a trailer. Yet another Audi tow car as well - in this case a 180,000 mile diesel A6 estate.

So a challenge - silliest workable tow car / trailer combination?

[greenamex2]

Originally Posted by schomosport

So a challenge - silliest workable tow car / trailer combination?

My entry - 1600 diesel Fiesta van (normally aspirated) towing a home built trailer designed to take Transit's, loaded with 920Kg of Toyota Corolla PLUS wheels, spares, petrol etc.

Not sure what was heavier, the race car, the van OR the TRAILER.