My new tow car, nice bita bling innit geezer?

[zefarelly]

I'd rather walk than be seen in a hummer !

after a V6 Mondeo and a Co Car Subaru legacy 2.5 tourer, both of which were superb tuggers and load carriers, we now have a T350/125 Tranny, LWB, High Top . . . I've converted to a camper with nearly 100 cubic feet of race storage under the bed at the back, bunk for littlun, heating, cooker, sink etc does well over 20-25 MPG fully loaded and towing and will comfortably cruise at 70 mph or more if your allowed !!!

[Richy_Rich]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions chaps.

One thing I'm trying to get away from is having a dedicated vehicle for the racing, so I think panel vans and campers are out because I want to be able to use it for work (driving to clients etc.) as well as the more mundane shopping trips etc.

I was thinking about the v6 audi estates, anyone have any experience of them?

[Al Weyman]

Exactly why I bought the Blazer and the fact that it is on Autogas was a massive bonus as I hate diesels with a passion. This weekend I just towed my very heavy Camaro with a heavy tri-axle Brian James trailer, all my gear and 4 adults aboard to Thruxton and back at a nice steady 60mph on the cruise control and I filled with Gas at Watford and filled on my return a round trip of 165 miles and I used exactly £21 of autogas.

I have also fitted the vehicle with Air Lift springs and they are brilliant and i would recommend these on any tow vehicle especially a heavy camper. You just load up then set the hieght with a small compresser and off you go.

[Richy_Rich]

I have to say at the moment it's kind of a toss up between a v6 estate (audi/modeo/etc.) and the blazer. I had a nosey around Donington and got to look at a couple close up, they seem more than upto the task.

[Tim Falce]

I had a 130bhp tdci Mondeo estate and although it was brilliant for towing at speed and very economical I found the gearing all wrong for pulling away, especially on anything that wasn't flat.
I also used to have trouble reversing my trailer into my drive which is on a slope.
The best tow car I have used so far is a Renault Leguna diesel.

[R59]

Tim,

I'd dare bet that pulling your D-type with the Mondeo is close on breaking the GTW of it.

Best I've ever seen was a guy who used to pull his F.First with a Moggy Minor.

He always got there, eventually, and one bonus, if it ever broke down, you could fix it with a swiss army knife and a hammer.

Rob.

[Tim Falce]

Rob, it was under the GTW (3600kg), car was 1800 and trailer and Dtype goes about 1500kg.
The thing I notice about towing with a car is that when you overtake, or are overtaken by a high sided truck, the car will remain stable where as my Disco gets affected by the airflow between the vehicles which makes it very unstable.

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by falcemob

I had a 130bhp tdci Mondeo estate and although it was brilliant for towing at speed and very economical I found the gearing all wrong for pulling away, especially on anything that wasn't flat.
I also used to have trouble reversing my trailer into my drive which is on a slope.
The best tow car I have used so far is a Renault Leguna diesel.

Thats another advantage of my Blazer or most 4 x 4 come to that, just slip it into low range and off you go no problem reversing or what ever, its all selected by a push of a button on my car, very handy feature. My old girl is pretty stable as it happens as was my Range Rover (dogs they are though).

[Tim Falce]

The Disco is fine for towing and low range is by means of smashing the selector lever forward. It's not bad though for 1950s technology and I do need it for going over my wife's fields.

[Al Weyman]

At least it is rated to tow a braked trailer at something like 3800kgs! I do like the new one as it happens, I have had one or two of those in the shop for graphics and they drive superb, a vast improvement. They are seriously heavy though and that Brian James Tri-axle I have is accordingto there blurb one of the only one in its class (what ever that means, I suppose not a plant trailer) rated to actually carry the weight of the new Range Rover. Actualy that is one superb trailer if anyone is looking for a new one they have all the advantages of a wheels under flatbed but non of the instability problems.

[ss_collins]

I object to those things on three counts, 1: environment, 2: taste, 3: the US military keep getting blown up in them so they ain't that strong!

Give me a Ricardo (in Shoreham) built Land Rover anyday - or a SHP Border Patrol vehicle any day. The latter may be useless for towing the Vee (need a vee and a trailer to do that) but it looks like a hell of a lot of fun..

[Richy_Rich]

Turns out that I'm eligible for the Ford discount scheme n'all. So I could, in theory get meself a new Land Rover, X-Type Estate or Volvo Estate (sorry, sports wagon) as well.

Argh! It's complicated. I think SS_Colins' point about the environment is well founded, living in that London Village I don't really need to drive every day (probably use the car once every two weeks except for racing), so I think he's helped me narrow it down to an estate car.

Now it's just a question of which one...

[Al Weyman]

If you get it on LPG Autogas then you won't pay the congestion charge, your road tax will be cheaper and you will pump out a lot less pollutants. Diesels suck and I think are the worst polluters of the lot.

[Peter Mallett]

Gawd I see so many of those Hummers in Moscow, and yet I've come to l.......... hate them even more. So ugly!

I'm still using my trusty petrol powered straight six Jeep Cherokee. Great towing capacity and really comfortable. But as ever we accumulate more stuff so I'm either going to have to upgrade to a Disco cos its bigger, the new one has grown on me, or get a Racebox of some kind. Trouble is a racebox is £11k before I ask for the mods so ...................... hmmmm.

But a Hummer? No thanks.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Richy_Rich

Turns out that I'm eligible for the Ford discount scheme n'all. So I could, in theory get meself a new Land Rover, X-Type Estate or Volvo Estate (sorry, sports wagon) as well.

Argh! It's complicated. I think SS_Colins' point about the environment is well founded, living in that London Village I don't really need to drive every day (probably use the car once every two weeks except for racing), so I think he's helped me narrow it down to an estate car.

Now it's just a question of which one...

Richy,

Why not go for a Ford Ranger?

If you don't need the car through the week, it sounds like the ideal, if as you say, you get the discount. I think a top range diesel 4x4 is around £16k on the road.

[Al Weyman]

A friend of mine has a Ranger and tows a very bg V8 speed boat and he loves it, good motor very similair in design and features to my Blazer actually.

[Peter Mallett]

Bloody Hell Al! We agree on something? Right Richy, stuff the Ranger, go for a transit.....

[Al Weyman]

There you go but only with one provison, he gets it converted to gas and gets the government grant for doing it, he won't regret it, mine cost me less to run than an 850 Mini.

[Richy_Rich]

Heh, they look like The Fall Guy's truck.

[Notso Swift]

Go 4x4 or RWD
I had a V70 Cross Country and it was super sweet, without being oversized for driving day to day (like a "real" 4x4) Saab and Pug and FWD Volvo, not so good weight transfer of the trailer will bring the front whees up. Not a prblem on the highway, but if you are jumping from brakes to power in the city...
Long wheel base with shorter overhang is my other tip, had an old 2 door Rangie, probably the worst...

Or re-engine the Landie, Chev is a common conversion, I am sure Al will support that

[Al Weyman]

To be honest the Blazer was a tad soft on the rear end when fully loaded so I fitted a set of Air Lift springs, little air bags that fit in where the Jounce rubbers go and are set by a little compressor. These are brilliant and you can set the vehicle perfectly level once all loaded up, I would recommend these for any tow vehicle as it makes towing much more comfortable and stable.

They have another advantage as well when used with motor homes that may be a bit one sided when oaded due to how the fixtures are inside, with these you can adjust each side independantly and get them perfectly level. Here is what I have fitted http://207.97.200.166/index.asp?Page...ROD&ProdID=646 Actually it says front kit there mine was for the rear and no compressor so was about $250 from Summit Racing.