Discussion
What does everyone use? When I raced my dads car we used his van and trailer, but now I have my own, in the interim I’m going to have to hire a van and borrow a trailer.
Subsequent to that, I hope to buy my own trailer and replace my everyday car with something suitable, and hopefully less than 10k, for use as everyday car as well as towing. Tips welcome, what’s good and what to avoid?
Racecar is 600kg (saloon).
Apologies if this is better placed in general gassing, mod’s please move if deemed as such.
Subsequent to that, I hope to buy my own trailer and replace my everyday car with something suitable, and hopefully less than 10k, for use as everyday car as well as towing. Tips welcome, what’s good and what to avoid?
Racecar is 600kg (saloon).
Apologies if this is better placed in general gassing, mod’s please move if deemed as such.
ChevronB19 said:
What does everyone use? When I raced my dads car we used his van and trailer, but now I have my own, in the interim I’m going to have to hire a van and borrow a trailer.
Subsequent to that, I hope to buy my own trailer and replace my everyday car with something suitable, and hopefully less than 10k, for use as everyday car as well as towing. Tips welcome, what’s good and what to avoid?
Racecar is 600kg (saloon).
Apologies if this is better placed in general gassing, mod’s please move if deemed as such.
Seems the best place for the question to me Subsequent to that, I hope to buy my own trailer and replace my everyday car with something suitable, and hopefully less than 10k, for use as everyday car as well as towing. Tips welcome, what’s good and what to avoid?
Racecar is 600kg (saloon).
Apologies if this is better placed in general gassing, mod’s please move if deemed as such.
I use a 2 litre turbo diesel s-max, plenty enough grunt for trailer and the car weighing around 1250kg. The auto hill hold / start is VERY useful too. Plus loads of luggage space for tools - if you are only taking 1 passenger then fold all 5 back seats down and you have loads of room. (Last generation around pre 2015 chewed through their dual mass fly wheels though around 100k, and as a result their clutch slave cylinders which are inside the gearbox...)
I use an A6 Allroad. It tows fantastically and is very comfortable on long journeys. You can fit loads of stuff in it and easily sleep in the back with the seats down should you require it.
It tows the race shuttle with a LOT of stuff in no problem at all.
2.5 V6 diesel. Being on air suspension means it's not riding around on the bump stops as soon as you put some weight in it or hitch up the trailer so comfort is not compromised.
Makes a great every day car also. Kids, dogs, etc.
As it happens I have a Brian James twin axle Clubman with low level tyre rack and jerry can storage box for sale that would be ideal for car.
Dan
It tows the race shuttle with a LOT of stuff in no problem at all.
2.5 V6 diesel. Being on air suspension means it's not riding around on the bump stops as soon as you put some weight in it or hitch up the trailer so comfort is not compromised.
Makes a great every day car also. Kids, dogs, etc.
As it happens I have a Brian James twin axle Clubman with low level tyre rack and jerry can storage box for sale that would be ideal for car.
Dan
ChevronB19 said:
in the interim I’m going to have to hire a van and borrow a trailer.
I think most van hire places don't allow towing - I'm yet to find one round my way (Cambridge) that does. I have a BMW 3 series touring and a Brian James Clubman trailer for the Escort rally car.
Ideally, I'd like a VW transporter but they seem expensive for what they are so I just make do.
We sometimes hire a van for the gear and take the van full of stuff and the car just does the towing rather than load the car up to the brim with spare wheels and tools as well as having to tow the trailer.
That said, I did take a full load (inc 12 spare wheels) as well as the trailer to anglesey last year and it wasn't too bad..... (about £140 in fuel return)
I use a BMW 5-Series 530D (E61).
I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
Another happy A6 Allroad owner here, which I use to tow a 500kg Phoenix trailer and a Porsche 951. Mine's a 2004 C5 manual model, so has the more robust 'BAU' 2.5tdi with roller tappets. An auto would probably make more sense for towing, but the boxes are troublesome and should be avoided... Having Quattro really helps for those wet and muddy paddocks, or snow(!?) like last weekend.
I've been in some lower powered FWD vehicles when towing and its a painful experience, but it all depends on how much weight you're towing. A 530d would be my next best choice, although old Cayenne's (and some oil company shares) do look tempting.
Whilst vans would be the most practical choice, few have a sufficient braked towing weight for heavier cars and you have to drive around in a van or own something else...Some Transporters and Caravelle's can tow around 2000kgs though
I've been in some lower powered FWD vehicles when towing and its a painful experience, but it all depends on how much weight you're towing. A 530d would be my next best choice, although old Cayenne's (and some oil company shares) do look tempting.
Whilst vans would be the most practical choice, few have a sufficient braked towing weight for heavier cars and you have to drive around in a van or own something else...Some Transporters and Caravelle's can tow around 2000kgs though
Dan BSCS said:
I use an A6 Allroad. It tows fantastically and is very comfortable on long journeys. You can fit loads of stuff in it and easily sleep in the back with the seats down should you require it.
It tows the race shuttle with a LOT of stuff in no problem at all.
2.5 V6 diesel. Being on air suspension means it's not riding around on the bump stops as soon as you put some weight in it or hitch up the trailer so comfort is not compromised.
Makes a great every day car also. Kids, dogs, etc.
As it happens I have a Brian James twin axle Clubman with low level tyre rack and jerry can storage box for sale that would be ideal for car.
Dan
I could be very interested in your trailer as going through a similar scenario to the OP!It tows the race shuttle with a LOT of stuff in no problem at all.
2.5 V6 diesel. Being on air suspension means it's not riding around on the bump stops as soon as you put some weight in it or hitch up the trailer so comfort is not compromised.
Makes a great every day car also. Kids, dogs, etc.
As it happens I have a Brian James twin axle Clubman with low level tyre rack and jerry can storage box for sale that would be ideal for car.
Dan
fat80b said:
ChevronB19 said:
in the interim I’m going to have to hire a van and borrow a trailer.
I think most van hire places don't allow towing - I'm yet to find one round my way (Cambridge) that does. Altrezia said:
I use a BMW 5-Series 530D (E61).
I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
Another E61 530D here. Used daily, and also covered a high amount of miles towing all over Europe. Considered replacing it a number of times, but it would only be an F11 I think.I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
I use a Transit van, jumbo (XLWB) to tow race car (1300kgs) and twin axle trailer. van has got bunkbeds, kitchen area and a cooker/fridge. it doesn't have to be posh, just somewhere you can cook and sleep during race weekends.
top speed of the van is 60mph, but thats the legal limit for towing anyway.
its great
top speed of the van is 60mph, but thats the legal limit for towing anyway.
its great
We towed a PRG covered transporter with double decker hydraulic internal ramps with two single seaters. We tow it either with a Range Rover Sport, or an Iveco Daily van with twin rear hubs.
For big trailers you may find you over the weight limits for the car or many vans - hence buying a van with extra rear wheels - these are actually few and far between.
It depends how much stuff you envisage carrying - road cars quickly become full or overloaded expecially with toolboxes, boxes of useful spares, an awning, kit bag, overnight bags etc.,
For big trailers you may find you over the weight limits for the car or many vans - hence buying a van with extra rear wheels - these are actually few and far between.
It depends how much stuff you envisage carrying - road cars quickly become full or overloaded expecially with toolboxes, boxes of useful spares, an awning, kit bag, overnight bags etc.,
f0xy said:
Altrezia said:
I use a BMW 5-Series 530D (E61).
I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
Another E61 530D here. Used daily, and also covered a high amount of miles towing all over Europe. Considered replacing it a number of times, but it would only be an F11 I think.I think I should have got a van - but as it's my only road car it's nice to have something which is good during the week, and can also tow.
I never have enough space for the stuff I want to take, though.
I used to use an E39 version, which was just as good.
drmotorsport said:
A E60 550i Msport here which is also my weekend car. Tows my twin axle Woodford with Puma on it very nicely but even with the folding rear seats it feels wrong chucking my spare wheels on the back seats! I currently have a hankering for a VW Transporter so i can sleep in the paddock but their so expensive i may have to try a 4x4 pick up first.
Ditto. I never liked throwing all that sort of stuff in the back, but in the end I bought a decent liner (Hatchbag) that has enough on it to cover all the way up to the front with the seats down. Underneath remains in excellent condition then! When we need to take a lot of stuff we have a Transit Van that tags along, but is terrible for towing (sub 100hp).I use a 2010 320d ED to tow a BJ Sprint Shuttle with a Formula Renault inside it along with fuel and two spare sets of wheels and tyres. It manages fine and I get about 33mpg. The only problem I’ve had is getting the noseweight of the trailer under the car’s recommended amount without creating a massive polar moment of inertia that would make the trailer unstable. As it is, I just run with about 100kg of noseweight (car in forwards, fuel at the front and tyres on the standard tyre rack at the front).
used to tow with a BMW e92 330cd, BJ clubman trailer, clio trackcar
but it used to squat like mad, enough to make it look very overloaded without anything in the boot and the clio engine right over the trailer axles... as far back as I could get it before weight distribution became a problem... brilliant car other than that. 530/535d 100% with air levelling suspension would be best of both worlds.
Now tow with a discovery and a soon to be a m57 powered defender 110 because I love defenders and miss the torque off the bim
but it used to squat like mad, enough to make it look very overloaded without anything in the boot and the clio engine right over the trailer axles... as far back as I could get it before weight distribution became a problem... brilliant car other than that. 530/535d 100% with air levelling suspension would be best of both worlds.
Now tow with a discovery and a soon to be a m57 powered defender 110 because I love defenders and miss the torque off the bim
Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff