Towing with a Motorhome

[TVR_owner]

Hi folks,
I'm considering buying a motorhome for towing. I am looking at a Swift Airstream 630PR.

http://www.swiftleisure.co.uk/Motorhomes/Ace/AceAi...


I will be towing a trailer and car comination of about 1400 Kilos (towing limit is 1600 for the motorhome.

There is an option of a 130BHP TD with 320 NM of torque at 2000 rpm.

Fiat based, its front wheel drive with a wheelbase of 13ft 4ins.

Questions, is that kind of power going to proviude reasonable performance for the rig, and what are the thoughts on front wheel drive for towing (given the wheelbase).

I currently tow with a 185 BHP Volvo XC90 and I expect a reduction in performance..

[BenElliottRacing]

I have the 120ps version of the van that the motorhome is based on.

I could tow my g50 at 90mph if I wanted to.

Don't think it'll struggle but it wont be as quick as the volvo.

[jellison]

Ha Daft how goes it.

We have an 06 Fiat based one with the 130 engine.

It pulls mega, fine as long as keep below 65 (very relaxed being high up - you do not want or need to go as fast as with a tow car We normally use a V70 T5 (but less as the MH is so good).



How goes the Racing?

[TVR_owner]

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the response - I think I just saved the cost of the 160 BHP upgrade!.

Racing as expected is a learning curve, but so far three outings have resulted in 1 pole, 1 win, 1 fastest lap and 2 second place finishes - all in class of course and not outright (the latter partly due to a gear selector problem).

The old car is better than I tought, its me that needs the development.

Huge fun and looking forward to Brands on 7th September!

Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 27th August 10:35

[jellison]

TVR_owner said:

Huge fun and looking forward to Brands on 7th September!

Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 27th August 10:35

Thoroughbreds?

I will not be there - Stacked it ad Cadwell (big time - so no Spa for me this year!), got it back and helping father put the engine in (doing alot of it ourselves has kept the cost at least under control - Big Hit!

Might do the last Snett TSCC round or might just go testing at Mallory when all fixed and do a Sprint at Combe mid Oct and put it to bed.

I do love these motorhome things - borrowed father for a week in Cornwall, Devon and the New Forrest a few weeks back - Mega.

[TVR_owner]

Its a round of the TVR Challenge - the only timetable I've seen so far for the event does not show the race, but we have a double header.

Nimble little car should go well there....I hope.

Good luck getting yours back together.

[jellison]

TVR_owner said:

Its a round of the TVR Challenge - the only timetable I've seen so far for the event does not show the race, but we have a double header.

Nimble little car should go well there....I hope.

Good luck getting yours back together.

The Thoroughbreds are there the same day (have a chat with teh championship organiser (rives a dark blue Trick MGA) - (watch the race) see if you fancy doing a few - you would be alot closer to the front. Not many 400+bhp cars in our series!

Pity I will be putting the drivetrain back in when you are at Brands - I was going to come along and watch (but instructed my the boss with the diary!) that I must now attend a Barby! on the Sat as I had stacked the racer and would not be doing the race!

[NTEL]

TVR_owner said:

Racing as expected is a learning curve, but so far three outings have resulted in 1 pole, 1 win, 1 fastest lap and 2 second place finishes - all in class of course and not outright (the latter partly due to a gear selector problem).

Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 27th August 10:35

I've heard of blowing your own trumpet, but, bleedin 'ell, you've got a whole brass band

See you on the 7th John

[jellison]

NTEL said:

TVR_owner said:

Racing as expected is a learning curve, but so far three outings have resulted in 1 pole, 1 win, 1 fastest lap and 2 second place finishes - all in class of course and not outright (the latter partly due to a gear selector problem).

Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 27th August 10:35

I've heard of blowing your own trumpet, but, bleedin 'ell, you've got a whole brass band

See you on the 7th John

But how many in the class!! And that is from 10 races (Only Joshing Daft;))......

[TVR_owner]

jellison said:

NTEL said:

TVR_owner said:

Racing as expected is a learning curve, but so far three outings have resulted in 1 pole, 1 win, 1 fastest lap and 2 second place finishes - all in class of course and not outright (the latter partly due to a gear selector problem).

Edited by TVR_owner on Wednesday 27th August 10:35

I've heard of blowing your own trumpet, but, bleedin 'ell, you've got a whole brass band

See you on the 7th John

But how many in the class!! And that is from 10 races (Only Joshing Daft;))......

Sorry if it came across too detailed - I was quite chuffed.

Hind-sight maybe should have just said "ok so far"

[jellison]

I never blow my own Trumpet;)

[thunderbelmont]

TVR_owner said:

Hi folks,
I'm considering buying a motorhome for towing. I am looking at a Swift Airstream 630PR.

http://www.swiftleisure.co.uk/Motorhomes/Ace/AceAi...


I will be towing a trailer and car comination of about 1400 Kilos (towing limit is 1600 for the motorhome.

There is an option of a 130BHP TD with 320 NM of torque at 2000 rpm.

Fiat based, its front wheel drive with a wheelbase of 13ft 4ins.

Questions, is that kind of power going to proviude reasonable performance for the rig, and what are the thoughts on front wheel drive for towing (given the wheelbase).

I currently tow with a 185 BHP Volvo XC90 and I expect a reduction in performance..

I tow with a motorhome. Mine has a capacity of 3500kg. And I hardly know the trailer is there (it's a long way back!!) Cruises quite happily uphill/downdale at 60 (motorway).

What car are you towing, and on what trailer? Are you sure you're going to be towing only 1400kg. Do you have a tyre rack, or load you car up with junk/tools?

Last thing you want to happen is get pulled up a check and find it's over weight.

[jellison]

Dafts car is a 3000M / S TVR, not sure on trailer but with rack must be a bit over 1/2 a tonne so 1.4 - 1.5 metric tonnes sounds in the ball park if the car is 900 - 950kg.

Ours is not yours - you do not know it is there at 60 maybe 65. Sure our towing weight is well within any limit for the vehicle (similar to what is being discussed here).

[thunderbelmont]

jellison said:

Dafts car is a 3000M / S TVR, not sure on trailer but with rack must be a bit over 1/2 a tonne so 1.4 - 1.5 metric tonnes sounds in the ball park if the car is 900 - 950kg.

Ours is not yours - you do not know it is there at 60 maybe 65. Sure our towing weight is well within any limit for the vehicle (similar to what is being discussed here).

That all sounds tickety boo. There has been a fair bit in 'Commercial Motor' magazine of late about VOSA getting warmer on cars/vans/motorhomes towing.

With the changes to the rules over recent years, I guess they see it as a new revenue stream...... err I mean something that they need to keep regulated.

Some of the FWD van based motorhomes have low Max towng weight's of less than 1000kg in some cases.
You also have to be careful of your gross train weight vs your licence. Some people are only allowed to tow tiddly trailers on their car licence - if you passed your test after 1st Jan 1997, you are limited on what you can tow. Your gtw is capped at 3500kg, unless you're towing with a 3.5T vehicle, where you are allowed a 750Kg trailer (confusing!). The vehicles maximum towing capacity is then irrelevant, because you could have a motorhome that weighs 2500kg and a towing capacity (design weight) of 1800kg, but you can only tow 1000kg because that brings you to 3500kg and your licence maximum.

If you passed your test before the 1st Jan 1997, you can use a 3500Kg gross trailer behind a 3500Kg MAM vehicle, though you're advised to keep the trailer down to 85% of towing vehicle mass because it's safer that way.

They are muttering about bringing in a new licence class for Motorhomes, and other non-vocational large vehicles, all to do with the PCV/LGV CPC thing that they're bringing in. Those of us with older licences will be OK thanks to "grandfather rights", but when they bring it in, new drivers will have to take additional tests to get the entitlements.

[jellison]

Christ this country make me SICK with its never ending legislation coming in - country is run by jobs worth wrs.

Er I past my test in 82 and father a long time before that. Van is a Mid size Fiat 130 engined 06 one and pulls mega with 1.5ish tonnes.

Christ knows about all that leagl bks. Most big meedting have the paddock crammed with the same type of vans and trailer combo's.

[Graham]

Dont forget that over 3.5t you can now run into problems with driver hours and the recording of them... There is a lot of worry in the horsey world...

Do a normal days work then jump in your horse box and drive to a show, you may need to record all your working and rest and driving hours, and you might find you cant legally drive home !!!!!

I've no idea how the race team manage it with their hgv's

the cpc stuff also looks like tosh. its so many hours training every couple of years... looks like more jobs for the boys to me !!!

[jellison]

This country SUCKS.

[Hybrids]

Graham said:

Dont forget that over 3.5t you can now run into problems with driver hours and the recording of them... There is a lot of worry in the horsey world...

Do a normal days work then jump in your horse box and drive to a show, you may need to record all your working and rest and driving hours, and you might find you cant legally drive home !!!!!

I've no idea how the race team manage it with their hgv's

the cpc stuff also looks like tosh. its so many hours training every couple of years... looks like more jobs for the boys to me !!!

I was under the impression that providing there was no "reward" you were not limited to hours.
We run an oldish American camper and it's GVMW is 5000kg's.
I have noticed most HGV in paddocks now have "not for hire or reward" stickers as some kind of exclusion, there was a thread recently, can't remember if it was here or 10/10ths.

[jellison]

Hybrids said:

Graham said:

Dont forget that over 3.5t you can now run into problems with driver hours and the recording of them... There is a lot of worry in the horsey world...

Do a normal days work then jump in your horse box and drive to a show, you may need to record all your working and rest and driving hours, and you might find you cant legally drive home !!!!!

I've no idea how the race team manage it with their hgv's

the cpc stuff also looks like tosh. its so many hours training every couple of years... looks like more jobs for the boys to me !!!

I have noticed most HGV in paddocks now have "not for hire or reward" stickers as some kind of exclusion, there was a thread recently, can't remember if it was here or 10/10ths.

Have to get one of those.

10/10th's - Yes I have Heard of it! Best not go there!;)

[Fiscracer]

Coming back from Spa last year (or was it 06?) the French Police were stopping all the Merc and Fiat based motorhomes as many of them were exceeding their maximum gross weight limit. When he has the family with him my mates Benimar is over before he loads the car.......