What tow car do people use?

[vauxh al]

I need to get a tow car, and was looking at a 3k budget. What do people like or not like, and have found to be adequate for tow duties?

Something like a 530d, Audi A4 or Saab 9-5 all estate version appeal.

[jimmyslr]

Many people go for older 4x4s for a variety of reasons...

- They ususally have much higher towing limits (this is specced for each vehicle and a trailer plus car is quite a bit of weight to pull if you do the maths and compare to the stated towing capacity)
- The higher towing limit / weight etc means for more stability
- Big storage in the back for spare wheels, jerry cans, tools etc etc
- If it's old and battered you don't worry too much about what you chuck in it

I bought a Toyota Landcruiser which is a monster and a little pricey (but will run forever). Things like Nissan Patrols, Discovery (some say not super reliable...), Troopers do the job also for 3k.

Or, could get an older van with a decent engine. There's a reason race teams have vans!

Having said all that, for my first season I used a 530d which tows just fine, but I felt bad throwing mucky wheels in and nicking the wife's car

James

[Cpt_Crustacean]

We use an old Toyota Avensis 2.0 litre petrol, its slow but suprisingly frugal on fuel. We've managed cadwell and back from Co. Durham on a tank of fuel!

[vauxh al]

I actualy a disco 1 now, its beat up but mechanically sounds. My only issue was as I am a post 96 licence holder I am restricted to 3.5 ton total, so even with a light trailer I'm creeping past my limit.

Maybe I keep the disco, pay to upgrade my licence and do it that way rather than scrapping the disco and getting an estate car.

[NJH]

I got 26 mpg towing with my old p38 diesel range rover last year. My first time towing and my first race all within a week of each other. Something like a diesel rangie is a great tow vehicle, it barely notices an 1100 kg race car on a lightweight trailer and very comfortable on those long slogs home. In fact I have become really attached to the rangie yet only bought it as a cheap tow truck, it does seem a lot of racers like old 4x4s or if a team one of those big MB vans.

[number2]

I tow a 550kg car on a 400ish kg trailer with a 320d touring. Works very well indeed. Now with a high level wheel rack and 8 wheels with tyres still tows fine.

Until I fitted the high level wheel rack I got 38mpg while towing. With the rack its about 27mpg :-(. Much more wind resistance.

[vauxh al]

Cheers guys, so do people prefer auto or manual's to tow. Any type or make of trailer to avoid, or ones that prove tricky to load. Just anything that you don't find out till its too late etc.

[pikeyboy]

I had an e39 530d touring, great car towed very well also had a V70 tdi great car as well and a bit bigger inside than the BM towed marginally better even though its FWD. Trooper is the best of them all though enough torque to pull a house down and the LWB are huge inside with the seats down. People carriers are quite good too remove seats and its like a van....

[Chunkychucky]

an old Lexus RX300, bought it for good money, plus wouldn't tow with front wheel drive, don't fancy the driven/steering wheels being partly unloaded with a trailer on the back..

[NJH]

Manual gearbox for me and be wary of rental trailers. Its what I have tended to use but the ones I kept getting had been designed for normal cars so we always had to but long strips of wood on or under the ramps to get a better angle. Complete PITA really, I also put the car once on a woodford wide body trailer and that by contrast was a breeze, really nicely designed trailer.
http://www.woodfordtrailers.com/trailersa_028.htm
In fact if I had somewhere safe to keep it I would just buy a decent made for racers trailer such as the one above or bryan james etc.

[pikeyboy]

Definetley worth buying a used brian james, PRG, wodford etc if you have somewhere to keep/can afford it as they tow brilliantly are desgined for the job and you'll always get your money back on them.

[rallycross]

I have used the following for towing the racing car and prefer RWD manual cars.

Caravelle 5 cylinder - briliant
Volvo T5 estate - not very good too soft at the back brakes not good either
Omega Estate 2.2, 2.5. 3.0 - manual was better than auto, omegas tow really well
Mondeo V6 estate - went well but being fwd was too soft at the rear
BMW 328 - the best tow car i've had stable, fast, ok on fuel
Sierra Cosworth - this was a daft idea it blew up, but it was fastest tow car while it lasted!

A 530D estate would be the ideal thing for £3k.

[pikeyboy]

rallycross said:

A 530D estate would be the ideal thing for £3k.

yeah they are pretty much the best choice - mine had self leveling pneumatic rear suspension at the rear. I towed my race car and minno trailer back from mallory when I had a grump on after getting a DNF at three figures, the guy in the 645 I was following was most suprised....

[pistol pete]

Where are you planning on staying at the circuit.

If your staying at the circuit, (& you can live with it day to day) then a van that you can kip in is the way forward.

[vauxh al]

I'm lucky that I can keep the car and trailer for free on the work base car park, which is also secure and has cctv.

If I get the mini I was wonding if it would fit inside a van??!

Edited by vauxh al on Monday 14th March 13:52

[rallycross]

vauxh al said:

If I get the mini I was wounding if it would fit inside a van??!

I know of a saxo that gets carried to the circuits in a 'smallish van so a mini will defo fit in a van.

[450Nick]

Just bought myself a Nissan Navara to tow my racer with. Not towed with it yet, but it feels like a car to drive, is very stable, and phyically huge. So I can get lots of tools etc in the back (truckman cover over the bed), and it will pull 3 tonnes no problem.

[ProCo2020]

We use a Navarra as service barge/management vehicle/tow car for the BTRDA rally championship. Works fine but just can't get quite enough spares/equipment in the back.

It does transport 4 of us to the event plus towing a Mk2 rally car and then chases around all day between service area and auxiliary service points and then home again.

[Coxyjunior]

I use a V7 D5 Sport and get 30mpg whilst towing. It is so easy you can forget you are towing!

[Burp]

We use a Vito van, loads of space to chuck spares, tools, awnings, wheels etc and plenty of space to kip in on the long distance events.

Used to use a Shogun (3ltr petrol!) but had to put quite a lot of stuff in the race car to get it all to the circuit as the shogun fills up quick