Towing a caravan with an EV6
Discussion
Well I’ve really done it now!
Having bought an EV6 six weeks ago, our first electric car, and having gone from complete range anxiety etc, it’s having a towbar fitted tomorrow and we pick up a Bailey Merida caravan in two weeks time.
This is going to be a very very different proposition to our previous setup of a Kia Sorento and 8 metre Pamplona twin axle.
I’ve read everything I can find, and watch, including a very useful YouTube series by Andrew Ditton who is towing with an EV6.
I am expecting/ hoping for a range, from 80 to 20% battery of around 100 miles. I am also fully expecting having to unhitch the caravan to charge and it being a bit of hassle!!
I am not planning on just staying local either!
In August plan is to head to Brittany and Loire valley.
Next year we will be going to Switzerland!
So purpose of this thread is to gather any advice from any one else towing, and to document how I get on, which may help others.
Having bought an EV6 six weeks ago, our first electric car, and having gone from complete range anxiety etc, it’s having a towbar fitted tomorrow and we pick up a Bailey Merida caravan in two weeks time.
This is going to be a very very different proposition to our previous setup of a Kia Sorento and 8 metre Pamplona twin axle.
I’ve read everything I can find, and watch, including a very useful YouTube series by Andrew Ditton who is towing with an EV6.
I am expecting/ hoping for a range, from 80 to 20% battery of around 100 miles. I am also fully expecting having to unhitch the caravan to charge and it being a bit of hassle!!
I am not planning on just staying local either!
In August plan is to head to Brittany and Loire valley.
Next year we will be going to Switzerland!
So purpose of this thread is to gather any advice from any one else towing, and to document how I get on, which may help others.
Really interested to follow your adventures with this set-up.
As a serial caravanner with an aging D4 I've been daydreaming about having an EV tow car for at least local trips.
Looks like the EV6 is 1800 kg capacity, that's pretty good. What weight is your van?
Good luck & keep it updated.
S.
As a serial caravanner with an aging D4 I've been daydreaming about having an EV tow car for at least local trips.
Looks like the EV6 is 1800 kg capacity, that's pretty good. What weight is your van?
Good luck & keep it updated.
S.
Ok brief update. Towbar now fitted by Kia Bolton cost £1016.
Picking caravan up next week then going to tow to a fairly local site for 3 nights to check everything works ok.
So will be 40 miles solo to caravan dealer. Then 80 miles towing to site. Hoping if I leave home with 100% charge it should manage that ok.
Updates to follow.
Picking caravan up next week then going to tow to a fairly local site for 3 nights to check everything works ok.
So will be 40 miles solo to caravan dealer. Then 80 miles towing to site. Hoping if I leave home with 100% charge it should manage that ok.
Updates to follow.
It’s a detachable towbar. Been installed by Kia so hopefully should affect nothing.
If my understanding is right when you plug the caravan electrics in the car then adjusts the range down.
It’s a very neat install, which required no panels to be trimmed and did not replace any part of the car, so Kia have done a good job of planning for it I think.
The only issue is because it’s so neatly tucked away, you practically have to lie on the ground to put the swan neck in or take it off.
If my understanding is right when you plug the caravan electrics in the car then adjusts the range down.
It’s a very neat install, which required no panels to be trimmed and did not replace any part of the car, so Kia have done a good job of planning for it I think.
The only issue is because it’s so neatly tucked away, you practically have to lie on the ground to put the swan neck in or take it off.
JFReturns said:
Really interesting thread! Was wondering how installing a towbar affects all the modern bongs, sensors cameras etc
When you plug your trailer/bikerack/caravan electrics into the socket on the car, the car knows something is connected so turns off blind spots, rear parking sensors and so on.
Once hitched up. Drove 80 miles to caravan site.
On motorway cruised at about 55 mph. On normal roads 50mph. Quite hilly route. Quite a bit of slow traffic. Averaged 2.1 kWh. That gives me a sensible range of 100 miles from 80-20 %.
Got on site and set up. Then went shopping, on way topped up to 90% at an mfg site. Only took 20 minutes, in fact had to neck my Costa coffee a bit quicker than I would have liked. Cost was £35.82. Mfg quite pricey.
On motorway cruised at about 55 mph. On normal roads 50mph. Quite hilly route. Quite a bit of slow traffic. Averaged 2.1 kWh. That gives me a sensible range of 100 miles from 80-20 %.
Got on site and set up. Then went shopping, on way topped up to 90% at an mfg site. Only took 20 minutes, in fact had to neck my Costa coffee a bit quicker than I would have liked. Cost was £35.82. Mfg quite pricey.
So how did it tow?
Absolutely brilliant. Previous rig was a Kia Sorento towing an 8 metre twin axle Pamplona weight 1800kg.
The EV6 towing this 6.2 metre Merida weight 1450kg was every bit as good. Absolutely effortless. No shortage of power and totally stable. And of course a lot quieter and a lot more refined.
So far very impressed.
Two issues. The mirrors auto fold and I can not find a way to override that, it’s an issue cos the towing mirrors will only attach on the bottom of the mirrors and if they auto fold they will dent the car so need to be careful.
The other issue is more of a problem, the fridge on this caravan is quite a lot smaller, and shallower and it won’t fit a pizza in!!
Absolutely brilliant. Previous rig was a Kia Sorento towing an 8 metre twin axle Pamplona weight 1800kg.
The EV6 towing this 6.2 metre Merida weight 1450kg was every bit as good. Absolutely effortless. No shortage of power and totally stable. And of course a lot quieter and a lot more refined.
So far very impressed.
Two issues. The mirrors auto fold and I can not find a way to override that, it’s an issue cos the towing mirrors will only attach on the bottom of the mirrors and if they auto fold they will dent the car so need to be careful.
The other issue is more of a problem, the fridge on this caravan is quite a lot smaller, and shallower and it won’t fit a pizza in!!
Short journey of 50 miles back to storage compound. Car averaged 2.0 kwh on a quite hilly route.
Big test now will be to see what it’s like on a long motorway tow.
The real test will of course be charging when towing.
Sussed out the mirrors so they don’t fold.
So far then, car tows very well, stable and enough power.
Range is as expected so far. Will mean charging every 100 miles.
Charged to 90% on a high speed charger when away. It didn’t seem to slow the charge between 80 and 90%. In fact It charged it so fast, I had to drink my cup of coffee up a bit quick!
New caravan is very good apart from the drama of the leisure battery brewing up on first night.
So far. So good.
Big test now will be to see what it’s like on a long motorway tow.
The real test will of course be charging when towing.
Sussed out the mirrors so they don’t fold.
So far then, car tows very well, stable and enough power.
Range is as expected so far. Will mean charging every 100 miles.
Charged to 90% on a high speed charger when away. It didn’t seem to slow the charge between 80 and 90%. In fact It charged it so fast, I had to drink my cup of coffee up a bit quick!
New caravan is very good apart from the drama of the leisure battery brewing up on first night.
So far. So good.
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