Tow car wanted. other helpful information required.

[garbaldy]

I ran a search and this topic had no results so I shall ask.

I'm thinking of buying another towcar but my mind is frazzled,
I've had landcruisers, hilux, Merc, hippo and pumkin and I've always had something capable of towing buy due to a moment of madness I now have nowt so what's best,
The second and third where a tiny bit troublesome but that wouldn't put me off again.

I know it's a bit of a grey area towing with a car but sometimes a trailer is better than the A frame,

So any recommendations.

[bub2006]

My xantia a framed my vectra and towed my caravan great.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Any big 4x4 is good imo. I use my Discovery 1 TDi for that sort of thing, but I can see how some folk aren't willing to put up with LR issues!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Ive towed a lot of miles with car trailers and big caravans over the years and the best were

Peugeot 504 estate

Fiat Ulysee 2.0 JTD (HDi)

Granada Mk3

 

Dissapointed with Disco 1 & Range Rover - too soft and Tdi too slow.

Used a manual 827 Rover once to go to St Tropez with an overloaded caravan, there were a lot of sparks from the back end but it was solid as a rock at 80.

Every time I see a Freelander2/Evoque towing a caravan I wince. Ours struggles with a box trailer or bike trailer, they must be a nightmare with 2 tonnes on the back.

 

Judging by the number you see with Airstreams and posh bogs on the back, Disco 3 &4 must be up there with Amazons.

But the best towcar in the world has to be a Transit, a whole community of caravan thieve's can't be wrong.

[Craig the Princess]

Volvo 940? 1800kg capacity, great swedish looks.

[Lacquer Peel]

Ssangyong.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Transit!

[DVee8]

There is one of those Ssangyong things that Overrun bought in our local cheepy sales lot.

[Stroller133]

Volvo 940? 1800kg capacity, great swedish looks.

To stay legal would need to consider what size car and trailer are going to be towed? A 1800kg gross weight trailer would probable weigh 450/500kg so the cars actual weight at time of towing would have to 1300/1350kg.

[garbaldy]

My xantia a framed my vectra and towed my caravan great.

 

I do like a zantia and haven't owned one yet but I think the 1.9 would be a little underpowered.

 

Any big 4x4 is good imo. I use my Discovery 1 TDi for that sort of thing, but I can see how some folk aren't willing to put up with LR issues!

 

I was going to try and stick with a large car rather than go 4bee4 again but may have to rethink.

 

Dissapointed with Disco 1 & Range Rover - too soft and Tdi too slow.

 

Judging by the number you see with Airstreams and posh bogs on the back, Disco 3 &4 must be up there with Amazons.

But the best towcar in the world has to be a Transit, a whole community of caravan thieve's can't be wrong.

 

The pumpkin towed alright and was ok once up to speed but unfortunately I accidently sold it .

I was going to try and go large car but tonight have been offered a 2000 minty mint disco 2 td5 for £scrap value due to oil pump failure,

 

 

Volvo 940? 1800kg capacity, great swedish looks.

 

just been looking at a 99 2.5tdi Volvo estate might be alright.

 

Transit!

 

I wouldn't pish on them now after welding up half a dozen, they turn me into an umpaloompa every time fook knows what they put in the steel. 

 

There is one of those ssangYong things that overrun bought in our local cheepy sales lot.

 

yes true lookers those.

 

To stay legal would need to consider what size car and trailer are going to be towed? A 1800kg gross weight trailer would probable weigh 450/500kg so the cars actual weight at time of towing would have to 1300/1350kg.

 

whats legal ?

I've towed miles and miles and miles and never even had a second look, obviously I'm not in the mindset  of towing a traffic with a clio  so wont be trailering range rovers or tractors behind a car,

trailer is a 2700kg with max load of 2150kg but the heaviest I've had on it was probably 1500kg

[Guest Hooli]

The pumpkin towed alright and was ok once up to speed but unfortunately I accidently sold it .

I was going to try and go large car but tonight have been offered a 2000 minty mint disco 2 td5 for £scrap value due to oil pump failure,

 

Isn't it the Td5 that drops the oil strainer & destroys the engine, or was that just the early ones?

[drum]

My disco 2 was fine and the Perkins powered series 2A also does a job.

 

The land cruiser is good with its big diesel and auto box.

 

I would avoid crossover types. I have a Santa Fe at the moment and it's gearing is too high. It did manage to drag a container off a the trailer it was frozen to, but had to slip the clutch like buggery.

 

[garbaldy]

Isn't it the Td5 that drops the oil strainer & destroys the engine, or was that just the early ones?

 

apparently it does need re engined but I suppose for £80 quid it might be worth a look,

its from the deep south and doesn't have rust issues and the mechanic said its the best one he has seen but then he is in Eyemouth which is virtually in the sea so he will be used to rust.  

[bub2006]

Regards xantia being underpowered it does depend on what you tow mainly. My xantia had a 1400kg towing capacity, my van was just about a ton and it pulled fine. Then again it was slightly tweaked.

[garbaldy]

Regards xantia being underpowered it does depend on what you tow mainly. My xantia had a 1400kg towing capacity, my van was just about a ton and it pulled fine. Then again it was slightly tweaked.

 

​I like the xud and have had a few and I have to say the van Aitken tuned 305 td van I had towed extremely well but I am older and wiser (supposed to be) and a larger capacity engined vehicle is a lazier tow.

[bub2006]

I've been bought up with tourers and my dad always said a 6 cylinder or more engine and an auto box are best for the job. Mind you engines and diesels have progressed a lot since I was a nipper

[garbaldy]

I've been bought up with tourers and my dad always said a 6 cylinder or more engine and an auto box are best for the job. Mind you engines and diesels have progressed a lot since I was a nipper

 

yup I was thinking three litre beemer 330d or probably a 530d would be better as more bulk.

A friend recons his merc 250td is the best thing since sliced bread said it also runs on veg too,  ive also been looking at p38 dizzlers too but for the first time in my life I just don't know what I want.

[dieselassist]

Disco 1 tdi makes a good tow tug, if you can find one that hasn't fizzled completely; mine copes well with everything towing wise; A framing, large trailers... had a 'bit of a moment' with mine, towing a heavy homemade trailer transporter with a van up on it, coming down a really steep curved gradient on a busy main road - the load started to push on the disco, n I thought for a few seconds 'fuck this the whole lot is going to jackknife' but I managed to stay calm n somehow managed to gather it up... 

 

There's headlamp aim adjusters on disco1's which are handy - Im too afraid to test the functionality of mine, so I never mess with the switch, much to the irritation of oncoming motorists after dark, when I had that heavy load mentioned above hooked up...

 

...a set of spanners, a cheap set of sockets, decent jack n a couple of screwdrivers is all I carry, in case of FTP, but touch wood it always seems to get the job done... all's that's occurred is loosing a bitta coolant after the fan ate through the heater return hose, due to a missing plastic/clip bracket, about 80 miles from home, on a round trip of 300 miles - switched off the heater n kept an eye on the coolant levels - back at home with the trip completed, I fixed said leak by cutting the hose n bridging in the handle off an old wheel chair...

[overrun]

A nice, cheap Ssangyong Rexton 290. /Thread

 

[Six-cylinder]

Xantia V6 is great if you plan to stick to sub 1500 Kg.

[Six-cylinder]

Or if you want more it has to be a overweight bloated Range Rover, 2600Kg at the kerb, legal for 3500Kg tow and makes light work of that.

[Junkman]

This is how it's done.

 

[Rusty_Rocket]

TD5 Disco' for £80 is a bit of a bargain. I found my D2 marvellous for towing. The rear air suspension always keeps the car level, no matter how much weight is hanging off the back.

Re the oil pump failure, it's actually the bolt holding the (chain driven) pump pulley that works loose, causing the pump to not, umm, pump! Common fault.

You'll probably get a good cylinder head off the borked engine- they're worth a few hundred quid alone..

[dave21478]

This thread is relevant to my interests.

 

I need a tow car and have no clue at all what to buy. My current twin cab wanker wagon is just too rotten for comfort and frankly not that great at towing due to very low grip on the rear wheels meaning the trailer can push to back out at times. A few fays ago the trailer pushed it fully sideways as I went down a dip and over a bridge. It must have looked quite impressive from the outside but I cant say for sure as I had my eyes closed at the time.

 

I quite liked my Freelander td4 for towing....2 ton capacity and it coped fine with the full weight. I didnt like having to tear the arse out of the clutch when maneuvering up hills or stuff like that. Auto box would be preferable.

 

 

If you are looking at cars, I reckon one of the Synergie type people carriers would be ok if it was the HDi engine. I cheekily used my old 306 HDi estate a few times with the big trailer and it was absolutely fine power-wise, just the weight of the car was a little too low for safety.

 

I have been looking at Merc ML320s....Not sure if thats a good idea or not.

[garbaldy]

This has been winking at me.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/195001/mercedes-c250td-w202-1000-moray

 

this looks alright and should cope.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201804055318?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Also this looks nice but none turbo so may be a bit gutless.

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/187122/rare-nissan-laurel-auto-1500preston

Not a huge fan of estates but this would maybe do.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-5-SERIES-3lt-530d-SE-TOURING-MANUAL-5dr-LONG-MOT-TOWBAR-48-mpg-RESPONSIVE-/122338682204?hash=item1c7bf4255c%3Ag%3AtJYAAOSwImRYdMVl&_trkparms=pageci%253A7b0cb5da-eacb-11e6-a3ee-74dbd1804f41%257Cparentrq%253A08d7a47f15a0a2505514faefffa9cc41%257Ciid%253A12

 

lastly this leggy rangie not sure how good these tow though as never driven a diesel one.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122300471953?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[garbaldy]

I have been looking at Merc ML320s....Not sure if thats a good idea or not.

 

I've kind of been put of the more modern mercs even though the 320cdi was great for towing, the v6 has plenty torque.

[Ghosty]

[Tayne]

I would avoid crossover types. I have a Santa Fe at the moment and it's gearing is too high. It did manage to drag a container off a the trailer it was frozen to, but had to slip the clutch like buggery.

IMG_0756.JPG

Have you had any experience of the previous sante Fe for comparison?

 

A friend is on his second but will want one like yours when they get closer to shite money. He doesn't tow but does go off-road in pursuit of fish.

[oldcars]

I have a Rover 75 diesel that i two my old Adria with. Its a light van but the 75 is a miles better towcar than my old mk2 Santa Fe.

[scdan4]

 

just been looking at a 99 2.5tdi Volvo estate might be alright.

 

 

Mine tows 1500ishkg of box trailer quite a lot. It's ok. 

 

Shit steering lock though, which can make marketplace manouvering a bit snug,