to tow car or not to tow car?

[lotty]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts are on towing a car?
I have noticed more and more MH towing a little car around and have wondered whether to do this ourselves?
On one hand its usefull if you are out of things or you want to visit somewhere with no suitable MH parking but there is the issue of extra fuel, insurance etc and some people have said to me if you tow a car are you more like a caravan??
Do many of you tow?
cheers
Lotty
:drive:

 

[vwalan]

having aframed and dollied cars all over europe with no problems i now do it the other way .get an artic , do it properly . there are fors and againsts . if you get a puncture you just dont know it when aframing the car . trailer is safer if a two axle trailer . but now i just drop the trailer and take the unit . . its only 10mtre in total . smaller than most cars and caravans . not much longer than many m,homes . trailer is 20ft long.
your choice ,, there are hundreds of posts all over the internet discussing aframes versas trailers . but get a mini artic or a fifth wheel much better .

 

[Deleted member 967]

I was just wondering what peoples thoughts are on towing a car?
I have noticed more and more MH towing a little car around and have wondered whether to do this ourselves?
On one hand its usefull if you are out of things or you want to visit somewhere with no suitable MH parking but there is the issue of extra fuel, insurance etc and some people have said to me if you tow a car are you more like a caravan??
Do many of you tow?
cheers
Lotty
:drive:

We have a Smart car with us as we are a large unit. We trailer it on a car trailer as it is not legal to A-Frame tow under Spanish law. This saves wear and tear on the car as well as being better in our opinion. Some take the risk but you must be prepared to uncouple and pay the fine.

Being full time the insurance is not cheap on either the van or the car. Van £1003 Car £800+

We often park in remote places and the car comes into its own to collect water and dispose of the toilet waste, as well as providing easy transport to the shops when required.

 

[coventrycraig]

we have a motorhome now. Used to be caravanners, but wanted to get away from towing.

we nearly bought another caravan recently (to keep wife happy). I found it a hassle. storage, booking sites, cant leave it in the services for fear of theft etc..

dont fancy towing a car round really. I think a scooter sounds like a good idea but never used one myself.

Im sure there are pros and cons to it.

Craig

 

[lotty]

scooter

we have a motorhome now. Used to be caravanners, but wanted to get away from towing.

we nearly bought another caravan recently (to keep wife happy). I found it a hassle. storage, booking sites, cant leave it in the services for fear of theft etc..

dont fancy towing a car round really. I think a scooter sounds like a good idea but never used one myself.

Im sure there are pros and cons to it.

Craig

yes we thought of a scooter, even bought our 1st van because it had a garage and bike ramp already fitted but then had a dog! 2 and a dog on a scooter probably not a good idea, We didn't think that through really so swopped the van! :scooter:

 

[Nosha]

Had a scooter on the Winne, now carry a tandem! If you can't get to the pub or the shops in 15mins on a bike... You've parked in the wrong place!!!!!

As for an 'Irish caravan', do you really want TWO lots of tax, mot & insurance? (and double the chance of a puncture!).

 

[barryd]

Scooter for us, on a rack. I wouldnt want to tow anything. Its so liberating and great fun. That little bike has been up to 7000 ft in the Pyrenees, around the Italian lakes and all over the Alps.

Its great when its 30 degrees but can be a little chilly in the depths of a UK winter!

We did manage to crash it on the ice this year at Christmas but it was our own stupid fault for setting out on it in the first place.

What I find is it allows us the flexibility to choose an Aire or CL of better quality and lower cost than one thats in the heart of a town or tourist attraction. A quick blast up the road and your where you want to be. You can park it just about everywhere outside where you want to be for free as well.

 

[Deleted member 967]

Our original concept was to load one of my classic 1960 Norton Jubilees onto the rack that is built into the van. I had ridden these little of late and after a road run and trying to load the bike we decided that we were getting to old for using a motorbike in all weathers.

We decided on a small car and as I have said before I think A-Framing puts lots of extra wear and tear on a car. A Bantam Smart car trailer suited our needs. Selling the two bikes paid for this. The car gets us in comfort, in all weathers, to shops or places to visit.

As for parking at shops and supermarkets, we have not had a problem. We have used Aires with no real problem. I must admit that we use out of town Aires and that some French Aires are just not big enough, but you select the ones you want to use.

Reversing is just a matter of practise and good vision. Well set mirrors and a reversing camera do help.

There is little difference to fuel consumption on our van whether towing the trailer or not. In our old non turbo Hymer we chug up the steep hills anyway.

What suits a young or middle aged person, may not be suitable for a older person.