Towing options WWYD

[Equi]

So at the moment i have a CRV (dads) and trailer. This suits me fine cause i don't go out that much, maybe once a month if that...over summer i do a few shows down south but usually only with one or two miniatures. Big horse goes on a little fun ride now and then. I trailer to the vet/dentist etc with the minis cause it saves me the call out. I just have a small run around for my everyday car.

Dads suggested that in the next few years we go together to get one car as he really doesnt drive many places now, and my mum has a car that never moves either. So we really don't need three, but i definitely need my own..but i need it to be as cheap as possible to run cause i do drive a lot.

Option 1 will be me and dad getting a car that can tow together, the problems being i may not be able to afford the fuel costs alone and i won't be asking my dad for fuel cause it will for all intents be "my" car with him as named driver.

Option 2 will be get a van that can tow, and convert it for the minis (trailer for the big horse) and then another run around thats slightly bigger than my own now (smart car)

I know what one i want, and dad would probably agree..but im thinking about the financials. Will it be financially better to have a van that is rarely driven or a bigger car to tow with?

 

[Mule]

So at the moment i have a CRV (dads) and trailer. This suits me fine cause i don't go out that much, maybe once a month if that...over summer i do a few shows down south but usually only with one or two miniatures. Big horse goes on a little fun ride now and then. I trailer to the vet/dentist etc with the minis cause it saves me the call out. I just have a small run around for my everyday car.

Dads suggested that in the next few years we go together to get one car as he really doesnt drive many places now, and my mum has a car that never moves either. So we really don't need three, but i definitely need my own..but i need it to be as cheap as possible to run cause i do drive a lot.

Option 1 will be me and dad getting a car that can tow together, the problems being i may not be able to afford the fuel costs alone and i won't be asking my dad for fuel cause it will for all intents be "my" car with him as named driver.

Option 2 will be get a van that can tow, and convert it for the minis (trailer for the big horse) and then another run around thats slightly bigger than my own now (smart car)

I know what one i want, and dad would probably agree..but im thinking about the financials. Will it be financially better to have a van that is rarely driven or a bigger car to tow with?

I'd go with the bigger car. I think conversions are very expensive

 

[ROG]

Towing with a B or B+E licence ?

 

[Equi]

Towing with a B or B+E licence ?

I have the B+E trailer license.

 

[Equi]

I'd go with the bigger car. I think conversions are very expensive

We are able to do it ourselves as we are a family of engineers, joiners and mechanics...won't be totally cost free obviously, but the max weight that will be in it is about 300 - 400kg (theyre only little tiny american miniatures and i only really show the youngsters)

 

[ROG]

How about a 4x4 estate such as the Skoda Octavia ?

 

[Equi]

How about a 4x4 estate such as the Skoda Octavia ?

It needs to be able to tow a 505/510 with a 17hh hunter in it, so might not work?

 

[ROG]

It needs to be able to tow a 505/510 with a 17hh hunter in it, so might not work?

OCTAVIA ESTATE 2.0 TDI CR Scout 4x4 5dr has a towing capacity of 2000kg

 

[popsdosh]

It needs to be able to tow a 505/510 with a 17hh hunter in it, so might not work?

Perfectly capable!

 

[Tiddlypom]

^^^ Our Skoda Octavia Scout 4x4 tows an Ifor 510 (1000kg) plus a 695kg ID x cob no probs IRL, and as ROG says the tow limit is 2000kg.
Good reliable economical everyday estate car that tows as well as it drives solo, what's not to like .

 

[{97702}]

My answer always is just get a decent towing vehicle - Discovery TD5, loads of towing capacity, job done..... I don't understand why people opt for vehicles that fit the bill but don't allow any flexibility for the future!

 

[Equi]

^^^ Our Skoda Octavia Scout 4x4 tows an Ifor 510 (1000kg) plus a 695kg ID x cob no probs IRL, and as ROG says the tow limit is 2000kg.
Good reliable economical everyday estate car that tows as well as it drives solo, what's not to like .

idk im nervous about a 2.0 towing....only ever done it with a 2.2 or higher...lol

 

[Equi]

My answer always is just get a decent towing vehicle - Discovery TD5, loads of towing capacity, job done..... I don't understand why people opt for vehicles that fit the bill but don't allow any flexibility for the future!

In a perfect world yes, cause i like to take friends now and then, perhaps once or twice a year. But i have to think of the every day driving also.

 

[{97702}]

In a perfect world yes, cause i like to take friends now and then, perhaps once or twice a year. But i have to think of the every day driving also.

Yep I drive my Disco on a day to day basis - I have no choice - it is not insurmountable

 

[Tiddlypom]

You're right to query whether it's gutsy enough for your job. There's nothing worse than towing with an underpowered vehicle - been there done that over the years before the towing laws were rightly tightened up. However, the Scout is a tough well balanced powerful vehicle that gets on with its job with no fuss.
Sure, our LWB Shogun is even better at towing but then it's a whole different category of vehicle, with the running costs to match.

 

[Equi]

Yep I drive my Disco on a day to day basis - I have no choice - it is not insurmountable

But whats insurmountable? My smart car can get away with about £100 a month if that...my dad CRV is about £60 a week just doing this and that...which i struggled to maintain when i had it. Yeah dad will probably help me out with fuel with the "joint" car, but i want to be the main fuel giver cause it wont be fair if im the one using it 90% of the time.

 

[Mule]

You'll have to tax and insure two vehicles if you have a car for work and a conversion. Mabey an old 2L diesel might do for work and the horses. At the same time towing is hard on any car so you might be better off having separate vehicles. If you do a lot of driving for work you'd be better off with something that's cheap to run. I don't know.

 

[AandK]

You'll have to tax and insure two vehicles if you have a car for work and a conversion. Mabey an old 2L diesel might do for work and the horses. At the same time towing is hard on any car so you might be better off having separate vehicles. If you do a lot of driving for work you'd be better off with something that's cheap to run. I don't know.

Agree. You need 2x insurance, tax, MOT, servicing and repairs. This may cancel out any savings you think you will make by having a smaller car to use day to day. Plus how often would the tow car be used? It is not good for vehicles to sit around for long periods without use. It's for these reasons (and mainly the last one) that I have just sold my lorry and Fiesta, and gone back to a 4x4 and trailer.

 

[googol]

We have a Kia sorrento which we did loads of research into before buying as it needed to be able to do the daily commutes without breaking the bank, plus tow 2 x 16.2’s and a 505. It has towing capacity of 2800 (might even be 3500) and isnt a bank breaker. The car wasn’t dear either. The only thing is that it’s 2007 I think, and if u wanted the newer one it has less towing capacity

 

[AandK]

We have a Kia sorrento which we did loads of research into before buying as it needed to be able to do the daily commutes without breaking the bank, plus tow 2 x 16.2’s and a 505. It has towing capacity of 2800 (might even be 3500) and isnt a bank breaker. The car wasn’t dear either. The only thing is that it’s 2007 I think, and if u wanted the newer one it has less towing capacity

That's what I have just bought. 56 plate, 2.5l auto, 63k on the clock, can pull 2800kg.

 

[Equi]

That’s the issue now says cars are not being made to tow and it’s likely my dad will want a new one. Sigh.

 

[Annagain]

If your mum barely drives, could you not use her car as a bit of a run around most of the time and only use the bigger car if/when your parents need to go somewhere? Think of it as 2 cars between the 3 of you rather than you and your dad sharing and your mum having her own car. Don't forget that although you'll be paying more in fuel you'll be saving on tax/insurance /maintenance costs of an extra vehicle so it will probably even out. If you get the van, you'll still have the three vehicles...and a van that doesn't go out very often is likely to have more problems than one that does.

I'd stick with a trailer and agree something like a Skoda Octavia Estate could suit you - a 510 is 995kg so even with your big boy in it will have plenty to spare. If you go down the van route though, I'd not bother with towing your big boy, I'd make sure you have something that will have the payload (and size) to accommodate him on his own (most have 1200kg of payload so enough weight if he'll fit physically) and sell the trailer - that's just another thing gathering dust and having to be maintained while not getting much use otherwise.