Towing with Van!

[Shoei]

Hi Guys,

I'm getting to the point where I stay away more at shows and clinics and really need something with live in.

However, I'm reluctant to buy a lorry as I'll need to do another test (trailer test passed previously) , i love my hbx and the horse travels amazingly well in it. My husband also thinks lorries are money pits and I don't have 100s of k to spend on one.

So I was considering buying something like a Mercedes-Benz Long Wheel Based Sprinter that I could kit out with what I wanted as a camper. My husband is very handy and happy to do this.

However, I'm concerned about the towing experience of such a big van. I currently tow with a pickup.

We would keep the small 4x4 as our daily driver so I could use this for lessons etc and the camper for away shows, which generally require quite a bit of motorway miles.

Can anyone offer me any advice of experiences?

Thanks

 

[ROG]

Very safe if within tow limits of van

Downside is that you might get mistaken for a 'traveller' !!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Sounds like a great idea as long as you won't need to make any tight turns off narrow roads.

Our 7m motorhome can tow 2000kg, but it's too tight for it to tow our Ifor 510 in and out of our own drive (we live on a narrow lane), it's bad enough towing the trailer in/out behind the LWB Shogun!

 

[HeyMich]

I know a couple of folk who tow IW boxes behind VW Transporter campervans. Not sure if they would be beefy enough to tow 2 heavies, but the set up they have seems ideal.

 

[phizz4]

The VW transporters/combi vans can tow between 2,200 and 2,500 kg. They are available in long wheelbase and 4 wheel drive if you can afford it, which would be worth having.

 

[Moogleberry]

I tow a 511 with a VW Transporter 4 motion which can pull 2,500kg tows 2 cobby types really well and good to manoeuvre …might not be enough space though compared to the Sprinter ?

 

[scats]

We used to tow our old wooden trailer in the 90s with a motor home.

 

[Kat]

You could convert your pick up. Depends a bit how much space you want but have a look at demountable campers for pick-ups. There are pop up versions. At a lower budget you can get tents that fit in the bed of the pickup (truck tents).

 

[Annagain]

VW Transporters are easy to convert (with lots of off the shelf kit available) but very expensive as they are fashionable at the moment. A Fiat Ducato is the van that most motorhomes are based on so I'd maybe take a look at one of those. I have the medium wheel base one (6m) as a motorhome and it's great. If it's just something basic for one or two people you're after, you could even go for the short wheel base (5.4m) which might be handier for manoeuvring in tight spots. We don't have a tow bar on the motorhome as if I go anywhere to stay overnight with the horses I go with my friend. I take the horses and my friend takes her caravan.

 

[Widgeon]

If it's just something basic for one or two people you're after, you could even go for the short wheel base (5.4m) which might be handier for manoeuvring in tight spots.

That's not much is it? It's only 70cm longer than my elderly Volvo tow car! Sounds very handy.

 

[sbloom]

That's not much is it? It's only 70cm longer than my elderly Volvo tow car! Sounds very handy.

And if yours is like ours big Volvos have appalling turning circles!

 

[Widgeon]

And if yours is like ours big Volvos have appalling turning circles!

Haha, yes it has the turning circle of a battleship. I try to arrive everywhere very early to ensure I can park with enough space to extract myself afterwards...I do love it though.

 

[sunnyone]

We converted a Citroen Jumper van to use as a small motorhome and towed our IW a lot with it, but only took 1 horse in the trailer. The rest of the time it took awkward shopping and the dog.
Spend lots of time planning what you want, buy a reference book such as John Withenshaws "Build you own Motorcaravan". We really, really enjoyed the result and it had no problems with going over the Pyrenees several times.