towing with a car - Page 3

Nick Hearne · 18 October 2006, 20:39

D3 best car I have had & it is fast!

But it has been chipped! to give a extra 50hp

ian parkes · 18 October 2006, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

I think if you do as suggested above all you are doing is transfering some of the weight of the car to the trailer wheels. Another codders brain crash I think.

If you get a pencil and paper and draw a simple force vector diagram you will see what I mean.

then you pull the handrake on to get out and let the boat go and the whole lot launches itself

dgpw · 18 October 2006, 20:47

True but I think you will agree that there are always exseptions. Shame you have to stop for fuel every few min

I beleive the 4.4 only gets 16 mpg on a good day not towing correct me if I am wrong

richardjawilson · 18 October 2006, 20:53

I tow my 6.1 Tohatsu , all up 1000kgs, with an Audi A4 Avant 2.5Tdi Quattro. It has good torque and power, room for boating stuff and permanant 4 wheel drive ideal for slippery slipways. Disadvantages are: ride height on sports suspension can be marginal, 1st gear could be shorter, so on very steep slips like Putney it can be tricky. But a 4x4 is the best solution for towing (eg V10 Tdi Touareg) for ride height, low range box, towing weight and 4X4.

It will always be a compromise on towing vehicles if you like cars as opposed to SUV's, and you have to work out how many times you actually tow it to see if its worth making a change.

richard

codprawn · 18 October 2006, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgpw

True but I think you will agree that there are always exseptions. Shame you have to stop for fuel every few min

I beleive the 4.4 only gets 16 mpg on a good day not towing correct me if I am wrong

Yes but the diesel ones are also exceptionally good - the new Range Rover does 0-60 in something like 8 seconds - not bad for a diesel....

dgpw · 18 October 2006, 20:56

could not agree more, as I said for slow manovering and launching yes a 4X4 is better, but most people spend the time on roads not slipways.

codprawn · 18 October 2006, 21:01

There is no hardship at all in using a Range Rover TDV8 every day - or a D3 for that matter.

When I was driving 2,000 miles a week the most comfortable car I had was a Discovery II - I also drove Audis - VWs - Alfas - Peugeots - Fords and Vauxhalls. All brand new hire vehicles.

dgpw · 18 October 2006, 21:09

I also drive a very high milage and I would personaly rather be in a car not high of the road. Personal choice, I have said several times that their are exceptions just as there are 4X4 that are great to drive their are cars that should never tow.

Nos4r2 · 19 October 2006, 03:38

I prefer being able to see over the muppets ahead. Given a chance I'd drive a tractor unit everywhere.

Jono · 19 October 2006, 06:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I prefer being able to drive over the muppets ahead. Given a chance I'd drive a tractor unit everywhere.

... I'm with you all the way.

mdt · 19 October 2006, 07:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardjawilson

I tow my 6.1 Tohatsu , all up 1000kgs, with an Audi A4 Avant 2.5Tdi Quattro. It has good torque and power, room for boating stuff and permanant 4 wheel drive ideal for slippery slipways. Disadvantages are: ride height on sports suspension can be marginal, 1st gear could be shorter,

Fully agree got an Auto one so the 1st gear issue is bypassed.

Managed to out drag a “go-faster” Vauxhall with 3 neds in it from a set of lights. With the RIB on the back.

Marks out of 10 for maturity 1

Lostboy · 19 October 2006, 08:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardjawilson

I tow my 6.1 Tohatsu , all up 1000kgs, with an Audi A4 Avant 2.5Tdi Quattro. It has good torque and power, room for boating stuff and permanant 4 wheel drive ideal for slippery slipways. Disadvantages are: ride height on sports suspension can be marginal, 1st gear could be shorter, so on very steep slips like Putney it can be tricky. But a 4x4 is the best solution for towing (eg V10 Tdi Touareg) for ride height, low range box, towing weight and 4X4.

It will always be a compromise on towing vehicles if you like cars as opposed to SUV's, and you have to work out how many times you actually tow it to see if its worth making a change.

richard

I have the 2.5TDi SE Sport Touareg with the 6 speed auto box and it's the best of all worlds. Great on road (sports suspension, bigger wheels, quiet, high up, se spec luxury etc.), good off road, superb tow car with ride height, lr box, auto torque converter etc to help it out. Best all-rounder I've had for many a long year.

HMJB · 19 October 2006, 11:03

We tow with a mark 5 golf gti and have taken the boat to spain this year (via the Pyrenees), cornwall and a few shorter trips around the south coast.
The car is fwd, approx 200hp and has had no problems pulling the boat at all.
Agree with CJL that some rope is needed at times to keep the car off any weed etc and if very steep at the top of the slip and as long as some thought is put in it has handled the boat fine.

Nos4r2 · 19 October 2006, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

... I'm with you all the way.

No, that's what a Hiab is for....Put a big enough broom on it and it becomes a muppet sweeper

On a more serious note,I saw how much hard work it is for cars at Penmarlam. There's places where a length of rope is not going to help.

Windchill · 19 October 2006, 16:19

I tow my Ring 685, and a couple of biggish IWT trailers with an Audi Allroad TDi, which is superchipped to give even more torque than standard. To my mind, it is the BEST allrounder going. Far better than the wife's Tesco Trolley RRS!!

Front wheel drive cars with heavy boats on slipways are always fun to watch, particularly when the "once a year" brigade try to apply the "more throttle = more pull" technique!!

ian parkes · 19 October 2006, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I prefer being able to see over the muppets ahead. Given a chance I'd drive a tractor unit everywhere.

Cool just keep it a little to the NS so us crutch rockets can see down the outside

I think that Penmarlem slip is the exeption to the rule as the top of the slip is about half a mile away.

I noticed a really nice electric winch in Machine Mart the other day with a ball coupling to just stick on the ball hitch .

mdt · 20 October 2006, 07:26

Was thinking… dose the traction control on a FWD car aid things ?

hobnob · 20 October 2006, 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardjawilson

I tow my 6.1 Tohatsu , all up 1000kgs, with an Audi A4 Avant 2.5Tdi Quattro. It has good torque and power, room for boating stuff and permanant 4 wheel drive ideal for slippery slipways. Disadvantages are: ride height on sports suspension can be marginal, 1st gear could be shorter, so on very steep slips like Putney it can be tricky. But a 4x4 is the best solution for towing (eg V10 Tdi Touareg) for ride height, low range box, towing weight and 4X4.

richard

Richard,

Does your Quattro actually use the 4WD on a dry or damp slipway? I thought the viscous locking differential in the Quattro only activated in really slippy conditions, i.e. after the front wheels have spun several revolutions.

Tim

mdt · 20 October 2006, 08:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnob

Richard,

Does your Quattro actually use the 4WD on a dry or damp slipway? I thought the viscous locking differential in the Quattro only activated in really slippy conditions, i.e. after the front wheels have spun several revolutions.

Tim

They do vary the split front and rear in the new ones but they are permanent 4WD. The older ones where better as you could lock the centre and rear diff if you where stuck. .

Windchill · 20 October 2006, 18:37

I think you will find that Audi's quattro system is permanent, with a central LSD.

Holding the car in first with the "manual" box helps on very steep slopes too.