Best car for Towing Caravans or Trailers?

[obi_waynne]

What would you recommend people look for if they wanted a car that was suitable for towing?

I'm more interested in tips about what to look for than specific model recommendations but all tips and suggestions are welcome.

This is a question I've been asked by email and wondered what you all thought, so please pass on your experience and tips.

 

[thexav]

You need something with loads of torque and something with a bit of weight, I'd say a diesel would work quite well.

The Skoda Yeti is a good bet, but most exec saloons would be up to the job.

Light cars would not have the power to pull, would be subject to jackknifing more easily, and would struggle to brake with a trailer or caravan behind.

Heavier cars also usually come with higher load rated tyres, and they will typically have better brakes.

Check the towing weight - this figure is shown in the cars handbook and should never be exceeded.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

Over here in OZ / Down Under The most popular vehicles are 4x4 vehicles as they have the weight and torque needed for effortless towing under most circumstances.

My daily is a 500nm TD 4x4 that weighs app 2.3 tonnes unloaded so it tows my 650kg tandem wheeled trailer with my 1300kg Civic effortlessly with plenty in reserve.

NOTE 1 it is important that total weight anything being towed is not heavier that the tow vehicle and that the drawbar weight is app 10% of the loaded trailer to help prevent "the tail wagging the dog" scenario as that usually ends in tears or worse.

NOTE 2 the tyre pressures may need adjusting / increasing as per the manufacturers placard usually found on the drivers door or B pillar.

 

[wizzer]

4x4 is a good option, but also RWD. Something like a big block Mustang, although if you are cool enough to own a Mustang, would you also own a caravan?

BMW and Audi estates also work quite well, they have power and weight to them and 4 wheel drive is also an option on those.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

It is important that any trailer / van etc that is being towed has the load properly distributed to prevent the tail wagging the dog scenario as the following video demonstrates.

 

[andsmi]

What would you recommend people look for if they wanted a car that was suitable for towing?

I'm more interested in tips about what to look for than specific model recommendations but all tips and suggestions are welcome.

This is a question I've been asked by email and wondered what you all thought, so please pass on your experience and tips.

You will need a vehicle heavy enough to control the caravan or trailer at bay should it start to snake behind you. In the UK, for a 2 wheel drive vehicle, the legal max towing limit is equal to the tow car’s gross mass. No more than 85% of gross mass however is recommended. Another thing to consider is the distance of the tow ball from the tow cars back axle. The longer that distance is, the more you will feel any trailer sway while driving. The longer that distance is, the more leverage the caravan will have on the tow car. This can be quite unnerving and uncomfortable.
4 wheel drive vehicles tend to have a relatively short overhang from the back axle compared to a standard 2 wheel drive car and have the added benefit if being able to tow heavier trailers.
Also, consider the torque of the tow vehicles engine. Diesels tend to produce a lot of low rev torque compared to a petrol engine.
For me, there isn’t much worse than towing a caravan with a car that doesn’t produce much torque. You’ll struggle to get moving and you’ll have to treat the car like it’s a racing car to avoid losing speed on the hills. Quite stressful driving like that and exhausting too.
And another thing not related to the type of car you choose, when towing your trailer or caravan, if it starts to sway, DO NOT put your foot on the break pedal unless you absolutely have to. It will make the snaking worse. Rather just tap off the throttle and allow the cars own weight to control the caravan. The caravan will be pulling the car from side to side so just keep steering the car in the direction you want to travel in.
And don’t even think about powering your way out of a snake, you’ll be hard pressed to find a vehicle capable of that with even the smallest of caravans.

 

[lb4fun]

I would say unless its a tent trailer I would want weight of 2,000kg and hp of 275 or 300 lbft of torque. Or half again the weight of the trailer in the vehicle. Kinda easy in north America lol.

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

My 4x4 has TSC (Trailer Sway Control) as an additional safety measure and I guess that many newer vehicles will have it in their suite of computerised safety packages that are the norm in todays vehicles.