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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about
replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris -- Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK Plant amazing Acers. |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On 04/09/2018 08:28, Chris J Dixon wrote:
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris All depends on the weight of the caravan, surely ?. Volvo V50 or V60 ?. |
#3
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On 04/09/2018 09:28, Chris J Dixon wrote:
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris I've driven SUV's for over a decade and they are no more difficult to park than any other car of a similar size. They look bigger than they are. Our Outlander isn't much wider than our Smart Car but it looks far wider. -- Smile for the camera ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxyL2_38EsQ Remarkable Coincidences: The Stock Market Crashes of 1929 and 2008 happened on the same date in October. In Oct 1907, a run on the Knickerbocker Trust Company led to the Great Depression. |
#4
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. -- from KT24 in Surrey, England "I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On Tue, 04 Sep 2018 09:36:57 +0100, charles wrote:
In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. I'm very happy with the flat loading space in my S-Max (mark 2), if he doesn't mind another Ford! -- My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message. Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org *lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor |
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
In message , Brian Reay writes
I've driven SUV's for over a decade and they are no more difficult to park than any other car of a similar size. They look bigger than they are. Our Outlander isn't much wider than our Smart Car but it looks far wider. I have to say that I find my 14yo Range Rover L322 awkward in car parks, and with the windows down this summer, the bleeping from front and rear parking sensors really embarrassed SWMBO. I'm not sure why, apart from maybe my age, as I've had a succession of LR's, plus a Disco and a Jeep GC, all for the 3 ton towing capacity. Low range gearbox was crucial for me. Maybe this doesn't matter with a caravan. The Jeep was a huge disappointment, as low range locked the transmission, which could wind up on mixed tarmac and rough grass. -- Bill --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com |
#7
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:28:33 +0100, Chris J Dixon wrote:
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris As Andrew has already noted, we would need to know the weight of your caravan and perhaps a bit about where you plan to take your caravan. The MTPLM of our caravan is two tonnes which limits the choice of tow car if you want to be legal, and also if you want a ratio of 100% or below (allegedly 85% is good) between tow car kerb weight and MTPLM. We decided to go for a 4x4 because we caravan most of the year and often on CLs so the ability to drag the caravan off a soggy grass field is a bonus. Also, 4x4s tend to be heavier with a higher maximum towing weight. We have a 2009 VW Touareg which fits the bill and is also nice and easy to drive. Plus all season tyres to cope with mud and snow without having to change between summer and winter versions. Traded in a Volvo 850 because it didn't have the kerb weight, so I assume that your caravan MTPLM is somewhere below 1600 kg? Cheers Dave R -- AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64 --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
#8
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
charles Wrote in message:
In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. Is that still as bad a stepped load area if a spare wheel is specced as an option? -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
#9
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
In article ,
Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. Is that still as bad a stepped load area if a spare wheel is specced as an option? It depends on what you are trying to carry. My Mazda has a spare wheel, albeit a "get you home" type. -- from KT24 in Surrey, England "I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle |
#10
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Towcar
On Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 12:17:10 PM UTC+1, David WE Roberts (Google) wrote:
On Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:28:33 +0100, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris As Andrew has already noted, we would need to know the weight of your caravan and perhaps a bit about where you plan to take your caravan. The MTPLM of our caravan is two tonnes which limits the choice of tow car if you want to be legal, and also if you want a ratio of 100% or below (allegedly 85% is good) between tow car kerb weight and MTPLM. We decided to go for a 4x4 because we caravan most of the year and often on CLs so the ability to drag the caravan off a soggy grass field is a bonus. Also, 4x4s tend to be heavier with a higher maximum towing weight. We have a 2009 VW Touareg which fits the bill and is also nice and easy to drive. Plus all season tyres to cope with mud and snow without having to change between summer and winter versions. Traded in a Volvo 850 because it didn't have the kerb weight, so I assume that your caravan MTPLM is somewhere below 1600 kg? Cheers Dave R The Caravan Club's outfit match tool reckons my Passat isn't quite good enough for my 2 berth van with a MTPLM of 1290kg, stating that the van is at 91% of the car's weight and that the engine is going to struggle. To my novice mind it tows very well, pulls away from junctions quickly enough and happily bowls along at 60 with a bit of stick-stirring needed on gradients. I think it was the Caravan Club who came up with the 85% recommendation, arrived at by picking a number out of the air, and which appears to be regularly ignored. |
#11
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
charles Wrote in message:
In article , Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. Is that still as bad a stepped load area if a spare wheel is specced as an option? It depends on what you are trying to carry. My Mazda has a spare wheel, albeit a "get you home" type. Ok then a full size wheel? On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). You were recalling rejecting a car because the boot floor height was too different from the folded back seat height... -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
#12
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
In article ,
Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. Is that still as bad a stepped load area if a spare wheel is specced as an option? It depends on what you are trying to carry. My Mazda has a spare wheel, albeit a "get you home" type. Ok then a full size wheel? On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). You were recalling rejecting a car because the boot floor height was too different from the folded back seat height... I was indeed, since I needed 4ft flat. -- from KT24 in Surrey, England "I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle |
#13
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On 04/09/2018 09:19, Brian Reay wrote:
On 04/09/2018 09:28, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris I've driven SUV's for over a decade and they are no more difficult to park than any other car of a similar size. They look bigger than they are. Our Outlander isn't much wider than our Smart Car but it looks far wider. I had both an S-Max and a Galaxy. Both are wider than a standard car, and they would not fit properly into a "standard" British parking space. I was obviously careful, but the neighbouring cars build regularly ding them when opening their doors. |
#14
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
JoeJoe Wrote in message:
On 04/09/2018 09:19, Brian Reay wrote: On 04/09/2018 09:28, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris I've driven SUV's for over a decade and they are no more difficult to park than any other car of a similar size. They look bigger than they are. Our Outlander isn't much wider than our Smart Car but it looks far wider. I had both an S-Max and a Galaxy. Both are wider than a standard car, and they would not fit properly into a "standard" British parking space. I was obviously careful, but the neighbouring cars build regularly ding them when opening their doors. Every car is wider than a "standard" car these days. Unfortunately car park bay markings haven't moved with the times. :-( Tim -- |
#15
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
charles Wrote in message:
In article , Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Jim K wrote: charles Wrote in message: In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. Is that still as bad a stepped load area if a spare wheel is specced as an option? It depends on what you are trying to carry. My Mazda has a spare wheel, albeit a "get you home" type. Ok then a full size wheel? On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). You were recalling rejecting a car because the boot floor height was too different from the folded back seat height... I was indeed, since I needed 4ft flat. Which could be available in that rejected car if the appropriate spare wheel option with potentially a raised boot floor to accommodate it were chosen ... or even added later if not buying new. -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
#16
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
On 04/09/2018 09:36, charles wrote:
In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. "lloading space" - is that a typo or, with mention of a harp, have you been reading Terry Pratchett? SteveW |
#17
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
In article ,
Steve Walker wrote: On 04/09/2018 09:36, charles wrote: In article , Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I have a friend who bought one t oreplace an elderly Volvo and is very happy with it. But, if you wanta flat loading space, it's no good as there's a significant difference in height between the main area and the folded down back seat. That why I rejected it since I carry a harp sometimes and need a flat lloading space. "lloading space" - is that a typo or, with mention of a harp, have you been reading Terry Pratchett? typo - my harp is Scottish not Welsh. -- from KT24 in Surrey, England "I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle |
#18
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
Andrew wrote:
On 04/09/2018 08:28, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. All depends on the weight of the caravan, surely ?. It is 1200 kg, so looking for vehicles over 1400 kg Chris -- Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK Plant amazing Acers. |
#19
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
David wrote:
As Andrew has already noted, we would need to know the weight of your caravan and perhaps a bit about where you plan to take your caravan. Indeed. The van is a sprightly 1200 kg, so anything over 1450 kg, which happens to be the weight of my current Mondeo, will be fine. My caravanning is predominantly folk festivals and CLs. Whilst there have been occasions when I might have felt more comfortable with 4 WD available, the reality is that in 40 years I have only needed assistance on a couple of occasions, one of those being so bad that everyone was towed off, and the other most of the temporary site had been under water, and we woke one morning to see a Landrover bogged with all 4 wheels up to its axles. Chris -- Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK Plant amazing Acers. |
#20
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Towcar
On Tuesday, 4 September 2018 08:28:37 UTC+1, Chris J Dixon wrote:
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. I had two Mondeos and ran them (from new for each of them) for a combined 18 years until the DMF clutch on the last car decided it had enough after 186k miles so I sold it and bought a Kuga. Our kids had grown up and we didn't need a car to carry 4/camping stuff/bikes/body boards etc. around Europe so the smaller car suited our requirements. We're looking at getting into caravanning, and our 2l 150bhp 2wd diesel has a kerb weight of 1745Kg inc a 75Kg driver and no fuel which means at 85% a max MTPLM of 1483 Kg which is probably why you see quite a few Kugas as towcars. The added benefit of being higher up also makes getting in and out of the car easier. Worth a look? |
#21
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
Chris J Dixon Wrote in message:
David wrote: As Andrew has already noted, we would need to know the weight of your caravan and perhaps a bit about where you plan to take your caravan. Indeed. The van is a sprightly 1200 kg, so anything over 1450 kg, which happens to be the weight of my current Mondeo, will be fine. Is that 1200kgs before you load it up with crockery, ornaments, lucky heather, cases of cheap lager, extra awnings, petrol, gas canisters, clothes, assorted folky dolky essentials? ;-) -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
#22
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
Jim K wrote:
Is that 1200kgs before you load it up with crockery, ornaments, lucky heather, cases of cheap lager, extra awnings, petrol, gas canisters, clothes, assorted folky dolky essentials? Sorry, just trying to give the key figure used for the recommended 85% of kerb weight calculation. The caravan MTPLM is 1200 kg Chris -- Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK Plant amazing Acers. |
#23
Posted to uk.d-i-y,uk.rec.cars.misc,uk.rec.caravanning
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Towcar
Chris J Dixon Wrote in message:
Jim K wrote: Is that 1200kgs before you load it up with crockery, ornaments, lucky heather, cases of cheap lager, extra awnings, petrol, gas canisters, clothes, assorted folky dolky essentials? Sorry, just trying to give the key figure used for the recommended 85% of kerb weight calculation. The caravan MTPLM is 1200 kg Chris Relax you missed/snipped the wink.. ;-) -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
#24
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Towcar
In article ,
Halmyre writes On Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 12:17:10 PM UTC+1, David WE Roberts (Google) wrote: On Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:28:33 +0100, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris As Andrew has already noted, we would need to know the weight of your caravan and perhaps a bit about where you plan to take your caravan. The MTPLM of our caravan is two tonnes which limits the choice of tow car if you want to be legal, and also if you want a ratio of 100% or below (allegedly 85% is good) between tow car kerb weight and MTPLM. We decided to go for a 4x4 because we caravan most of the year and often on CLs so the ability to drag the caravan off a soggy grass field is a bonus. Also, 4x4s tend to be heavier with a higher maximum towing weight. We have a 2009 VW Touareg which fits the bill and is also nice and easy to drive. Plus all season tyres to cope with mud and snow without having to change between summer and winter versions. Traded in a Volvo 850 because it didn't have the kerb weight, so I assume that your caravan MTPLM is somewhere below 1600 kg? Cheers Dave R The Caravan Club's outfit match tool reckons my Passat isn't quite good enough for my 2 berth van with a MTPLM of 1290kg, stating that the van is at 91% of the car's weight and that the engine is going to struggle. To my novice mind it tows very well, pulls away from junctions quickly enough and happily bowls along at 60 with a bit of stick-stirring needed on gradients. I think it was the Caravan Club who came up with the 85% recommendation, arrived at by picking a number out of the air, and which appears to be regularly ignored. I don't think the CC guides have ever been updated despite the massive changes in car and caravan design and technology. One thing not to overlook is max nose weight on your tow bar. Also look for any specified max train weight of your tow car. -- bert |
#25
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Towcar
On 05/09/2018 05:26, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Andrew wrote: On 04/09/2018 08:28, Chris J Dixon wrote: As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. All depends on the weight of the caravan, surely ?. It is 1200 kg, so looking for vehicles over 1400 kg Chris I've got a Skoda Superb Estate after some years of Citroens. Mine's the 2 litre diesel 190 towing a 1500Kg Swift and I'm very pleased with it. Towed down to Lake Garda in June and it soared up the various passes.Decent consumption of around 30 mpg when towing (depending on speed, wind direction, etc,etc). Acres of room both in the car and in the boot and would recommend the Skoda to anyone. However, you'll still have problems fitting into most car parking spaces as it is a big beast, the length as much as anything, but it's around the same size as the Mondeo, so swings & roundabouts. John M |
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Towcar
Hello Chris,
As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris Plant amazing Acers. We have an Avensis '06 plate 2.2T3 turbo diesel manual - doesn't notice French/Swiss alps, about 40,pg towing and an Avensis 65 plat 1,8 business edition estate, petrol, cvt logical 7 gears. Swiss alps no problem, cruise control useful - changes down to maintain speed on descents, gear paddles good after getting used to using them (or could use gear stick). |
#27
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Towcar
On 13/09/2018 14:37, Keith Keith wrote:
Hello Chris, As my Mondeo approaches its 9th birthday I am wondering about replacing it with something a couple of years old before it becomes a distress purchase. I want an automatic, need to be able to tow the caravan and want comfortable motorway travel. I only do about 5,000 miles a year. I am a creature of habit - two Volvo 240s lasted me for 20 years between them, and two Mondeos another 15 so far. Do I go for the latest Mondeo, look for a SUV (I have enough difficulty squeezing into car parks as it is) or look for other hatchbacks? The Skoda Superb seems to be well reviewed. Chris Plant amazing Acers. We have an Avensis '06 plate 2.2T3 turbo diesel manual - doesn't notice French/Swiss alps, about 40,pg towing and an Avensis 65 plat 1,8 business edition estate, petrol, cvt logical 7 gears. Swiss alps no problem, cruise control useful - changes down to maintain speed on descents, gear paddles good after getting used to using them (or could use gear stick). Stick with the one you know and buy another Mondeo. They are very reliable these days but if it does go wrong parts are cheaper than for the Superb. Mike |
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Towcar
Muddymike wrote:
Stick with the one you know and buy another Mondeo. They are very reliable these days but if it does go wrong parts are cheaper than for the Superb. I spent a lot of time looking at specs and reviews (1) of suggestions here (for which many thanks) and elsewhere, and finally actually kicked a few tyres. I have to say that the Mondeo is still looking good, though I have yet to have a test drive of the new dual-clutch "auto" box. The Skoda interested me, and does look a mice motor, but having had a heated screen for some time now I wouldn't want to be without. I might have a problem finding a Skoda for which the option had been specified. Vast though the boot is, the front passenger seat doesn't appear to fold, so the occasional long load would probably not fit. I don't usually have work done by the main dealer, but when necessary (as it was recently on my Ford) Skoda dealers are not very conveniently located for me. (1) Interestingly "Which" advised "do not buy" for the Ssangyong Korando, whilst it won one category in the Towcar of the year awards. Chris -- Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK Plant amazing Acers. |
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Towcar
On 13/09/2018 20:38, Chris J Dixon wrote:
(1) Interestingly "Which" advised "do not buy" for the Ssangyong Korando, whilst it won one category in the Towcar of the year awards. 'of the year' usually means it has to be a new model that year. If the awards also split into 'category' they becomes meaningless. |
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Towcar
Towcar of the year awards. my 1977 chrysler alpine won car of the year in 1976 and it rusted through in four years ... |
#31
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Towcar
Chris J Dixon Wrote in message:
Muddymike wrote: Stick with the one you know and buy another Mondeo. They are very reliable these days but if it does go wrong parts are cheaper than for the Superb. I spent a lot of time looking at specs and reviews (1) of suggestions here (for which many thanks) and elsewhere, and finally actually kicked a few tyres. I have to say that the Mondeo is still looking good, though I have yet to have a test drive of the new dual-clutch "auto" box. The Skoda interested me, and does look a mice motor, but having had a heated screen for some time now I wouldn't want to be without. I might have a problem finding a Skoda for which the option had been specified. Vast though the boot is, the front passenger seat doesn't appear to fold, so the occasional long load would probably not fit. Can you not just wind the backrest back (or press the switch if leccy!) to flatten the front seat? How often would this really be a major inconvenience? The superb estate is massive!? 73 superb estates on auto trader currently have "windscreen" as a key word. First half dozen I've checked have heated windscreens... -- -- Jim K ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- http://usenet.sinaapp.com/ |
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Compact spares (was Towcar)
On 04/09/2018 14:20, Jim K wrote:
On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). So you've got a flat somewhere, and you take off the full size wheel and put the compact spare on. The full size wheel doesn't fit in the car. Will you just abandon it by the road? Andy |
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Compact spares (was Towcar)
"Vir Campestris" wrote in message news On 04/09/2018 14:20, Jim K wrote: On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). So you've got a flat somewhere, and you take off the full size wheel and put the compact spare on. The full size wheel doesn't fit in the car. Will you just abandon it by the road? It doesnt have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. |
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Compact spares (was Towcar)
On Fri, 21 Sep 2018 06:21:57 +1000, 543dsa wrote:
"Vir Campestris" wrote in message news On 04/09/2018 14:20, Jim K wrote: On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). So you've got a flat somewhere, and you take off the full size wheel and put the compact spare on. The full size wheel doesn't fit in the car. Will you just abandon it by the road? It doesnt have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. No, but it might not "fit in the car" if you are carrying a full load. -- My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message. Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org *lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor |
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Compact spares (was Towcar)
On Thursday, 20 September 2018 21:31:41 UTC+1, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 21 Sep 2018 06:21:57 +1000, 543dsa wrote: "Vir Campestris" wrote in message news On 04/09/2018 14:20, Jim K wrote: On many modern cars with a wheel well the difference in wheel size from none to space saver to full size has ramifications for boot floor height. Speccing a spare on my car means a whole new raised boot floor part is also required (and strictly speaking the boot is reduced in caoacity). So you've got a flat somewhere, and you take off the full size wheel and put the compact spare on. The full size wheel doesn't fit in the car. Will you just abandon it by the road? It doesnt have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. No, but it might not "fit in the car" if you are carrying a full load. has no-one heard of putting things on the roof? It's like some nationwide forgetting thing. NT |
#36
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Compact spares
Bob Eager wrote:
It doesn't have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. No, but it might not "fit in the car" if you are carrying a full load. My Boxster has a space saver. If you have a passenger, there's nowhere to put a full size wheel (especially a rear) if you need to use the space saver. I carry a can of foam and some tyre plugs - these can fix most punctures at the roadside. If the wheel needs to come off, I'm calling the AA anyway and they can take the spare to a tyre fitter for me. -- Steve H |
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Compact spares
On Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 10:50:36 PM UTC+1, Steve H wrote:
Bob Eager wrote: It doesn't have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. No, but it might not "fit in the car" if you are carrying a full load. My Boxster has a space saver. If you have a passenger, there's nowhere to put a full size wheel (especially a rear) if you need to use the space saver. Way back when, Denis Jenkinson of Motor Sport magazine reviewed the original Porsche 911 Turbo, which came with a space-saver spare. "But what do you do with the original wheel?", enquired Jenks of Porsche. "Ah, there is a bag for putting the wheel in, and you carry it on the passenger seat". Presumably if you had a passenger they had to carry it on their lap. |
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Compact spares
Halmyre wrote:
On Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 10:50:36 PM UTC+1, Steve H wrote: Bob Eager wrote: It doesn't have to fit neatly into the space for the compact spare when taking it the tyre place to get repaired. No, but it might not "fit in the car" if you are carrying a full load. My Boxster has a space saver. If you have a passenger, there's nowhere to put a full size wheel (especially a rear) if you need to use the space saver. Way back when, Denis Jenkinson of Motor Sport magazine reviewed the original Porsche 911 Turbo, which came with a space-saver spare. "But what do you do with the original wheel?", enquired Jenks of Porsche. "Ah, there is a bag for putting the wheel in, and you carry it on the passenger seat". Presumably if you had a passenger they had to carry it on their lap. What could possibly go wrong with that? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/8600833.stm Tim -- Please don't feed the trolls |
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Compact spares
On 21/09/2018 12:01, Tim+ wrote:
What could possibly go wrong with that? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/8600833.stm Ouch! But lets be honest, with a bulge in it they should have let it down. Andy |