Towing with a motorhome

[R TOY]

Having spent many weekends last season in a tent, inc Anglesey! and Brands in the rain , we have decided to go upmarket and buy a motorhome to tow the race car to circuits and give us some decent accomadation while there,
Anyone have any advice on best models for towing etc.
Trailer and Elise weigh in at about 1500kg.
Looking at a fiat Ducato based 22ft van with the 2.8jtd (128bhp) . Not going to be rapid but should move along at 60ish ok ??
Or maybe a Transit model with 135bhp Tdi,
Any advice ?
Dave.

[nick997]

Check the weight that you can pull before you buy. I bought a 2009 Transit based Chausson model last year with uprated 140bhp engine but it is only plated to tow 1000kgs which is just about ok for the BEC and Minno Shuttle. Advice I had was that all modern-ish motorhomes will pull a car on a trailer, your probably not going to be flying along in any of them though.

Good luck and enjoy the comfort she provides!

[NTEL]

Hi Dave, I use a 2004 autotrail motorhome based on a Ducato 2.8 JTD. It pulls the TVR and trailer no problem at all. The only problem is that 5th gear is rubbish unless your on the flat. As soon as you hit a slight hill, its a case of dropping into 4th and screaming it at 60mph.

I got a bit fedup with this so I had it chipped up last year. It now goes like a train even in 5th! Well with 175hp and a shed load of torque, it would.

I believe mine is rated to pull 1800kg.

[jas xjr]

NTEL said:

Hi Dave, I use a 2004 autotrail motorhome based on a Ducato 2.8 JTD. It pulls the TVR and trailer no problem at all. The only problem is that 5th gear is rubbish unless your on the flat. As soon as you hit a slight hill, its a case of dropping into 4th and screaming it at 60mph.

I got a bit fedup with this so I had it chipped up last year. It now goes like a train even in 5th! Well with 175hp and a shed load of torque, it would.

I believe mine is rated to pull 1800kg.

just be careful , what your motorhome is rated to tow and what you are allowed by your driving licence are two totally different matters

[R TOY]

Fortunately I'm old enough to be able to tow the full weight , 3.5t on a braked trailer I believe.(Vehicle allowing)
As long s the gross train weight isn't exceeded ?
Thanks for info, I had thought that the Transit was the best option with rear wheel drive and twin rear wheels but maybe not !
Have got a 22ft Ducato lined up just the seller wants a bit much for it. prob best option tho'
Chip it and away we go
Dave

Edited by R TOY on Friday 2nd March 19:59

[andy97]

Coachbuilt Motorhomes (ie the ones that usually look like a caravan has been added to the back! and have the "Luton" over cab style beds) are often not rated to tow too much as the weight of the motorhome body conversion has to be taken into account.

Towing weight essentially means the "Gross Train Weight" allowed minus the weight of the vehicle fully loaded and the coach built ones tend to have a high vehicle weight.

For this reason the Panel van conversions such as the Trigano Tribute are often the best for towing but are a bit compromised on "living space".

I used a Tribute for 2 years and it was fine for my wife and I to go away to Snett etc for the w/e. 2 berth. Towed very well with a Towing Weight of 2000Kg, ideal for a twin axle BJ trailer & saloon. I've just agreed to part ex mine but I would recommend it (or similar equivalents) for motor sport towing/ living needs.

As i said, mines just about to be part ex'd (this morning!) but this is the advert for info http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3613332.htm

[R TOY]

Looks v good, thanks but after a bit more room (also have large dog) 4/6 berth.
Trying to get the seller to confirm towing capacity but seems unsure,
Latest one in the frame is a newer type transit, front w.d. with a towbar.
Done a shed load of miles (65k) but 07,rear garage area and affordable,and aircon (which seems to be rare).
Not sure which is best, older with low miles or newer with more use for the same kind of money.
The search continues

[norwichphoto]

Last year on the way back from a race meeting I was directed into a VOSA checkpoint and weighed. I was a fraction over the permitted weight for the tow vehicle, but fortune smiled and I was allowed on my way (otherwise my passengers would have been left by the road!)

The van has been changed for one with a higher towing capacity.

[R TOY]

This tow capacity seems a right old 'can of worms' !!
We've been to veiw a Transit based Chauson van today, Rwd model with the rear twin wheels and 135bhp engine. Not been serviced since 2006 tho oil looked a little black !
Vin plate info
3850kg
5750kg
1-1800kg
2-2050kg

I take this to mean
3850 Gross vehicle weight, ie the max weight for the van fully laden
5750 Gross train weight , ie the max total weight of van + any trailer etc
1+2 front/rear axle weights. (=3850) (Assume this has to include the nose weight of the trailer)
This then allows 1900kg for trailer/car and wheels/spares etc.
I'm fairly sure we will be within this
Elise @ 775kg
trailer and spares etc @ 850kg ish
1625kg so a 275kg margin.
Does this sound about right ? Dave.

[Graham]

dont forget you and any passengers etc to add to the weight

[nick997]

Graham said:

dont forget you and any passengers etc to add to the weight

Not strictly true, the 3850kgs is the fully loaded weight so includes people, bacon, brown sauce, etc. 3850kgs is a common-ish uprated weight for a 3500kg van, the latter being typical.

Reading the VIN plate as you have done is the best way to tell what you can tow. And just to confirm my previous comment - the Transit based Chausson we have is FWD, RWD one's may allow a higher tow weight.

Good luck.

[kybo]

Would you be able to get your car in the back of this??

Bit overkill I suppose?!*?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Iveco-Ford-Motorhome-Rac...

S

[R TOY]

Yep ,that would do the job but cant see Mrs Toy being to happy on a weekend away on holls !

Thanks for the info nick, you are absoloutely correct.
Looked at 2 newer front wd transits today and both only allow 1000kg for towing, only half the rear wheel drive capacity.
Lot more to these motorhomes than i thought ! D.

[Graham]

nick997 said:

Graham said:

dont forget you and any passengers etc to add to the weight

Not strictly true, the 3850kgs is the fully loaded weight so includes people, bacon, brown sauce, etc. 3850kgs is a common-ish uprated weight for a 3500kg van, the latter being typical.

Reading the VIN plate as you have done is the best way to tell what you can tow. And just to confirm my previous comment - the Transit based Chausson we have is FWD, RWD one's may allow a higher tow weight.

Good luck.

Thats what I was saying everything that goes into the camper needs to be considered.. as its part of the weight

[norwichphoto]

Our replacement race van is an Iveco Daily, but the rarer twin axle model. It has a huge towing weight.

Not many of them about sold new as many didn't need to capacity, hence those on the second hand market tend to sell quite quickly.

[thunderbelmont]

My motorhome runs at about 5.6 to 5.8tonnes, and my trailer has a gross weight of 3.5Kg.

Happiness is Large, American, and a C+E licence!

It's almost a case of "what trailer" (have to keep checking the mirrors to see if it's still there!)

[andy rob]

thunderbelmont said:

My motorhome runs at about 5.6 to 5.8tonnes, and my trailer has a gross weight of 3.5Kg.

Happiness is Large, American, and a C+E licence!

It's almost a case of "what trailer" (have to keep checking the mirrors to see if it's still there!)

me too !!
Yank RV's for me all the way
Love them

[andy rob]

not wanting to be a kill joy, but the law has just recently changed reg towing with a motorhome
read here (pinched from another forum)

Nearly all the rules and regulations are here in one place

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/

Well worth checking to make sure you`re legal

This bloke didn`t bother and nearly went to jail

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshir...

If you don`t have an hgv and are towing with a campervan I would recommend getting your vehicle replated to 8250 KG GROSS TRAIN WEIGHT - combined max train weight you can drive on grandfather rights. This company will downrate your train weight and post you a new plate - I have used them and would recommend them .. when I did it it was filling out a simple form with tyre sizes etc and a photo of your original plate

http://www.svtech.co.uk/motorhomes.html

[Hybrids]

andy rob said:

thunderbelmont said:

My motorhome runs at about 5.6 to 5.8tonnes, and my trailer has a gross weight of 3.5Kg.

Happiness is Large, American, and a C+E licence!

It's almost a case of "what trailer" (have to keep checking the mirrors to see if it's still there!)

me too !!
Yank RV's for me all the way
Love them

Me three,
I suggested an American motorhome on the duplicate thread the OP started in GG.
Even (European size) C class American motorhomes are better specified and less expensive than a Euro build and you will get A/C (cab and living space)

[nick997]

andy rob said:

not wanting to be a kill joy, but the law has just recently changed reg towing with a motorhome
read here (pinched from another forum)

Nearly all the rules and regulations are here in one place

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/

If you don`t have an hgv and are towing with a campervan I would recommend getting your vehicle replated to 8250 KG GROSS TRAIN WEIGHT - combined max train weight you can drive on grandfather rights. This company will downrate your train weight and post you a new plate - I have used them and would recommend them .. when I did it it was filling out a simple form with tyre sizes etc and a photo of your original plate

http://www.svtech.co.uk/motorhomes.html

I couldn't work what has recently changed from your link. As far as I can see if you have the correct licence and don't exceed the plated weights then all is fine? Maybe it suggest that the OP might be best to get a van with a 3500kg weight limit as you don't get into LGV or HGV laws.