Camper to tow a Car

[ATM]

Hello

I've been obsessing about a camper now for years. It feels like the ultimate in go anywhere freedom. How could you not like the idea of that. Maybe being locked in at home is making this obsession more rampant. My idea of a camper is not a small little van which has everything neatly packaged inside. I think go big or go home. I'd love a massive American RV but the budget wont stretch to that. So back in the real world can I get something affordable which will do the job. But here is the thing. I dont want to tow a smart car or a city car. I want to tow a real car. So does that mean a full size car trailer. And does that mean I need a twin wheeled 4 or 5 tonne rated van to tow it.

So lets see pics of your campers towing some real cars please or your thoughts on this.

Thanks

[ATM]

fesuvious said:

You will need to be able to tow up to 2tonnes minimum. Realistically this means having something that can tow 3.5tonnes.
You will need a camper with a gross weight over 4.5tonnes.

It's easy to pick pedantic holes with this. In thee real world this is about right.

I tow a race car in an eco-trailer. The trailer with car and stuff is about 2.5tonnes. I first used a Merc 416 race van. This had a modified 2.7turbodiesel. worked well enough. The van was, with kit up against the weight limit.

Now a 2007 N&B 6.5 tonne motorhome on Iveco chassis.

My advice is always have the tow vehicle a good tonne heavier as a minimum. And never smaller. It's just easier. I have towed this with my 2015 VW T6 and it's nowhere near as easy.

If you want to take a proper car, you will need a proper trailer.

I'm thinking Sprinter or Crafter size. What's an N&B?

[ATM]

300bhp/ton said:

I'm not sure a full on RV is total freedom. Lots of places they won't fit and shouldn't be taken. But I get what you mean

In terms of towing a trailer, it just needs to be suitable for the payload. Ifor Williams do a nice little single axle car trailer, weighs in around 450kg and can carry almost a tonne. So fine for lots of cars.

As for the camper and towing, what do you have on your driving licence (will depend how old you are unless you've taken additional tests).

I have C1, C1E, D1 and D1E. Does that cover it?

[ATM]

So does a longer van make towing more difficult or not worth worrying about. I've seen some older minibus type vans which dont look quite as battered as an old panel van. Also is manual gearbox or auto better for towing - I've never towed before you see.

[ATM]

I suppose a massive van and trailer to tow a car is great but when I then get to my camping destination and want to go off for a romp in the Porsche I end up leaving a big trailer lying around with my van. I'm assuming these car trailers are big and heavy and you cant just fold them up and pop them in the camper when not in use. Are they that big and cumbersome that even when they are empty you still have to tow them - so lets say you want to move the trailer from a to b but dont need to also move a car? Are there any options for a lighter smaller device that can tow a car on the back of a camper? I know there are those A frames but they need to have the car adapted for them right? What about a 2 wheel lift type device like the AA use - do they still use those? I've seen this x snap on van for sale which has a massive tail lift that i absolutely do not need but I am now wandering if that can be adapted to become a 2 wheel lift type device.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223954898482

Edited by ATM on Friday 17th April 12:12

[ATM]

21st Century Man said:

https://www.digitalfibres.com/caratow/

I towed a Panda behind a Kontiki for a few years with one of these, I've seen a number of full size cars being towed behind big RV's with them.

Yes I've seen these and I believe they are referred to as an A frame. It seems that the new laws on towing means anything you tow which has brakes then they need to be operational. I'm not sure how well this would be policed. So these A frames have adapters that hook onto the brake pedal in the car. Think of it like a brake cable on a bicycle with some form of contraption fitted to the floor the car below the brake pedal which can yank it down. Then you use a bungee from the under the seat to add some extra pressure to return it back up. How do I know this, because I watched a video on some website. I'll try and find the link. I'm not against this idea with my Porsche but it would need some brackets fashioning for the front to attach the metal gubbins, maybe use the towing point on one side of the number plate and some how make another for the other side to match. I think this is my best bet right now. It seems that these A frames can be man handles once fully disconnected.

[ATM]

21st Century Man said:

Yes, they apply the brakes on the car in the same way that the brakes on a caravan are applied, as the A frame pushes into the tow vehicle under braking. Unlike a trailer or caravan though, the vehicle on tow is completely stable as its a car with a wheel at each corner, so no snaking or other potential towing shenanigans.

So was your Panda braked like this - I'm not sure if the older a frames were braked or if this is new?

if so - did you fit the contraption to the brake pedal or have it fitted by someone else?

[ATM]

2Btoo said:

oblio said:

https://www.lnbleisure.co.uk/index.php/2/

Interesting read, thanks for the link.

That says that the vacuum servo braking system on the towcar (i.e. car being towed) needs to be working. How do they achieve that without the engine running?

Does this work?

https://www.lnbleisure.co.uk/index.php/4/

[ATM]

I've seen some cheap looking lorry or truck type conversions. What's the deal with these. I know you can drive anything up to 7.5 tonne on an older license. Anything else I need to be aware of? I thought I heard somewhere that you cant park a lorry on the side of a road like a car or van. Like I say not sure where I heard that and therefore if it's true.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313061887059

[ATM]

So they can be parked next to a pavement like a van but can not mount the pavement - am I reading that correct?

But that rule is for vehicles over 7.5 tonne which I suspect does not apply to a smaller lorry like the one above, right?

[ATM]

What if the 7.5 tonne lorry has been rated as a motorhome, can it mount the pavement then?

[ATM]

21st Century Man said:

There doesn't seem to be anymore space inside than a typical van conversion though, let alone a coachbuilt, for the sheer size and heft of the thing.

Looks quite big to me when you look at this

[ATM]

Would they turn you away in a MAN truck?

[ATM]

Ok

Sounds like he sort of place I wouldn't want to go anyway.

I mean if there is such a thing as snobbery on a camp site then I dont want any part of it. I mean its camping right, it doesn't get any simpler than that.

[ATM]

Perhaps rock up in this and then just demolish their site completely.

The interior is a little more utilitarian than I was expecting for the money which is probably why the seller seems more interested in talking about the cubby holes and power and water and what not.

It is right hand drive so it might have been made for the uk but I'm not sure what purpose they had in mind.

113 grand

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143545476354

[ATM]

Right but if you were planning to build a camper for 113 grand would you build it with a 2 row cab like that and a living space which ain't even that plush.

Or is there something about having a massive wagon to pull other stuff that I'm missing here?

Like if you need to pull your 15 tonne monster truck or 15 tonne something else.

Or is just because you want to have the biggest wagon at the party?