Does a good towing vehicle HAVE to be a diesel?

[Tunku]

I don't think so. I prefer a petrol engine. At the moment I have a 1.8 N/a Mondeo petrol for towing my caravan. I've just bought a 2.5 Volvo to take over towing duties. Both cars are more than capable of towing the caravan I have. Everyone says I should use a diesel. I think they are wrong.
My first tow car was a Citroen 1.9D, 45 mpg on its own, 30 towing a caravan.
My second tow car was a Mondeo 1.8i 36 mpg on its own, 30 towing a caravan.
My latest car is a Volvo V70 2.5 Petrol. I don't think it will know its towing.

[jbi]

what do trucks, buses, boats, etc use?

Diesel is better for towing, but you CAN tow with a petrol.

Preferably a big one like in this

Edited by jbi on Saturday 9th October 02:08

[GravelBen]

Petrol is fine provided its a decent size engine - don't think I'd want to haul a caravan with a 1.8 myself though.

[Vipers]

This petrol job will do it nicely.

[anonymous-user]

The average derv tows better.

But a good sized petrol will do the job perfectly well.

Saying that I certainly would not like to pull a caravan with a 1.8 mondeo

[Vipers]

champ54321 said:

The average derv tows better.

But a good sized petrol will do the job perfectly well.

Saying that I certainly would not like to pull a caravan with a 1.8 mondeo

Wouldn't like to be behind it either.

[anonymous-user]

Vipers said:

champ54321 said:

The average derv tows better.

But a good sized petrol will do the job perfectly well.

Saying that I certainly would not like to pull a caravan with a 1.8 mondeo

Wouldn't like to be behind it either.

Tunku: the average caravaner who pisses me off every weekend!

[LeoSayer]

As long as you drive the car in the correct gear to keep the engine in the powerband it shouldn't matter.

[Compo_Simmonite]

The petrol P38 Range Rover is a far better tow vehicle than the diesel version - just it's a fraction more thirsty

Paul H

[entwisi]

My A8 4.2 quattro sport was not too shabby at pulling the 26ft caravan I owned at the time. The mondeo St driver who tried to out drag me was rather surprised to find me pulling Away )

[Mars]

It's all about power, not torque. You have a torque-multiplier attached to every car - the gearbox. Anyone who says diesel is better (like for like) is simply reporting either that they're scared to rev an engine or they're rightly pointing to the fact that a petrol engine will probably cost more in mpg terms.

[ManOpener]

I know someone who uses a C5 RS6 as a tow car. That's pretty effective at shifting reasonable weights- he out-dragged an EP3 Type R in it with a bike trailer on the back avec BMW F800GS...

Edited by ManOpener on Saturday 9th October 21:43

[harryowl]

[Ozzie Osmond]

Mars said:

It's all about power, not torque. You have a torque-multiplier attached to every car - the gearbox.

Yeah, but that dinky little clutch is going to turn to smoking cardboard in about 15 seconds when you try to start on a hill!

[morgrp]

Volvo's are top tow cars - the 2.5 10valve engine was developed especially for towing as many owners complained that the 20valve lacked bottom end pull when the inline 5 was launched in the 850 (only the 20v was available from launch) - don't worry about the clutch - Volvo clutches are tough as fk provided you know how to use them properly your biggest prob will be fuel economy - my t5 regularly tows a Brian James tilt bed with a 1000kg + weight no problem at all

[*Al*]

My Focus ST2 has the Volvo T5 5 pot and would very easily tow, might look strange though!

[Camaro91]

Either :P

[Mars]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Mars said:

It's all about power, not torque. You have a torque-multiplier attached to every car - the gearbox.

Yeah, but that dinky little clutch is going to turn to smoking cardboard in about 15 seconds when you try to start on a hill!

In some cases, yes I'm sure that's right. Possibly the question to ask is, manual or auto, then? A torque converter actually delivers a (small) torque multiplier of the engine output at low revs.

[EDLT]

Mars said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

Mars said:

It's all about power, not torque. You have a torque-multiplier attached to every car - the gearbox.

Yeah, but that dinky little clutch is going to turn to smoking cardboard in about 15 seconds when you try to start on a hill!

In some cases, yes I'm sure that's right. Possibly the question to ask is, manual or auto, then? A torque converter actually delivers a (small) torque multiplier of the engine output at low revs.

An auto would make life easier, you may need to fit an oil cooler though.

[Mars]

EDLT said:

An auto would make life easier, you may need to fit an oil cooler though.

Yes, see,s quite a lot of manufacturers advise this. Subaru (for my 3-litre Legacy) have one but I seem to recall it being quite a scarily expensive item.