What 2006 Vehicle should we buy to pull our Ben-Roy?

[Chris C]

Thanks, Gage. I hadn't heard of that before. I'm going to be looking at buying a truck in the next little while, I think. I'll take your advice.

[Nytewyng]

Just my 2 cents I really wanted the HHR , but found myself at a Mazda dealer with my daughter , she bought a Mazda 3 I asked what the Tow rating was , next thing I know thw wife is test driving a Tribute ( with 3k miles ) it listed fro 29 we got it for 20 even, It has a six and gets 23mpg at 60mph without the Tear, with the tear and all our gear it gets 21, I like the numbers ......and the car.

[angib]

Angib, do y'all have the CRX in Yurp? Is it tow-rated?

If you really mean the CR-X small coupé, yes we had them. I don't think there's any way to find out now if they had a tow rating as they are so old.

We have the slight oddity that 'towbars' have to be type-approved - ie, offically pass certain strength standards. One requirement is that the manufacturer has to approve that the attachment points are strong enough and a very few cars do not get that approval from their manuacturer. One example is the Mazda Miata/MX-5 which Mazda do not approve for towing.

I did see a Honda Joy Machine in Paris. I really like it, too bad it isn't offered here. It is sized in between a CR-V and the Element. It almost looks like a small Cherokee. I'll post a pic if I find it.

As loved by young ladies and their hairdressers...... I don't think anyone ever worked out what it was meant to be. Calling anything 'Joy Machine' (which it wasn't in Britain, not surprisingly) isn't a good start! UK HR-V review.

Andrew

[Bob B]

Wow: You guys have been busy. I was sitting on the couch listing to the Saints-Titans preseason football game and reviewing my 200 pages of tear drop pictures and plans when my wife told me you have a bunch of replies on you’re your tread. Thanks to all of your comments. As a fellow who has been drivging 80 miles round trip to work every day for 11 years I sense with the involvement with the conflicts in the Middle East a possible increase in fuel costs to possible $4.00 per gallon in the next 12 to 18 months. It will be paramount for the average fellow to watch his automobile expenses and try to have a vehicle that gets the best mileage or value per mile when commuting .My wife and I had to make a trip back to Pensacola Florida where I work to return a chain saw that I rented from Home Depot this afternoon. My wife had to go to Target to get a few items and in the parking lot where to Honda CRV’s one had a U-Haul trailer hitch on it the other had no hitch. When my wife came out of the store I showed her the two Hondas and she like how they looked. We next headed to Albertson to buy a few things and as we where leaving the interstate to turn into the side road a portable parking lot had two 2007 Saturn VUE’s up on top for us to look at. They look more plan than the Hondas, but I think Saturn has a pretty good track record over the past few years with the Vues. I have not studied the Toyota RAV4 yet at a dealership, but I compared the two cars on www.cars.com and they match up almost a like. I found on Moneycnn.com Honda had the best retail value and Toyota was number two. The Honda CR-V won in the compact sport/utility vehicle segment. These would be the two best SUVs to drive to work and pull an ultra-light Teardrop which I plan to build and stay within a four cylinder engine. I may have to cut the length of the teardrop from 9 feet to 8 feet and build a lighter trailer for it to mount on to cut down the over all total camper dry weight. Our Tear Drop will be made much like the one that was on www.outbackteardrop.com I really liked his plan and method of building his Ben-Roy. Look forward to more of your ideas and it is food for thought for others out there who read this message board who may want to get a better fuel car or efficient pick up truck to go to work in and pull your tear drop trailer. BOB

[Nic]

Well i would have to say a Beetle TDI. The tdi is a diesel. They have power plugs in the rear, they ride and handle very well, and they just look cool with a vintage style camper. I also noticed on the motor trend web site that they are rated the most safe car under 30 grand. And have more options than most cars in its price range. Like side air bags, heated leather, LOTS of room in the front seats. Plus i have one. 'o)

[Gage]

<snip> And have more options than most cars in its price range. Like side air bags, heated leather, LOTS of room in the front seats. Plus i have one. 'o)

You had to pay for your side air bags? Heck my 2006 Honda (cost less than $21,000) came with regular air bags, side air bags and curtain (for all side windows) air bags. News Flash. They came as standard equipment, not as an option.

Have a good day.

[asianflava]

You got that Pilot for less than 21K? Man that is a baragin! I looked at the Ridgeline but they "only" tow 5000lbs.

[Gage]

Honda authorized the dealers to sale thier 2006 trucks for $3000 under invoice until the end of this month. There are no more 06 trucks being made. Working for a dealership, I also got the 'hold back' that's on the invoice. What I will tell you is I got my Pilot for the same price the average Joe would pay for an 06 Civic EX. Just some of the benefits of working part time for a Honda Dealer.

Have a good day.

Oh, that included a factory tow package.

[Juli n Bill]

We use my 2005 Ford Escape 4Cyl. as a tow vehicle and I bought it online. I hate dealing with the finance guys at dealerships and didn't want to haggle. Much nicer experience buying online. I picked out the car, told them what color I wanted and what package and then picked it up at a dealership near my house. Just had to sign a couple of papers and we we're done.
We get 21 mpg towing the teardrop with 2 kayaks on the roof. If I were to buy a car today I'd probably look into a diesel that I could run on biodeisel or convert to veggie oil. Gas around here is insane. Most of the ford diesel trucks can be converted easily to veggie oil, infact we're looking into getting Bill's big Ford 250 diesel converted at this place. http://www.lovecraftbiofuels.com/

[jyb-tr20]

Hello Chaps,

Being a newbie etc. and getting to grips with a lot of your jargon I thought I'd throw in my 2 penneth [2 pennies].
I happen to be a big fan of Land Rovers - new and old. What I would like to suggest is the new Land Rover Discovery 3. I believe it is marketed in the US as the LR 3. Now this is a genuinely advanced modern vehicle with all the style and refinement of the Range Rover thrown in. It features 'Terain Response' by which from the turn of a knob, you can select ANY type of terrain from snow to sand....
The model I would suggest [and dream to own someday] is the TDV6. The TDV6 has a Diesel engine that will return 28 mpg with a top speed of 112mph.
The TDV6 engine comes from the Jaguar stable so it is a well proven. This came about when FORD bought Jaguar a few years ago and now own Land Rover & Volvo too. This Land Rover has become a real winner in this country, but please don't take my word for it check it out yourself.
Of course these Land Rovers are prestige vehicles and come at a price. But hopefully they are pushing them big time in the US, cos it's important to Land Rover that they do well in the US.
Anyhow good luck and I would like to thank u all for an excellent site. You are a great bunch. Keep up the good work!
Cheers
jyb

[Bob B]

I went into a Honda Dealer Friday to pick up a brochure on the CRV. I snuck in like I was going to the bathroom did a about face walked by the brochure rack grabed the brochure and not one salesman jumped on me as I walked out. I looked at some of the prices on the windows of the cars for sale and it looks like their big super end of the year sale is 10% off. Big Deal. What should the going price be for a Honda or Toyota at the end of the year sale for a small SUV under $25,000. List price no trade in? Next question is how do you deal with the lease manager or who ever you are dealing with on the internet? Would love some tips on this as I hate to go into a dealership as they will keep you in there for hours to beat you down with their tactics and tag team salesmanship. By the way we are going to the Ace Hardware today to buy the floor and side plywood for the tear drop. We decided to make the Ben-Roy 8 feet long instead of 9 feet. This will make it easier to build and to fit a light weight trailer if we decide to change from our current trailer in a few years. Thanks for all your help you have given us as I am sure it will also help other newbie’s as well. BOB

[jimqpublic]

Bob,

My Chalet is 6'6" wide, roof is 5' high in tow mode, and including the front trunk the body is 14' long. It weighs about 2400 pounds loaded for a trip. We originally towed it with our 130 hp 1996 Subaru Outback. The Outback was -adequate- but pretty slow on acceleration and up at high altitude.

In comparison your trailer will be quite a bit lighter and have much less wind resistance. I think that RAV 4, CRV or several other vehicles would be fine. With your 80 mile commute and southern location I'd look at mileage, driving comfort, and safety as primary factors. Realize that the CRV is rated to tow 4000 pounds in Australia.

Also- Trailer length: If anything the longer trailer has LESS wind resistance. I say go with the extra length to give you more storage.

[Nic]

<snip> And have more options than most cars in its price range. Like side air bags, heated leather, LOTS of room in the front seats. Plus i have one. 'o)

You had to pay for your side air bags? Heck my 2006 Honda (cost less than $21,000) came with regular air bags, side air bags and curtain (for all side windows) air bags. News Flash. They came as standard equipment, not as an option.

Have a good day.

No no no, when i said options i mean things like leather and heated seats. The side curtain air bags are standard on all VM models. I LOVE Hondas, but i have been driving Honda Civics for 10 years. I needed more head and leg room and i wanted something i had not owned before. The Beetle had everything i could have asked for. And they have a much larger engine than the Hondas plus it has slip control. If one wheel is slipping it will apply brakes to the wheels it needs to. (It takes a corner like its on rails.) One day i will find my self back in Oklahoma with the ice so i like that feature. Just being clear i am NOT talking crap about Hondas. I have had one civic that hit 238k miles, and my last one hit 247k miles. That last one i took all over the place. Mountains deserts rain snow ice cross country plenty of times and loaded with everything i owned when i moved to LA and Oklahoam twice. I gave that car a theme song. It was that I have been everywhere song by Johnny Cash. That song was very true to that car. I STILL see that car on the road here in the SouthBay. Broke my heart to sell it. But it was time. Oh even with those miles i sold that car in 30 min. I would trade ANY car in for a 1942 Buick Skylark.

[asianflava]

Gage, you have to admit.... With all the discounts and stuff, you practically stole that Pilot . I've never seen a Pilot for less than 25.

The last Civic we got (an 04) was just below $15K with an auto trans and no side airbags. We traded an 01 Civic because my mother-in-law was having a hard time with the standard shift.

Ironically enough she had a 99 Beetle for the 01 Civic. The Beetle was in for service 7 times for guess what, the air bag light not going out. She ended up getting the car declared a lemon. She liked the Beetle except that it didn't get the gas mileage she had hoped for and that it has really bad blind spots in the rear corners.

I'm not bashing the VDubs I think everybody knows about the problems they had in the 98-01 model years. I think they have them resolved now.

[Sandy Claws]

I don't know if you purchased your vehicle yet, but you might want to check out Jeeps new little diesel. I've heard some good things about it, and I really like my Grand Cherokee. With foldown seats and roof rack, I can't think of a better complement for a camp trailer!

Rog...