What about using a Ford Transit connect to pull a tear?

[GerryS]

Get a 3.6 Subaru . That one is NOT under powered

[grantstew8]

I posted this on another thread but it may give you an idea of what they think here.
http://www.ford.co.uk/Commercialvehicles/Overview will help you associate the vehicle on the pull down list with your choice. I noticed they offer a 3cyl engine 1.0l that offer more horse power than a 4 cyl 1.6 but offers slightly less torque.

I found a useful website. It's metric but has a range of vehicles (uk models) that you can then compare your TD from a towing point of view.
http://www.whattowcar.com/
I chose my car, RAV4 and then randomly chose the first caravan model Abbey. Then chose the exact model of the RAV and a random Abbey model. I then adjusted the weight and dimensions of the caravan to match my TD and improved the airflow to very good. (MTPLM is the max overall weight.)

It then reports towing ability, starting on a hill, inclines etc.

In the UK we don't have the large sized trucks, seeing a F150 or a RAM is a surprise. Toyota and Lexus swap a few models over so a Landcruiser here is a Toyota and a Lexus there and we only get a few of your homegrown models. If in doubt choose something with about the same size, horsepower and weight.

It's a free website so remember what Tim McGraw says in Can't Tell Me Nothin' "free advice is worth the price you pay."

[aggie79]

Years ago I had a Subaru that was very underpowered, and I don't like the feeling, as another poster mentioned, of not being able to accelerate when need be. I'm mostly a very calm driver, but there are situations in interstate driving when you need to be able to call on power when you need it.

Maybe you should look at a 2013 Ford Raptor:



My brother has one. It won't be able to get the gas mileage you're looking for, but when you stand on the throttle, it will jump even pulling a teardrop.

[wincrasher]

The new Ford Escape may be a better tow vehicle - the boosted version is rated for 3500lbs and can be equiped with a tow package - meaning hitch receiver and brake controller.

To pull a tear, you really don't need much tow capacity - if your tear is 1000-1500 lbs, you can probably get by with just a 4 cylinder and not need to get the turbocharged. I mean, how much do you really carry when you go camping that you need a vehicle that will tow 5000 lbs and carry 1500 in the vehicle itself??

[grantstew8]

UK fuel prices at the moment are about the same for petrol and diesel. £1.35 a litre, I have paid £1.50
There are 3.78 litres per us gallon and the exchange rate is about 1.65:
In 2014 a US gallon of fuel in the uk is about $8.44, in 2004 A US gallon of fuel in the uk was about $4.86 (78p a litre)
For arguments' sake it doubled in 10 years and we are an oil producing nation....(let's ignore the politics)
Looking around you're prices are around $3 a gallon.

When choosing a TV, it's only towing it once in a while, so the consumption you face when not towing is important, perhaps that why our (UK) TVs are significantly smaller than your. I'd love to have a Toyota Tundra but I would need another job to pay for fuel.

The caravan club, large british club with representing 1 million members, have a tow car's of the year:
The winner is a Škoda Superb Elegance Estate 2.0 TDI CR 170PS 4x4 DSG, (its really a vw passat) that does 50mpg(uk) 41.5 mpg (us)
SsangYong Korando 2.0 SE does 47mpg (uk)
The Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography is a beast (in relative terms) does 31mpg (uk) which is 35mpg(us)
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/news-and-events/awards/towcar-of-the-year-2014#winners%202014

Just food for thought....

[angib]

Grantstew beware - UK towing practices do not transfer to the US. You might think that gravity and the laws of physics were the same in both countries, but nothing else is.

For example, US practice on nose (tongue) weights is 10-15% where UK is 5-7%. As a result, a trailer can be towed at much higher speeds in the US before instability sets in. Things just aren't the same.

[grantstew8]

Grantstew beware - UK towing practices do not transfer to the US. You might think that gravity and the laws of physics were the same in both countries, but nothing else is.

For example, US practice on nose (tongue) weights is 10-15% where UK is 5-7%. As a result, a trailer can be towed at much higher speeds in the US before instability sets in. Things just aren't the same.

Thanks, I did not realise.
I'll back off this thread.....

[rowerwet]

I've never seen anybody who had a tear and a transitconnect. Unless Ford has done some big changes, the transit is a first generation focus underneath everything. Towing a tear with a Focus works just fine, the high roof line on the Transit seems like a big drag. A Focus or Escape will carry the same number of people and tow better than the transit.

[GuitarPhotog]

The only issue with towing with a low- or under-powered vehicle comes when you are dragging the trailer and all your gear up a long mountain grade in hot weather. We have lots of both of those out west. For example I-80 goes from 1300 ft at Auburn to 7200 ft at Donner summit, 70 miles later. And summer weather frequently pushes the ambient over 100F. You can go slow, but keep an eye on your engine and transmission temperatures if you run the air conditioner.

Many small displacement high gas mileage vehicles get that mileage improvement by running the engine at higher temperatures, so elevating those temps by towing and running the A/C can be harmful to the engine.

I'm not trying to sell anyone or tell anyone what or what not to buy or use, I'm just sharing my experiences towing an 1,100 lb teardrop around the West.

<Chas>

[pchast]

Grantstew8,

Your data is valuable. Thanks.
Likewise angib, the comment that things are different here.
I'm listening to both of you and trying to relate to the relative differance...

UK fuel prices at the moment are about the same for petrol and diesel. £1.35 a litre, I have paid £1.50
There are 3.78 litres per us gallon and the exchange rate is about 1.65:
In 2014 a US gallon of fuel in the uk is about $8.44, in 2004 A US gallon of fuel in the uk was about $4.86 (78p a litre)
For arguments' sake it doubled in 10 years and we are an oil producing nation....(let's ignore the politics)
Looking around you're prices are around $3 a gallon.

When choosing a TV, it's only towing it once in a while, so the consumption you face when not towing is important, perhaps that why our (UK) TVs are significantly smaller than your. I'd love to have a Toyota Tundra but I would need another job to pay for fuel.

The caravan club, large british club with representing 1 million members, have a tow car's of the year:
The winner is a Škoda Superb Elegance Estate 2.0 TDI CR 170PS 4x4 DSG, (its really a vw passat) that does 50mpg(uk) 41.5 mpg (us)
SsangYong Korando 2.0 SE does 47mpg (uk)
The Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography is a beast (in relative terms) does 31mpg (uk) which is 35mpg(us)
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/news-and-events/awards/towcar-of-the-year-2014#winners%202014

Just food for thought....

[be_a_jayhawk]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/0 ... onspiracy/
I thought this was an interesting article on towing capacity that might be relevant.

[catinmoon]

I like that article about towing! Maybe the US lawyers told the auto manufacturers to make such a statement, to save them from potential litigation. "Don't try this at home -- professional stunt drivers."

I once pulled a 5 x 8 Uhaul (actually Jartran, but I think they are out of business) trailer stuffed to the brim behind a BMW 2002 that was missing 2nd gear, all the way from NC to Oregon. I didn't know any better at the time, and seriously thought about abandoning the trailer (full of my stuff) several times along I 80. A friend was also moving west from NC to WA state, and thought this would be a good way to get her car moved for free so she could ride with her husband and their assorted menagerie. I got my stuff moved and she got her car transported.

The car and the trailer made it; I'm not sure how many more years that car ran, but it was running fine when I gave it up after 3300 miles.

But those were the days when cars were cars not computers on wheels.

Stephanie

[be_a_jayhawk]

Ironically I also came across an article I only skimmed that claimed some news outlet had done an investigation and found uhaul trailers were not. Being maintained and were unsafe.....

[GerryS]

Having worked for them....their trucks aren't much better.

[rowerwet]

The only issue with towing with a low- or under-powered vehicle comes when you are dragging the trailer and all your gear up a long mountain grade in hot weather. We have lots of both of those out west. For example I-80 goes from 1300 ft at Auburn to 7200 ft at Donner summit, 70 miles later. And summer weather frequently pushes the ambient over 100F. You can go slow, but keep an eye on your engine and transmission temperatures if you run the air conditioner.

Many small displacement high gas mileage vehicles get that mileage improvement by running the engine at higher temperatures, so elevating those temps by towing and running the A/C can be harmful to the engine.

I'm not trying to sell anyone or tell anyone what or what not to buy or use, I'm just sharing my experiences towing an 1,100 lb teardrop around the West.

<Chas>

the latest trick from Ford for MPG is electric "shutters" that block off most of the airflow to the radiator at highway speeds. If the engine starts to really heat up though they open, keeping things cool.
One other trick for towing, run a full synthetic engine oil, it will take the heat without breaking down, which is why it is required in most turbo charged engines.