Towcar of the Year?

[primey]

Does anyone know how the Superb 2 won towar of the year?

The 170CR model is actually lighter than my Superb 1 2.5 V6 and caravans are much heavier than they were when the Super 1 won in 2004.

I'm looking to upgrade my caravan to a Lunar Quasar 615, but I dont want a big lumpy 4x4. My curent car will tow it, but its getting on a little bit. I just dont thing the new Superb will cut it.

Correction - the 3.6 V6 model comes in at under 85% on a car/van match. Hmmmm.

[Stuart_J]

Does anyone know how the Superb 2 won towar of the year?

The 170CR model is actually lighter than my Superb 1 2.5 V6 and caravans are much heavier than they were when the Super 1 won in 2004.

I'm looking to upgrade my caravan to a Lunar Quasar 615, but I dont want a big lumpy 4x4. My curent car will tow it, but its getting on a little bit. I just dont thing the new Superb will cut it.

Correction - the 3.6 V6 model comes in at under 85% on a car/van match. Hmmmm.

wait for the Superb 4x4

[Caravan_man]

Does anyone know how the Superb 2 won towar of the year?

The 170CR model is actually lighter than my Superb 1 2.5 V6 and caravans are much heavier than they were when the Super 1 won in 2004.

I'm looking to upgrade my caravan to a Lunar Quasar 615, but I dont want a big lumpy 4x4. My curent car will tow it, but its getting on a little bit. I just dont thing the new Superb will cut it.

Correction - the 3.6 V6 model comes in at under 85% on a car/van match. Hmmmm.

If you are an experienced tower, forget the 85% guidance. Most caravan website forums suggest that the 85% is essential for inexperienced drivers but with experience one can go to 100%. These percentages are only guidance, but it will be illegal to exceed the maximum towing weight provided by the manufactures and you must of course not load the caravan more than the manufacturers stated values. It is more important to ensure you keep within these loads and without doing a full inventory, it is surprisingly easy to overload - the margins are quite small. Also get the nose weight correct, normally close to the maximum permitted by the car manufacturer.

In terms of pulling power, the Superb II is certainly adequate for almost any caravan built in the UK. Now caravans are coming with their own electronic stability control, (which can be retrofitted), combined with cars stability control, with sensible driving, caravan instability should be a thing of the past.

Brian

[jcblincs]

winning towcar of the year is not simply about being big and powerful . Its about all round abilities. The 170CR has a towing limt of 1700kg which is HUGE for a saloon car. Even my 1.8 petol superb 2 has a limit of 1500. Thats more than my passat which i used for towing and is more than i need for my large twin axle van (although the van is light for its size). modern vans are getting heavier due to more upmarket fixtures but i am sure a big twin axle will come in under the 1700kg.

look at previous towcar of the year winners. think it was the mondeo last year. look at its max weight. as i say - its not just about weight as that woudl rule out loads of contenders. They do have a winner in each class of car and then they select an overall winner. look at the "monster truck towcar of the year" section if you need more weight (although i understand your reservations about 4x4's. i dont like them either)

go to teh caravan club website and i think you can read all the info on the towcar competition. go to Caravan Talk (Powered by Invision Power Board) for lots more help

[Marcus100]

Cars as bizarre as the Vauxhall Calibra have won in the past so the Superb is quite a sensible choice really!

As for towing up to 100% ... not for me! I am an experienced 'vanner but currently run at a 75% ratio and that is with Alko electronic stability control system fitted ( as well as an Alko stabiliser and shock absorbers). For us the journey is part of the holiday so don't want any complications.

He who pays chooses though!

[primey]

Forgot about Caravan Talk. Aint been on that Forum for a while.

[jcblincs]

Forgot about Caravan Talk. Aint been on that Forum for a while.

:confused::confused:

[jcblincs]

Cars as bizarre as the Vauxhall Calibra have won in the past so the Superb is quite a sensible choice really!

As for towing up to 100% ... not for me! I am an experienced 'vanner but currently run at a 75% ratio and that is with Alko electronic stability control system fitted ( as well as an Alko stabiliser and shock absorbers). For us the journey is part of the holiday so don't want any complications.

He who pays chooses though!

crikey thats a bit cautious.

however - even at 75% if you dont get the nose weight and the weight distribution correct it can be worse that a correctly balanced 100% load.

I run at abou 100-110% with my race car on a trailer and its much more stable than the van - mcuh lower centre of gravity and less susceptible to the wind.

i towed at about 95% with the passat and caravan but this will go down with the superb as it has a higher kerb weight.

[Marcus100]

Oh I check my noseweight every trip. I'm not one for taking chances.

I feel at 75% I have that extra edge in windy weather etc. Have in the past been up to 85% which was fine.

[jcblincs]

i struggle to check my noseweight - its a twin axle van so its hard to get the noseweight gauge to work accurately. I gave up in the end and went with gut feel. I have got used to when the van/ trailer does not feel right and i stop and shift some weight about. Again - both are twin axles so movement in weight does no have as dramatic effect as on a single axle.

[primey]

Cant remember if I've asked this before or not but what type of Twin Axle van do you drag?

[jcblincs]

its an older van from about 1993. Its called and Avondale Pentland 6. it is surprisingly light for a large van -around 1200kg and 20ft.

[primey]

Is that the MRO? 1200kg

[jcblincs]

1200kg is the unladen weight. this is MIRO isnt it ?

[primey]

1200kg is the unladen weight. this is MIRO isnt it ?

I think so. The weight out of the factory. If it is, then thats quite heavy for a van of its age....

[jcblincs]

yes but it is 20ft long, twin axle, 6 berth and well equiped. you should see some of the weights of modern vans. you struggle to tow many of the new twin axle vans with a normal saloon car. we looked at a newer van but it put me off in that if i wanted the layout and features in the van I would have to buy a 4x4 to tow it.

the MIRO of mine is nearer 1100kg not 1200kg now i think about it.

[primey]

1260kg is the MRO of the new van im looking at. This is why im interested in what the new Superb an do...

[jcblincs]

thats good for a new van. I think the superb 170CR will pull that OK wont it ? max towing limit is 1800kg !! thats massive for a saloon car.although you would be at 120% of the kerb weight which is a bit scary. The kerb weight is 1500kg so with about 200kg of possesions in the van you can keep under 100%.

[primey]

thats good for a new van. I think the superb 170CR will pull that OK wont it ? max towing limit is 1800kg !! thats massive for a saloon car.although you would be at 120% of the kerb weight which is a bit scary. The kerb weight is 1500kg so with about 200kg of possesions in the van you can keep under 100%.

How do you get to 120% of the kerb weight...?

[jcblincs]

kerb weight of the 170CR is about 1500kg (varies a little depending on gearbox).

1800kg is the max towing limit stated by skoda

1800/1500 = 120%

or 1500 x 120% = 1800kg

[Marcus100]

The sad fact is 'van are hugely heavier than they used to be, but most of us want all the extras so something has to give.

My dinky thirteen and a half foot Bailey tips the scales at 1007Kg unladen, 1175Kg fully laden, but it comes with all the kit including microwave, extractor fan etc etc. However it tows as if its on rails and using a motor mover it is easy to man handle. The Octavia has loads of power so we can whoosh up all but the steepest motorway gradients in the 6th gear at 60.

Skoda's seem to be getting lighter ... at least on paper. My Octavia weighs in at 1515Kg but the latest common rail one apparantly weighs only 1445Kg. The new Superb looks as if its lighter than the old one too. Not good news for us caravanners.