Towcar of the Year Class Win

[IainM1970]

Very pleasing to see a 140 SE+ has won its class in the Caravan Club towcar of the year competion. It beat off competion like the Evoque SD4 and a Passat Alltrack. They praise high speed stability, cornering, handling and ride. All in agreement with my findings having towed about 3000 miles with my 170 Elegance.

A 1.2 petrol Urban was also entered in the competition ... it didn't fair so well, but it was in the same class as many more powerful cars.

[bettysman]

No complaints towing my caravan with a 2wd 110.

[jekyll]

Just reading the caravan club awards and really pleased i got the 140 - AWD under 1,800kg category winner.

Yayyyyyyyyy.

[Llanigraham]

Another big :thumbup: from a 140 4x4 owner.

Stability is excellent even at French motorway speeds.

[rockhopper]

I'm happy with my remapped CR140 DSG towing as well. It runs rings round my parents Disco. It will manoeuvre in places the disco can't get into.

[huntwing]

I am thinking of buying a 110 Yeti 2wd for towing a 1300kg caravan. How well do you think this combination will tow. Is the 110 underpowered. Cannot afford a 4x4 with the 140. Any feedback would be appreciated

huntwwing

Edited 9 October, 2012 by huntwing

[bettysman]

I think 1300kg is too heavy for the car (85%) rule. I tow a 1200kg van with a 110 tdi 2wd and its fine., would not want to go heavier than that.

Bob

[g6zru]

+1

Fred

[rkenny]

I would suggest that thisYeti/caravan combination: 1415kg towing 1300kg with a noseweight of 80kg could be okay for a caravanner who is experienced. What many people forget is if your noseweight is 80kg you are towing a maximum of 1220kg in the above situation.

The Yeti with its minimal rear overhang and relatively generous noseweight is inherently stable and the 85% rule is a guideline only.

[carl-northwood]

I would suggest that thisYeti/caravan combination: 1415kg towing 1300kg with a noseweight of 80kg could be okay for a caravanner who is experienced. What many people forget is if your noseweight is 80kg you are towing a maximum of 1220kg in the above situation.

The Yeti with its minimal rear overhang and relatively generous noseweight is inherently stable and the 85% rule is a guideline only.

What do you call experienced? How does one get this experience? Towing for years lighter vans heavier cars with no issues - is that experience? Or pushing the margins and see what happens?

What I want to know is how unstable a heavier van would be and how the Yeti deals with it. This is the problem with the Yeti is too damn light and a family sized van is difficult to find for the Yeti.

[bettysman]

Cars are becoming too light and caravans too heavy. caravans are being loaded with heavy extras we are told we need. a Bailey Orion evo 4 suits the yeti .

[Llanigraham]

This is the problem with the Yeti is too damn light and a family sized van is difficult to find for the Yeti.

No, the Yeti is NOT too light!

It is the fact that over the years caravans have increased in weight more than cars have.

25 years ago our van had no hot water, no battery, no oven, no toilet, no fridge, and no mains wiring. Our current van has a fixed double bed, mains electric powering the fridge and hot water system, a fridge nearly as big as the one at home, a TV aerial, two bigger gas bottles and a big battery, and it is only 3 ft longer than our first van. As is being said on a lot of the caravanning forums, there is now a need for the manufacturers to start building lighter vans, and certainly Bailey have started down that line, as have many of the European makers like Adria.

[Macdemon]

Another big :thumbup: from a 140 4x4 owner.

Stability is excellent even at French motorway speeds.

And a BIG :thumbup: :thumbup: from me too Graham, although I've never towed anything with Ivor.

Last year I had the opportunity to pull a Land Rover off a muddy patch of grass (faulty starter motor), but was unable to find my 'towing eye' so that was sorely missed :(

I have since found the eye, and am familiar with where to put the eye on the front AND the rear, so Ivor is now well prepared. :yes:

[IainM1970]

"What I want to know is how unstable a heavier van would be and how the Yeti deals with it. This is the problem with the Yeti is too damn light and a family sized van is difficult to find for the Yeti."

To take up Carl's point above ... my Yeti is perfectly stable with 1400Kg on the back ... we've covered a good few thousand miles in varying weather conditions without issue.

I agree the Yeti is light and it does rule out some vans from your choice ... I have written to Swift Caravans just yesterday suggesting we need a range of top spec but more compact vans which would inevitably be lighter ... maybe not so good for those looking for a family van but fine for couples like us.

[jlwah]

I notice that only 23 cars were entered for this competition, which slighty de-values an award in my opinion as lots of potentially good tow cars weren't even considered.

Don't disagree about the towing capabilities of the Yeti though (we tow a horse trailer and it's very stable).

[Brijo]

The November issue of the Camping & Caravanning Club mag has an exhibition advert. The towcar pictured seems familiar -

Teeny weeny caravan, though!