Suitable vehicle for towing behind Motor Home

meerkat342, May 2, 8:00pm
can any one give me some advise?
I have been told that it must be a manual
Apart from that I have no idea at all.

survivalkiwi, May 2, 8:03pm
I would love to see someone show me the pros and con's re towing a car on its own and towing it on a trailer or even one of those small trailers that you just put the front wheels on.

meerkat342, May 2, 8:15pm
I am looking for a suitable vehicle to be towed on an A frame.

skull, May 2, 8:17pm
Suzuki Vitaras are popular for that. They have a transfer case that can be popped into neutral.

monaro17, May 2, 8:20pm
Yes I would be getting a wee trailer to put the car on. Saves on having the odometer spinning around and saves on wear.

Otherwise, early suzuki escudo models are always popular in your situation. This is because it is one of the few automatic vehicles you can tow with an A- frame

busdriverman, May 2, 8:22pm
Ask in nzmotorhome.co.nz forum. There are lots of people in there that a-frame cars behind their motorhomes

captaink, May 3, 4:54am
If you want to a frame it cannot be a model where the fitment will affect collision crumple zones or airbags so generally older vehicles.

If you want to A frame an automatic as above, it has to be (to the best of my knowledge) a Suzuki Escudo / Mazda Levante 4 x4 as they can be towed with the transfer case in neutral, gearbox in 'P'.

I have A framed as above since 2004, mileage on Toad doesn't worry me as older car as above is not worth a lot anyway, same with stone chips etc. Tends to scuff front tyres but I run snow tires / second hand all round which I buy for next to nothing,(and drive it accordingly).Love it tho, no track or beach I won't take it on or up and it's been up some beauties.

Gave up on the trailer because motorhome, plus trailer, plus vehicle just too much space required when parked up, ( smaller camper maybe not so bad but then do you really need a car with a small camper?) Still got the trailer if anyone wants it !
Have a few friends who have changed to 'Dolly's' and happy with the concept, wide choice of later model cars, manual or auto, unit tucks away under motorhome pretty much when parked up. Top spots can get pretty crowded these days and it is only going to get worse, site space is/ can be a major consideration

meerkat342, May 3, 5:10am
CaptainK
I appreciate you comments.
our Motor home is a Nissan Civilian and up to now we have towed a purpose built trailer behind it . . Takes the generator, the barbecue, rubbish bin, foldout table, chairs and of course the Double Kayak on top. we think a vehicle that can do all that is a more logical choice. we havent given a dolly much thought but certainly would allow us to buy a more modern vehicle .

captaink, May 3, 5:14am
Yes I would be getting a wee trailer to put the car on. Saves on having the odometer spinning around and saves on wear.

Hard to build a 'wee' trailer' to tow a car on. Has to be as long as the car plus the draw bar. if you make it too small may not suit the next upgrade to a new model plus the 'cost' of the trailer probably greater than the mileage increase on resale.

robotnik, May 3, 5:39am
The PT Cruiser with a manual transmission is safe to tow with all four wheels down. It is a popular choice amongst American RVers. The odometer on the Chrysler does not tick over if the engine is not running.

thejazzpianoma, May 3, 6:29am
If you want an auto you are not limited to Suzuki Vitara's etc. You could go for a Fiat Panda, Fiat 500 or Fiat Grande Punto. These cars have a much better 5 speed dualogic automatic that has a proper neutral just like a manual car and are much more fuel efficient and nicer to drive as well. They are also amazing value with a Grande Punto or Panda of 2007ish vintage in very good condition starting from just $4000 and pretty easily obtained for around $6000. If you have more cash and want a new vehicle, you could also consider a Skoda Citigo (same transmission setup), although the Fiat's are pretty good value new as well. There are a few other little cars around with that sort of setup too, but those would be my pick.

I would also flag the whole primitive A frame idea and look in to whether you can import a "smart-tow" kit from the UK. These come factory made for the exact vehicles above as a kit. They are light weight, quick to fit and offer smart solutions to braking etc.

Here is a video of a Fiat Panda being towed with one. BTW, the Fiat Panda would probably be my primary choice due to it's good ground clearance, weight, size, price etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=striZqf23uw

Remember too, the likes of a Panda is a fantastic little car in it's own right. It gives you a properly decent, reliable, safe and capable little car that you can use every day. Much better than some horrible compromise that becomes yet another vehicle to pay for but would be about your last choice for a little car if it wasn't for being able to tow it.

thejazzpianoma, May 3, 6:38am
BTW. just as a general tip. I think the NZMCA is a fantastic group and well worth joining. However having dealt with members over the years (and this isn't really the fault of the club) they are absolute shockers for sharing horribly out of date and inefficient ideas. They seem to spend a lot of time socialising and discussing while they camp, but tend to just recycle the same old solutions they have used for the last 30 years. There isn't really any young/technical element in the group to keep them up to date.

So, in short. Take any advice from members with a very big grain of salt. Likewise much of the advice from these so called "motorhome specialist" shops, many of which are set up and run by the same not very technically minded types.

Again, not bagging them. Just alerting you to what I have found, as I have seen a lot of money wasted on bad ideas as a result. No one is deliberately being idiotic, it's just a side effect of the particular social group/demographic.

Happy Motorhoming.

captaink, May 3, 8:36am
BTW. so it would seem Jazz has contact with a certain sector of a club with in excess of 30,000 current members. There is a very large contingent within this club that Jazz will never have contact with.
Social group / Demographic indeed. who do you think you are?

The particular interest group I belong to has an average motorhome value in excess of $150k, our latest member has invested 395k and my mate has his for sale for a mere $285k. Everyone of us owns our home +++ so we haven't sold up to pursue our dream. I can assure you that there are members within our group that will bury you on technics pertinent to our particular vehicles so don't set yourself up as the be all and end all of advise. My comments on A framing late model vehicles still stands and I'm sure that was a Panda stuck in the ford at the top of the Nevis as my $2k Vitara swished past

daryl14, May 3, 8:46am

thejazzpianoma, May 3, 8:48am
LOL, that about sums it up.
Now please excuse me while I go rehydrate, I get the impression I may be needing the extra fluids.

johotech, May 3, 8:58am
Once you've had a suitable drink, maybe you can refresh everyone's knowledge regarding the current _NZ rules_ for fitting A Frames to modern cars, as well as the requirements for braking, lights etc.

Seeing as how all us ancient NZMCA members are so woefully out of touch, it would be a great service if you could update us on this subject.

thejazzpianoma, May 3, 9:45am
Are you not capable of googling the fact sheet or clicking on the video link I posted above?

Given the kit I recommended is DOT approved in the UK, does not attach in such a way as to upset airbags or crumple zones and is not left attached to the vehicle when not in use. I would say you likely have no problem, especially as it operates both the vehicle brakes and the lights.

But hey, a sensible person would check all that out completely before importing one none the less, and since this poster asked, this factsheet may be a good place to start.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/75/a-frame-towing.html

OP, hopefully you can tell from my first post that it was not my intention to upset anyone. However since we seem to have arrived at this place anyway, I may as well point out that this "already know everything" attitude is part of the problem. There seems to be little room for new/better ideas, so it's wise to extend research beyond the club. Again, I think it's a fantastic organisation and I urge all motor-homers to join, but having advised many members on technical issues as part of my former business I can only comment on the challenges I faced. I don't see why anyone needs to get upset over it, it's just something to be aware of so as to avoid the same trap yourself.

There is no shame in admitting the weaknesses of an organisation. We are all human and it's just an inevitable outcome of the dynamic of the group. I certainly am not claiming to have all the answers, just giving you some ideas from what I have learned and pointing out a potential pitfall I have noticed in past.

gunhand, May 3, 9:54am
If ya so rich why not get one of those RVs that have a slide out unit on the side that a car drives onto then slides back in. That would save any towing issues and maybe win the penis measuring comp as well.
Pretty sure there other variations on that theme too.

captaink, Feb 14, 9:02pm
So gunhand you got suckrd as well, it's not about being rich or anything else, it's merely Sir Jazz stating that motorhome owners come from a particular social ,demographic, (something he has alluded to often in the past) but I guess you missed that and simply wanted to crack on with your tall poppy syndrome.
I don't have any towing issues, more than happy as I am.
I for one think the smart tow option is too expensive but if you want to tow a particular late model car it may be worthwhile.