Looking for some info on what people think is the best car /SUV to tow behind my motorhome.
msigg,
Jul 9, 2:26pm
Suzuki 4x4 with transfer case
s_nz,
Jul 9, 3:05pm
Be ready for people to recommend falcons, Prado etc. as they won't have read your first post, and the title is unclear.
If you are willing to tow the car on a trailer or dolly, then you can have pretty much anything. (actually not a bad option, as you don't run up the ODO when towing, and get breaks+ lights without digging into the tender car.
if you want to tow with an A frame, and have 4 wheel's down, then things are a lot harder. You would probiably be better to ask on a motor-home forum than here.
Old Suzuki 4x4's are popular. If you want a modern car with an auto transmission, you can get it, but the list of cars that can be towed wheels down is pretty short. (gearbox limitation).
3tomany,
Jul 9, 5:23pm
Anything you like if you simply get a trailer or dolly to put it on. Would be the way i would do it.
desmodave,
Jul 9, 5:24pm
What ever fits on a single axle trailer . Trailer should be cheaper to maintain than a car being towed . Your heading is misleading for sure , so you will be asked do you really a 4x4 . Basically your wanting any 4x4 with a proper hi/lo transfer case so you can leave it in neutral while being dragged about by a camper . Is that right ? .
monaro17,
Jul 9, 5:38pm
Absolutely get a small low trailer and put whatever you like on it. Such a no brainer
sr2,
Jul 9, 7:28pm
I can't believe some of the suggestions above!
Surely the answer has to be something cheap, reliable and with a manual transmission?
(Oh and don't forget to put it in neutral).
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 9, 8:21pm
Fiat Panda, Punto or 500. The clever transmission design means you can have an auto that is still towable. They are light but practical and safe. Also exceptionally good value for money and suitable as an every day car.
You can get these amazing super light tow kits from the UK that work with them.
A million times better than towing an old Suzuki 4x4.
craig04,
Jul 9, 8:44pm
I agree with Jazz. Fiats excel at being towed.
3tomany,
Jul 10, 9:19am
Good point jazz.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 10, 10:20am
Thanks. Just a couple of notes to anyone looking. Take a look at their website etc to see how easy the frame is to connect and disconnect and how good it looks off. If going for a Panda, get the current model 900cc twinair. DON"T be put off by it being 900cc it's an award winning engine design that gives you loads of power and torque even at low rev's. It's also absurdly economical with combined usage of about 4.2l/100km. They are crazy good value at the moment and more than capable on the open road as well as around town so you have a car that is useful for so much more than just towing behind the camper. If you are wondering how much go they have, it's around what you wou ld expect from a 1990's 1.6 Corolla auto or a more modern 1.5 Demio or similar, only the Fiat will be better in the hills and use half the gas. If you want 4x4 capability you can import a 4WD version of the Panda from the UK for quite reasonable money. 2WD ones are NZ New here and fairly easy to get.
ceebee2,
Jul 10, 1:35pm
Quite innovative Jazz. looks easy to hook / unhook as well. Connected throught the front fender.
ceebee2,
Jul 10, 2:06pm
And lighter by the looks of it.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 10, 2:40pm
Funnily enough, the Panda is slightly heavier (not enough to be a factor for towing). I think the difference is the Suzuki has no back seat and associated safety equipment. Also less airbags etc in general. The Panda is built to be very good in a crash and that always adds weight.
The Suzuki is one of the few vehicles still built on a separate Chassis which is a bit of a safety issue. They are too rigid in the bottom and it tends to make them want to close like a book in a high speed crash.
slarty45,
Jul 10, 2:52pm
"Unused back seat available and can be refit easily"
I took mine out too, but had to put it back in for WOF
martin11,
Jul 10, 3:02pm
How do you get on for activating the brakes on the towed vehicle . ?
tamarillo,
Jul 10, 6:45pm
Seen a few of those tall skinny diahastsu (spelling! ) 4wd being towed on A frames as well as common Suzuki jimny. Op get yerself on the motor home forum for more. Or get fiat.
melvis4,
Jul 10, 9:38pm
I've seen Suzuki Jimny's towed behind motorhomes.
s_nz,
Jul 10, 9:59pm
In NZ generally they don't bother. (If you are towing with something like a bus, you will still pass the 30km/h stoping test without brakes on the towed vehicle.)
This is an advantage of the trailer option. Overide brakes are easy.
In many european countries you need the beakes to work. One company does it by having an actuiator in the footwell of the towed vehicle, and an electric vaccum pump so power braking works (using the signal from an overide couppeling)
harry353,
Jul 10, 10:35pm
Have towed the small Suzuki SUV on many occasions and they are a good stable vehicle to tow. They are also a reliable car.
Fiat are in general very unreliable and have terrible resale value.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 10, 10:44pm
LMAO, the resale on the Panda will be excellent for the next 10 years or so. Just look at what the older model still goes for. The resale on that Suzuki however will plummet over the same period.
The reliability thing is hilarious, partly because the Panda is renowned for it's extreme reliability (That's partly why they were used as Police cars in Alpine countries and for self drive tours in African deserts).
It's also funny because Fiat supplies all of Suzuki's Diesel engines.
Now in fairness the Jimney is a very reliable car as well, but mostly because it's devoid of any equipment.
Go and check them both out at the reliabilityindes.com look up the Toyota Corolla and a few others to compare. Pretty much any score under 100 is doing very very well reliability wise and more than suitable. If you get the Fiat's Luxury, efficiency and safety technology and still make it under 100 you are doing exceptionally well.
Source: I have owned about 10 Panda's, used them in a work fleet and still own one. Probably have had well over 20 Fiats by now. Have paid for all expenses and noted depreciation etc. Funny thing is, overall my Panda's have actually appreciated not depreciated! Plus been the picture of reliability.
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 10, 10:50pm
A very good question. These guys have a super elegant solution to that too.
Lol now you are scouring the internet for any bad press you can find!
Like I said, the reliability index figures are there for anyone who cars to look up. Thats from the largest collection of third party warranty data publically available.
Since you are busy scouring the internet harry, why don't you find a 2015 car that will depreciate better than the Panda in the next 5 years since that was your other claim? I reckon you might find something but you will be working very very hard and there will be nothing in it. Not bad for a car you said had terrible depreciation.
BTW. with regard to your American stats, Suzuki did so badly in that segment in the States that they went bankrupt a few years back.
As for no laughing matter, I have been laughing all the way to the bank with my Panda's. Negative depreciation, very low outlay, exceptionally low running costs and phenomenal reliability. They have treated me really well despite being quite abused by the young guys I hired. I have only had one significant repair which was a head gasket on one at over 200'000km which I suspect was the result of it being run completely out of oil on a steep hill as the previous owner had fitted the wrong oil filter. Of course being a Fiat it was super quick, cheap and easy to fix. Not bad for a collection of 10 Panda's. One of mine was an old MK1 which I bought sight unseen, it hadn't left the garage for several years. I took a bus up to pick it up with a new battery and a few tools. Fitted the battery started it up and drove it 200km home without missing a beat. (just a quick fuel and tyre pressure stop required)
Incidentally, they are so nice to work on, I can change a timing belt, waterpump and tensioner on one in under 15 minutes. That time doesn't include the bleed time for the new coolant though to be fair. (car needs to be run back up to temp which takes a little bit of waiting)
harry353,
Jul 10, 11:25pm
Suzuki "had" issues but no longer. Fiat "had and continue to have issues".
I don't think the few minutes it took to reply gave me sufficient time to go "scouring" the internet. Firstly it's general knowledge that Fiat are crap and all you need to do is search "Is Fiat a reliable car brand". You will receive plenty of worthy options, many stating actual "facts" and not opinion.
As far as depreciation is concerned. Well first you have to actually sell a Fiat first before you can get any statistics and that is difficult. But yes they are available. Just google it. There are plenty of places to choose from.
What NZ company gives their poor employees a Fiat as a company car? Fiat?
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