Number 58!

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scoobyh123
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Re: Number 58!

Post by scoobyh123 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:35 am

I never understood why they withdrew towing a trailer with a car on a standard car licence. There used to be a rule of thumb for safe towing that the trailer should be a maximum of 3/4 of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. Not sure what the weight of your Astra is but i'm going to guess about 1500kg and your van at 1.2T is over the 3/4 point. Yet you have a Jeep (about 1800kg kerb weight if memory serves from mine) that has a lot more torque and weight and would be the better and safer tow car and legally you can't use it - not yet anyway.

By being a nanny state they're preventing people doing things safely - ridiculous with a capital F! :wink: :D
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Re: Number 58!

Post by Fastback » Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:54 pm

Just going back to that 'practical' point, it's one of the major reasons I love the 800 Fastback design, eminently practical. It allows me to carry 'estate like' loads up to 11 feet long (that's 3.35m for our Euro friends). You can even get a standard pallet in the back. Or many. It's a load lugger one minute, a comfortable cruiser the next.

We all know they're not perfect, too much wind noise etc and if I drove more, even at 35mpg, it would be an issue. But for me, right now (and the forseeable) there's nowt better. I don't even know what new car I would look at.
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CHR15E
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Re: Number 58!

Post by CHR15E » Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:53 am

scoobyh123 wrote:
Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:35 am
I never understood why they withdrew towing a trailer with a car on a standard car licence. There used to be a rule of thumb for safe towing that the trailer should be a maximum of 3/4 of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. Not sure what the weight of your Astra is but i'm going to guess about 1500kg and your van at 1.2T is over the 3/4 point. Yet you have a Jeep (about 1800kg kerb weight if memory serves from mine) that has a lot more torque and weight and would be the better and safer tow car and legally you can't use it - not yet anyway.

By being a nanny state they're preventing people doing things safely - ridiculous with a capital F! :wink: :D
Just to catch up.

I've heard other people say it's daft not being able to use a heavier car on safety grounds. The powers that be know best though. 🙄😂

The caravan club recommends 85% of the kerb weight for towing. It's a bit daft though as your car is never empty when you go on holiday!

For reference the Astra is around 1400kg and the Jeep 2000kg.

The law has now changed on towing so I may try my caravan on the Jeep and see how it compares. The Astra copes really well and will sit at 62 on cruise all day on the Motorway.

The only downside is economy, it typically does 22-24 when towing.


I've used the Jeep to tow my trailer a few times now (more Twintops). With just the trailer behind it it's averaging 24 on a motorway. With a car loaded it's 17.

A vast improvement on the 13 it does round town. So with the reduced weight of the caravan (1200kg vs 2300kg ish of the loaded trailer). I'm expecting the Jeeps MPG may be fairly close to the Astra.

The other thing of note is that the loaded trailer is heavier than the Jeep but still within the towing limits of the car.

I've found it very stable so far.
Fastback wrote:
Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:54 pm
Just going back to that 'practical' point, it's one of the major reasons I love the 800 Fastback design, eminently practical. It allows me to carry 'estate like' loads up to 11 feet long (that's 3.35m for our Euro friends). You can even get a standard pallet in the back. Or many. It's a load lugger one minute, a comfortable cruiser the next.

We all know they're not perfect, too much wind noise etc and if I drove more, even at 35mpg, it would be an issue. But for me, right now (and the forseeable) there's nowt better. I don't even know what new car I would look at.
I guess I've just got to use to flat open boots on estates and 4x4s.

I should also say that MK2s are better than MK1s in that respect.

Be careful of trying newer cars, if you find one you like it can very easily skew your yardstick.

While I won't claim our Astra is the best car in the world or anything it's very capable. I would prefer a larger engine but that's the modern way.

I think that refinement is a large part of it.
Chris
19 Vauxhall Astra 1.6T SRi Nav Estate
08 Vauxhall Astra 2.0T Design Twintop
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Previously owned 57 800s 2000-2012
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scoobyh123
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Re: Number 58!

Post by scoobyh123 » Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:04 pm

You may well find your Jeep does even better than the Astra when towing Chris because the engine is actually working for its living for a change. I know when i was towing with my Cherokee, i could easily get 24mpg on LPG which was more than it did when i wasn't towing!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-f ... utumn-2021

For anyone that hasn't seen it yet, the official government webpage on the new rules. Had to look it up to send to a mate in Warwickshire but potentially useful here too.
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Re: Number 58!

Post by BlueRover » Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:52 pm

Car and trailer driving tests have now stopped. You can no longer book one.

How about maikng things less safe then ?
Gordon:-
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scoobyh123
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Re: Number 58!

Post by scoobyh123 » Thu Jun 09, 2022 10:28 pm

BlueRover wrote:
Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:52 pm
Car and trailer driving tests have now stopped. You can no longer book one.

How about maikng things less safe then ?
I'm not sure that's the case, more like common sense prevailing that people who aren't confident to tow a trailer won't. If they're not competent, they won't be confident either and i know when i passed my test, i automatically gained trailer entitlement and still have it. I have towed but many things i wouldn't even consider towing but that's another story.
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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