Ford Focus
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi and BaileyI have had this combination of car and caravan since 2010. Performance has been good to hold the UK 60 mph speed limit using 5th gear on motorways except with a very strong headwind or a particularly steep gradient (e.g. Alps & very occasionally in UK) when 4th gear holds 60 mph. Top speed in 5th on the level is just over 70 mph as discovered on an Autoroute. You do need to drive the car (i.e. use the gears) to keep up a good pace on normal roads and to accelerate reasonably well. Fuel consumption is about 50 mpg solo and 30 mpg towing. Stability seems good with Alko stabiliser fitted. Some reaction to cross winds and HGVs but easily controllable. Severe hill starts involve careful clutch-slipping and a strong pull on the hand brake.
I have been very happy with this car and van. A good economical car for every-day use providing a reasonable towing performance provided you are prepared to work with it.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and Baileymy focus is the 1.8 115 bhp it pulls this van very nicely and has no trouble up hills. the only thing i did notice was it a bit bouncy for the first ten miles, i don,t know if it the car settling down because of the weight e.t.c.overall i feel safe towing this unit.
Ford Focus 2.0 16v and BaileyThis car and caravan combo tows effortlessly
45psi in my rear tyres
30psi in my front
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and SpriteEXCELLENT COMBINATION
Ford Focus 1.4 16v and FreedomThe towing report for my outfit gives it a bad match, but I have never had any problem towing my little lightweight caravan. It is a bit slower on a long motorway climb, and needs to change down a gear in hilly areas, but otherwise great.
Ford Focus 1.6 16v and CaravanThe Solifer 500 golfie caravan is easy to tow, but the car engine has quite limited power. You really need to make work to accelerate, but I have used not to rush :) I am generally using 4th gear on larger roads (85 km/h). The car could tow with 5th gear, but people tend to say that gear box does not like that. To maintain speed I need to change to 3rd gear, but if you can tolerate some drop the 4th is fine.
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and BaileyThis site is great quickly gives an indication of what a particular vehicle can effectively Tow.
My Focus performs very well with the bailey and again the comments regarding 6th gear usability are spot on. On a reasonable run with good roads I am averaging a mpg of about 26. But that is maintaining 60 mph on motorway sections. Usually no problem with 6th gear on this type of road!
Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost and Spriteowned vauxhall Vectra 2litre 16v 1999. Pulling Sprite Alpine 2008 2 berth. Sluggish up hill, no go in it until on motorways/dual carriageways. Ford Focus 1.6 ecoboost 150ps 2012. fantastic accelleration from start. goes up hills with no reduced accelleration. stable and much improvement on vectra. good towcar even though slightly over the 85% rule but can be compensated by loading heavy stuff in car and keeping the weight down. Good all round car for towing and very pleased and confident that I can now tow abroad.
Ford Focus Wagon 2.0 TDCi aut. and SwiftThis is a great towcar. Being a 2 clutch auto, fuel efficiency is great (for an auto) and it makes towing very relaxed.
Fuel economy drops to around 28 mpg when towing, but it is a fairly large heavy van!
Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi and LunarHandled spot-on, hills and acceleration no problem!
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and EribaLozenge shape, with the top down, presents a small frontal area, consequently it travels very well, with little buffeting from trucks and coaches or side winds. A beautiful outfit to drive, no vices and fuel consumption in the mid to high 30's. Fellow Eriba owners still wave to each other, a really classic caravan.
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi and LunarTowed our lunar stellar with 2 adults ,3 children , 5 bikes and clothes ,full awning, all rest of equiptment and it towed like a dream , had to stop at traffic lights on a 1.6 gradient hill and had no problems , our focus is the 1.6 tdci sport , we also tow with a freelander but the focus tows with just as much power !! brilliant tow car would recommend to anyone !!
Ford Focus Wagon 1.8 TDCi and AvondaleI find the Ford is very stable with the Dart and performance is adequate though 5th is really only used downhill, 4th is still quite a tall gear and is fine cruising on French motorways around 55-60 mph. The van has an alko stabiliser which I would recommend.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and SpriteCar tows Sprite Alpine 2 without difficulty through France, Germany and the Low Countries. Good on hills and the mway average 32mpg. Take care with weight distribution as nose weight limited, but recommended.
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi and SpriteHi, Bought the focus for economy reasons as we were running a motorhome. Sold it and bought the Alpine 4. The Focus has been nothing but hassle. Very slow progress on the slightest incline. Terrible smell from burning clutch, we reversed the caravan on a slight incline whilst moving onto a pitch, problems did about a five to ten feet in reverse to find plumes of smoke pouring from wheel arches. Ford have recorded a problem with the type of clutch on certain models, this is one of them. We have sold it and bought a 2011 Mondeo Estate. Better fuel economy better ride and towing.. AVOID FOCUS FOR TOWING LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!
Ford Focus 1.8 16v and AbbeyI have a 1.8 Ford Focus MTW 1200kg with a Abi Celebration MLW 1100kg. The car is juddering a little when pulling. Has anyone else experience this. The brakes on the caravan are fine and the caravan hasn't been fully laden
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and BaileyAfter towing with a Peugeot 405tdci (1.9ltr 90ps), the Focus does indeed tow better, faster and easier. Unfortunately, although on paper more economical than the Peugeot, it is no better, or even slightly worse, if one makes use of that extra performance. 25 to 29mpg. Otherwise very good apart from slight indications of instability going downhill at about 60mph (I don't use a stabilizer). Obvious answer is to reduce speed, thus stopping the slight instability and improving consumption.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and BaileyThe Focus and the 12 year old Bailey 380/2 make a very stable towing combination. Fuel around 25-27mpg
at a steady 60mph. The Focus pulls well but needs to drop a gear or two on long steep motorway stages
Ford Focus Wagon 1.6 TDCi and SpritePathetic acceleration, shuffling up an down the gear box needed on slightest hill or incline. Tolerable if your not in a hurry.
The WORST ISSUE! The slightest bit of reversing causes clutch to smell terrible, incredibly strong in cabin lasts for days. Seems to get worse or time. Last time I reversed manouvering the caravan i reversed no more than ten feet and black acrid smoke was pooring from the wheel arches. Spoke to my ford dealer and it is a known issue with certain Fords. Massive wear on clutch, Ford not interested. Have sold car and swopped for a Mondeo. The thing is the economy figures are rubbish it has never acheived anything like the qouted figures, infact average fuel consumption (without caravan) is 42mpg. My new Mondeo 2 litre estate is averaging 49 mpg! Also trims dropped of door near door mirrors
AVOID THIS CAR LIKE THE PLAGUE!
Ford Focus 1.8 16v and CaravanI have just used my old 2000 Ford Focus LX to tow an Elldis Whirlwind XL on a 400 mile round trip, the actual towing was excellent even when an idiot in a lorry decided it was fun to accelerate as I was overtaking, drop a cog and the Focus pulled me well out of trouble. Fuel consumption was around 30 mpg. Overall well pleased!!
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and LunarPulls well although 5th gear makes the engine struggle a bit so I kept it in 4th and was averaging around 29mpg. One note though was a high water temperature light came on and it seems (acording to Ford) that it was an error in the signal from the main control chip to the dashboard sensors, they interpretted the signals wrongly and gave a high temp when there was none! But that is fixed and car works well. Very stable even with side winds.
Ford Focus 2.0 16v and BaileyThis outfit is just on the limits for towing, as its 2.0l petrol, you get about 27mpg when towing, For a petrol car, this is fine.
I never have a problem with towing, acceleration and stopping is slower than when not towing, bet when isnt it, As long as you take these into concideration, this outfit is good. Your not in a rush, Concentrate, drive steady and enjoy your towing.......
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and ElddisVery good match, had for over a year now and at all times the combination has remained very stable, with plenty of power on tap if needed. Fuel consumption seems average around the 30 to 35 mpg, dependent on terrain / weather conditions, with further fuel savings to be had if you drop motorway speeds down to 50 – 55 mph instead of the normal 60ish.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and CaravanI have a Sun Roller Jazz 400. First year towing so little experience , but after this summer touring central and northern Spain, completing 5000Kms.the car pulled well ,staying around 80/85Kms.steady and fuel consumption good.Takes some quite steep hills and or mountain roads with use of gears ( manual ) caravan life is a patient activity and fuel usage is part of your cost. I would rate the car's performance as very good overall.
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and LunarWhat an interesting and detailed site! I thought the comments regarding poor useability of 6th gear reflected excellently what I've found in practice.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi and Avondaleall good even climbs inclines well
Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi and SterlingTows very smooth - avg 33-35 mpg.
Traction can be tricky when wet, but easily assisted with careful loading!
Ford Focus Wagon 1.6 TDCi and BurstnerIn ny opinion Ford Focus Wagon 1.6 TDCi 90 CV can tow a Burstner Premio 435 TS in almost every conditions, performances are not like a Formule 1 but I've never had problems of power lack. As weight the train is well combined.
Ford Focus Wagon 1.6 16v and CaravanJust returned to N.Wales from Provence with my 1.6 Focus Estate and Lunar Clubman 400-2. Cruising at 60 mph. on level motorways in fifth gear, sometimes changing to fourth or third on inclines. Very stable outfit, fuel economy about 30 mpg. towing. Steep climb from Le Luc to La Garde Freinet (comparable to an alpine pass) was no problem. I would recommend this towcar for vans up to about 1000 kg. MTPLM, no need for Chelsea Tractors!
Ford Focus 1.6 16v and PolarThe caravan is too heavy for the car. On a flat road it can maintain 80 km/h (the speed limit in Sweden) but as soon as it goes uphill we're soon down at 55-60 km/h to prevent the temp to go into the red field. Last summer we blew the waterpump, probably due to the heavy load.
Overall, the car can't nearly take the 1200 kg it's spec:ed for.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and Freedomi have recently bought a 2003 focus estate tdci. great on it's own but towing my microlight the fuel consumption is horrendous, possibly as low as 20 mpg and struggling to keep 60 mph. any ideas?
Ford Focus 1.8 16v and BaileyWe used are fucus 1 time only to collect the van which unfortunatly was 200 mile away .. we new it was a bit underpowered , it was a nightmare. we now have a multipla 115 diesel and all is well..
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and BaileyThis car is a great tow car for the bailey, hill climbs a breeze as car has great torque, very easy to exceed speed limits, and fuel usage is not that bad low 30mph if driven well. I doubt a smaller engined focus would be much good but the 1.8lt oil burner hits the spot for both tow work and as a day 2 day tool.
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and Abbeythe spec is spot on as regards 5th and 6th gear work I run heavy in the summer to italy plus motor mover
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and SwiftHave towed my 2009 swift charisma on six occasions uptill now mainly to east yorkshire from birmingham and I have found the focus rock steady with plenty of power to spare which all goes to make pleasant towing, and it returns 37mpg whilst towing
Ford Focus Wagon 1.6 TDCi and Caravelairsi richiede info traino roulotte caravaleir deluxe antares 51 con ford focus 16 tdci sx
Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi and Coachmanthe PERFECT MATCH - towed 180 miles mostly in 6th
in 3 and half hours. Leicester A46 M1 M25 to Brighton.
Steady as a Rock - Plenty of acceleration - even in 6th
for overtaking lorries. Hills outside of Brighton no problem. Convertable enjoyable ride throughout. Still
got 38mpg average according to Fords computer!
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and EribaMy Focus is actually the 115bhp Mk2 ('56) version it tows the Puck L 230GT very well indeed and returns around 38mpg (has been as high as 40+) it is possible with remapping to go to 150bhp with a nicer spread of power/more torque (Celtic Tuning)
The combo handles extremely well on narrow roads and motorways alike
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi and LunarThe Diesel engine works well pulling along all roads.
We have travelled overed some rather steep hills and had to lower gears, but still managed to maintain acceptable speed. Fuel economy is reasonable when towing.
One concern, hill starts. On pulling away from a T-Junxion on a hill, both front tyres had no traction and clutch very quick to burn. After several attempts managed to pull away (good job the road was quiet at the time !)
Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi and CompassDont use this towing combination . The Focus struggles like mad .
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi and BaileyI have a 56 plate focus and a 2001 Ranger. The tow match is superb, outfit is stable and there is plenty of power. The car will cruise at 60 on the motorway with no problem. Fuel consumption is reduced to 32mpg. Watch the clutch when reversing.
Ford Focus 1.8 16v and ElddisThe car will tow on happily on normal roads, comfortable at 60 mph. Lower gears on necessary on hills, where it does seem a little more power is needed.
Ford Focus 2.5 ST and AvondaleNo problems towing and would you beleive the fuel consumtion is slightly BETTER at 22mpg, must be my diving!
Get some strange looks pulling a caravan wit an ST
Due to size of engine no issues pulling or stopping. Turning cycle limited as sterring is for sports set up. Fitting removalable tow ball limited impact on the visual appearance at the rear
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and SterlingCar brilliant, tows van no bother, always carefull on weight distribution done several long runs without problem. Sits at 60 no bother and returns 30ish mpg when towing.
Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi and SwiftCar is fantastic. Towed through France (A75 to South) to Spain (also in Pyranees) 5 years in a row (14,000 towing in total), no problem what so ever. Plenty of torque, 26 - 32 mpg, depending on severity of hills. Totally reliable so far (can't say that for caravan!).
Ford Focus Wagon 1.8 TDDi and Caravanifind i have not got any problems at al only long hills do i have to go from 5th to 4th and fin it a good tow car
Ford Focus 1.6 16v and FreedomThe car and caravan combination is quite a good match, the car will happily tow at 60mph on a straight motorway although the caravan isn't the most stable in any sort of wind. As soon as you hit a hill or see a hill approaching you really need to think whether or not you need to drop a gear to maintain your speed. For the most part it will cruise happily between 50-60. Fuel consumption I find isn't affected to badly and the car still returns a very good mpg. If you can afford to get a bigger engined car or insure one then I would advise that you do but, it does ok and will tow it fine just lacking on power at the sight of a hill, but wouldn't put me off.
Ford Focus 1.8 16v and AvondaleI tow a Dart 475 y200 at just under 1200 MTPLW with my 1.8 zetec ford focus mk1 without any major problems although i do try to avoid starting on steeper hills and have to work the gears a little when going over the penines (england).
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