Dears,
I have this car but I'm not be happy to drive with caravan, due to high temperatures around 35-40 centigrates atsummer times and climbing hills is painful. Also within this hills fully loaded caravan around 800 kg.s makes the car all times overheated and car computer takes the car to safe, but no chance to run the car on this conditions.
Good combination that works for me.Astra sports tourer 2.0 cdti 160bhp pulls my challenger 524 effortlessly.
It's a Sterling Sheraton 520 so 1300kg max but that wasn't an option to pick. Car and caravan are great 52mpg on a long run solo and 30mpg towing. Tows superbly loads of power even fully loaded up hills etc in the lake district. Just keep it in 5th on the motorway due to the car being so highly geared. But solo at 60 I'd stay in 5th anyway. Best keep the nose weight up as helps loads. I suspect the car weight more than the 1.4 ton on paper as it tows so well. I would personally tow a heavier caravan. Pulls caravan away even fully loaded on a hill is fine. Only time I've ever smelt the clutch was a very slow pushing the caravan into place backwards up a hill. Car has a max weight of 2050kg and max train weight of 2650 (from memory) so you can tow a caravan upto 1450 kg on a b licence which is handy.
Caravan dealer did towmatch on this unit said it was over 100% match and unsuiitable. Told him data was all wrongas put car on weighbridge at1600 kg unladen. Proceeded to buy towed perfectly. Picked up when storm doris blowing away. No stability or power problems
Although not a traditional match, the tow car was one we already had and towed a light unbraked trailer with. We then searched for a 4-6 berth caravan within the boundaries of safe towing.
The Caravan is very well balanced which aids in towing, you must ensure to get the nose-weight as near to 75 as possible to make this as comfortable as possible. You do get comments on sites about it not being legal or safe, but it is both, and kerb-weight to fully laden caravan hits 87%.
The car tows very well, on the motorway you do not really notice the engine noise. The car pulled the van away from a site - uphill on wet grass without any concerns. Would I recommend the combination?
If you don't need a bigger car for day to day, and this is not your first experience of towing a caravan then yes I do, you will have to constantly explain to people it is legal and safe however :)
This combo is a pleasure to drive, it pulls 6th gear very easy, 60mph at 1,700 rpm, cruse control on and way you go, feels very stable too, breaks well and delivers good mpg, and £30 road tax.
i tow a quasar 524, and find it a match perfect
The car tows very well and delivers 30 m.p.g average
I find the Opel Astra Tourer good with the 556 Avante. 6th. gear seldom used so fuel economy is not great. Steady progress at 80K. Watch nose weight !
I FIND MY ASTRA TOWS MY CARAVAN WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM DOSE'NT KNOW THE CARAVAN IS THERE
left gateshead for ropers caravans at cattrick towing my part ex swift cornich i didnt feel like i had any thing on tow. when i got there my gauge hadnt moved, picked up my luner clubman i could feel the diffrence when towing it back but i still had loads of power got back home & gauge was at 3/4 thats what id call spot on showed those wagon drivers where 2 get off
Had the Astra 1.7 CDTi 100bhp Estate on a 56 plate for a year and happy with the solo performance and 52 mpg average. Then decided on a very cute Eriba Puck which the car tows very well indeed. Average 38 mpg towing over 1,500 miles so far and very happy with the car's performance, plenty of torque for overtaking and going uphill
I towed the Eriba from Evesham to where I live in South Yorkshire, almost all the way on motorways and the towing was excellent. I was not aware of the Eriba being there it was so easy to tow with the Astra.
Hi I did have the Vauhall Astra 1.6, 8 valve. I was towing my Avondale Dart 510-5. I also had my car fully loaded with my wife and 3 sons. I managed to do my towing with ease. There was no problems at all. The only thing I did get was people not believing what I was towing the acravan with. I had funny looks. But hey I had the time of my life and enjoyed every minuet of it for the 3 years that I had my car and caravan. Then we had to change the van as my kids had left home. So we opted on getting a lexon lunar with a full sized bed at the end of the van which was fixed. The car was a Nissan X-Trail 2.2 TDCI, 4x2 wheel drive. But sadly I am now changing my car to a Ford S-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCI. I will keep you posted :)
I found the match perfect. i got the outfit checked for balance of weight and found that for 2 adults, and a light weight awning the vans weight came in at 1250kg laden, which allowed for a 90% towing level. but with using a stabiliser. The outfit towed great both on Motorway and hilly roads.
When towing its easy to forget the vans attached, except when looking in the rearview mirror. hardly changes fuel consumption, I've even pulled off from traffic lights in second gear without a problem
The caravan is a ABI Jubilee Pioneer and the Astra handles it no problem. It has good acceleration even up hill and so far have not experienced any snaking. The only issue I would mention is that driving in the wet uphill, it is very easy to lose traction whilst accelerating due to the torque. A common problem with front wheel drive tow cars.
Having recently changed my car and for the first time diesel fueled I was hoping to have plenty of low down power for towing. Last week I picked up the Bailey and could not believe how easy it towed. On the motorway I was in sixth gear doing 60 mph at 1750 rpm, effortless, in fact on accelerating onto the motorway I looked down to see I had already reached 70 mph and had to slow down.
It really is a great combination which I would have thought would only be achieved with a 4x4. Stability also was excellent as I have always used a stabilizer in the past but this combination seemed rock steady.
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