Your Caravan Towcar Views, please. .
 

As a Pensioner (how I hate that word!!) I am being affected by the current economic climate, and am considering selling both my 940 TDi estate (which my son calls "my shed!") and 850 2.5(20v) estate, and consolidate on just one vehicle. Those I have in my sights (not very imaginative!) are the V70 estates, circa year 2000, tdi or 2.5 20v. I tow a small caravan, a Dawnstar 2-berth weighing in at about 900kg.
I like the sparkle of the 2.5 performance, but the tdi economy is appealing.
Does anyone have any views on the better choice of vehicle?
Thanks

Having towed with petrol and diesel Volvos for 25 years, I would always go for diesel owing to the torque, but a petrol turbo is as good but more costly on fuel.

Hi. We are in Devon too, and the one question I think you should ask yourself before making a decision is "What sort of towing are you going to do"? I'll be a 'pensioner' next year too!! I'm 64 on Monday (15th).

I know yours is only a small van, (like our 2 berth) but it's where you are going to caravan that will relate to how much fuel you use. If you are constantly going up and down hills in Devon, Dorset etc, then you'll use the fuel. But on sites close to the M5/A30 say, you'll come off much better.

We have now set ourselves a 75 mile from home limit (150 mile round trip), and we stay on sites fairly close to major trunk roads to avoid silly expense.
There are SO many sites within that radius. I still have nightmares when we were on our way back from Weymouth on the back road via Chickerell to Bridport, with our last caravan. A 5 berth Elddis Avante. Even though I had my powerful Ford Scorpio Ultima 2.9 litre, we almost blew it up, as the hills were so severe. Fuel consumption was about 10mpg.

We got rid of the Elddis last year. Just got too expensive in fuel costs to tow for the small number of times we were using it. On some hilly journeys we were barely making 12mpg.

Using the 940 I am more than happy, and we get 28'ish mpg average when towing so I'd stay with it. Loads of room for all the extra bits too.

PS. Don't go to the site at Chivenor on the other side of the roundabout where the road goes down to RAF Chivenor. It's probably the worst site we've ever been on. I wouldn't put pigs there!

I would imagine that the chances of getting a nice diesel V70 with decent miles & price would be pretty slim, whereas you could find a well speced nice petrol V70 for not a lot of money. I would be inclined to go for the petrol and pocket the difference. I had an S70 tdi and got 42mpg average (28mpg towing), so if you could get up to 30 mpg solo from the petrol, you would be quids in.

The diesel does make a great tow car tho!

R.

Thanks for your comments. Oily. We don't tour as regularly as we would like (who does?), but we do go on long trips - in recent years have "done" mid/north Wales, The Lakes, Edinburgh, East Anglia, and are hoping to do some touring in France and Spain. Both present vehicles have been up to the job so far, each with their own idiosyncracies (?), but if I'm to invest in a newer Volvo, which hopefully should last for a good few years, I would like others' opinions.
I'll definitley avoid Chivenor, though!!
BTW, they have re-vamped the road from Chideock to Honiton - not sure what they have actually done, it might just be road markings, but slogging up that hill seems a little less of a nightmare!!!!!

hi i have a p2 2000 V70 tdi and tow our hobby no probs at all get about 25 to 28 out of it when towing but our's is a big old van and never had any probs with hills so far

we have a v70 tdi auto tows our coachman pastiche rather well we average about 50 mpg solo 36 average towing loads of space for wheelchair awning (kitchen sink etc etc) great car we love it.

lynda & ron.:animal-smiley-027::animal-smiley-037:

Hi there, have you considerd Lpg? All the 700/900 series cars gas well and my old 760 turbo is a fantastic tow car giving good(ish) economy on lpg. Dave.

V70 TDi.....enough said
 

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/pictur...pictureid=2896

The photo speaks for itself. 1998 Volvo V70 TDi loaded to the gunnel's easily towing an old 18/19cwt Royale caravan loaded to the roof inside. Totally out of order, but I was attempting to move the majority of my gear from France. Fuel consumption towing this load 41mpg...... no bull..:thumbs_up:

Can see a bit of a consensus forming!
Thanks, TDIDave, for your observations - and pics