What A Good Towcar....

[ianfish]

I've had my Rav for 9 months now and have just been over to France for a holiday with our caravan. Just over 2000 miles in all, about 27mpg, didn't miss a beat. The retro fit cruise control is brilliant on the motorways( in 5th gear, I don't think 6th is advisable because of the gradients?) Keep my eye on the temp guage though, and check levels methodically in case of the dreaded D4-D problem! 79K on he clock. Lovely with the sun roof open!

[Doosan]

Hi ianfish,

Totally agree with you,tows our van brilliantly.I usually return between 28 to 34 MPG depends on the winds.I had the dreaded coolant loss last year while in France,but managed to drive it home OK. Ended up with a 3/4 engine earlier this year.

Doosan

[anchorman]

Don't worry about using 6th especially if the gradient is with you it will make a big difference to the fuel consumption. Just change down when under load.

[Gods_gift]

It is a good little tugger isnt it ;) as I've said before on here ours does a lot of motorway miles towing an so offroad. I tow either a 1500kg caravan or a 1600-1800kg works trailer (light off road) with no issues so far. Had me clutch changed at 106k just to be sure she will do another 4yrs of my antics.

Do agree that 5th is much better to tow in than 6th as in the UK the gradient is rarely with you an keeps you in the 2.2's turbo power band.

My only gripe is that the boot door opens side ways an we didnt get a 7 seat 3.0 diesel option :)

[jonjosar]

Ive just towed our 1300kg caravan around Ireland. Over 1000 miles. Averaged about 24mpg. The car towed well but my only gripe is that the rear suspension is a bit soft with 2 in the back. The tow ball is quite low anyway and as my van is a Sterling, the jockey wheel is in the middle of the "A" frame and as such, i cant get the wheel as high as i,d like. It now as a few flat spots on it.

[Gods_gift]

You can raise your tow ball up using an adapter plate if you need to raise hitch height.

[Doosan]

Ive just towed our 1300kg caravan around Ireland. Over 1000 miles. Averaged about 24mpg. The car towed well but my only gripe is that the rear suspension is a bit soft with 2 in the back. The tow ball is quite low anyway and as my van is a Sterling, the jockey wheel is in the middle of the "A" frame and as such, i cant get the wheel as high as i,d like. It now as a few flat spots on it.

I had some rubber spring assister's inserted into my rear springs,worked well for me and brought the rear up about 5cm.

Doosan

[Gods_gift]

Ive just towed our 1300kg caravan around Ireland. Over 1000 miles. Averaged about 24mpg. The car towed well but my only gripe is that the rear suspension is a bit soft with 2 in the back. The tow ball is quite low anyway and as my van is a Sterling, the jockey wheel is in the middle of the "A" frame and as such, i cant get the wheel as high as i,d like. It now as a few flat spots on it.

I had some rubber spring assister's inserted into my rear springs,worked well for me and brought the rear up about 5cm.

Doosan

Hey Doosan where did you get them from and how much are they?

[jonjosar]

Ive just towed our 1300kg caravan around Ireland. Over 1000 miles. Averaged about 24mpg. The car towed well but my only gripe is that the rear suspension is a bit soft with 2 in the back. The tow ball is quite low anyway and as my van is a Sterling, the jockey wheel is in the middle of the "A" frame and as such, i cant get the wheel as high as i,d like. It now as a few flat spots on it.

I had some rubber spring assister's inserted into my rear springs,worked well for me and brought the rear up about 5cm.

Doosan

Hey Doosan where did you get them from and how much are they?

Yes Doosan, If you could let me know what make they are. Are the the Grayston rubber doughnut type?

[Bezzer]

Another towing fan here. Used it for the past 5 years with a 1500kg caravan, usually get around 28mpg, Holds 6th fine for the majority of motorway miles.

[Doosan]

Ive just towed our 1300kg caravan around Ireland. Over 1000 miles. Averaged about 24mpg. The car towed well but my only gripe is that the rear suspension is a bit soft with 2 in the back. The tow ball is quite low anyway and as my van is a Sterling, the jockey wheel is in the middle of the "A" frame and as such, i cant get the wheel as high as i,d like. It now as a few flat spots on it.

I had some rubber spring assister's inserted into my rear springs,worked well for me and brought the rear up about 5cm.

Doosan

Hey Doosan where did you get them from and how much are they?

Yes Doosan, If you could let me know what make they are. Are the the Grayston rubber doughnut type?

Hi sorry about the delay replying to only got back from holiday.

Yes they are the Grayson type and cost me about £50 fitted about two and a half years ago.

They also lift the rear up about 5cm.

I bought them from a company called Trident trailers who also fitted my tow bar.

Doosan

[local hero]

Has anyone had the smelly/smoking clutch syndrome when reversing up a moderate slope? or am i a bad reverser? i am told it is harmless, although a bit embarassing when it happens!! other than that my rav tows brilliantly and returns pretty good mpg Stew (p.s. I am a novice caravanner)

[Manxrav]

Would it be a good idea to have this thread pinned. There seems to be alot of Rav owners that do Caravans, and this would be a good reference section.

Just a thought

Regards Clare

[Doosan]

Has anyone had the smelly/smoking clutch syndrome when reversing up a moderate slope? or am i a bad reverser? i am told it is harmless, although a bit embarassing when it happens!! other than that my rav tows brilliantly and returns pretty good mpg Stew (p.s. I am a novice caravanner)

The reason you get this is because you have to slip the clutch to control the caravan while you try to place it wear you need it. What I have done is had a caravan mover fitted so I just reverse to some were near I need the van,then unhitch move the van with the remote control.The cost of a mover is about £700.I can now put my van down the side of my house in about 5 min's with out blocking the road off trying to reverse is on to the drive.

[Bezzer]

What I have done is had a caravan mover fitted so I just reverse to some were near I need the van,then unhitch move the van with the remote control.

Exactly what I do, saves faffing and farting about trying to get it spot on still hitched.

A Vauxhall Insignia came on the next pitch to us last time out and burnt his clutch trying to get it parked right. It stank for the next 3 days every time he used the car, but was behaving OK, don't know how much clutch plate damage you do when this happens, how much it must shorten its life.

[anchorman]

Friction material wear goes up exponentially with temperature. The asbestos free material in the clutch stinks even at fairly low temperature so you have an early warning system. It will be smoking by the time you are causing damage. Rather than slipping the clutch, try to engage it fully and then let it idle or just above. I thing you will find it will not stall. Practice on a big open car park. The engine management system will keep the engine at idle speed even reversing up a slope with the clutch out and a van on the back.

The key is in steering the van at idle speed!

[local hero]

Thanks for that Don, and the other carravaners, I actually have a mover on my van, but as it is in storage between trips i do not get much practise at reversing so i tend not to use the mover to give me a bit of reversing practice, I was also told that when you reverse uphill you are pushing against the vans brakes this seems a bit unlikely to me, but has anyone got an opinion on this?? Stew

[Ex Tiff]

If the caravan brakes are adjusted properly you will feel the van brakes bite and then they will come off, it's just the way the automatic reverse setting operates. On level ground the van brakes don't ride over the cam because the operating spring is heavy enough to keep the brakes off. Much easier than the original method where you had to get out of the car and put a spacer on the hitch to disable the brakes when reversing. Showing my age here!

John

[DjRav]

If the caravan brakes are adjusted properly you will feel the van brakes bite and then they will come off, it's just the way the automatic reverse setting operates. On level ground the van brakes don't ride over the cam because the operating spring is heavy enough to keep the brakes off. Much easier than the original method where you had to get out of the car and put a spacer on the hitch to disable the brakes when reversing. Showing my age here!

John

I had a horse trailer like that, couldn't reverse at all without putting the "pin" in (which stopped it braking). Had to remember to take it out again though, or no brakes on the trailer while driving!!

Dave

[Merseyshark]

Keep my eye on the temp guage though, and check levels methodically in case of the dreaded D4-D problem

Saw this comment at the head of this thread.

I'm on my 2nd D-4D and I'm not sure what this means.

I've racked up loads of miles in mine and haven't noticed a problem.

Or is it towing related ??

[Big Kev]

Keep my eye on the temp guage though, and check levels methodically in case of the dreaded D4-D problem

Saw this comment at the head of this thread.

I'm on my 2nd D-4D and I'm not sure what this means.

I've racked up loads of miles in mine and haven't noticed a problem.

Or is it towing related ??

No mucker....it is totally non-towing related, but stay calm....what year is your car....?

Big Kev

[Gods_gift]

What's your best Towing gadget or accessory? Mine has to be my Milenco towing mirrors, they were a bit pricey but the best pair of towing mirrors I've ever had.

[Doosan]

Thanks for that Don, and the other carravaners, I actually have a mover on my van, but as it is in storage between trips i do not get much practise at reversing so i tend not to use the mover to give me a bit of reversing practice, I was also told that when you reverse uphill you are pushing against the vans brakes this seems a bit unlikely to me, but has anyone got an opinion on this?? Stew

Hi local hero,

If you need to find out anything caravanning try this site http://www.caravanta...o.uk/community/ it is a very informative forum for the caravanner,as this forum is for Toyota's.

Might see you there.

Doosan

[Merseyshark]

Keep my eye on the temp guage though, and check levels methodically in case of the dreaded D4-D problem

Saw this comment at the head of this thread.

I'm on my 2nd D-4D and I'm not sure what this means.

I've racked up loads of miles in mine and haven't noticed a problem.

Or is it towing related ??

No mucker....it is totally non-towing related, but stay calm....what year is your car....?

Big Kev

January 2005, I'm not worried yet..... ;)

[Merseyshark]

OK, I'm guessing my car is out of the range of the vehicles which suffer the dreaded (but not by me) D-4D problem.

Having looked around other threads it seems that this affects the next generation (to mine) of RAV4s.

I'll just have to be carefull choosing my third.....