Surf Towing & Caravan Things

[mark g8awo]

I would like to know more about your sat nav system. It would be well worth it for me. Navigation in my Surf seems to cause a lot of useless friction.

Rubblebags.

Geoff do yourself a favor and get a tomtom system i use mine daily in the truck and bearing in mind i got to watch for bigger obstructions like bridges and numpties in BMtroubluuu it is a godsend and if you look in the right place the camera database is free

[rubblebags]

Tomtom

Geoff do yourself a favor and get a tomtom system i use mine daily in the truck and bearing in mind i got to watch for bigger obstructions like bridges and numpties in BMtroubluuu it is a godsend and if you look in the right place the camera database is free

Thanks Mark but now I'm a kept man. Er in doors is now me. Bills were starting to pile up and Tracy now works, so although I would love a Tomtom money wise it's out of the question.My dad bought me an Inforad speed Camera Locator for a sort of prezzie. I belive that on the website www.gpsinforad.com there are some software add ons but I dont know what all the bits and bobs total.
By the way Mark coffe mornings are now in the pipe line. Some of the mums are rearly fit.
"Mark stop dribbeling" it'll short out the key board.

See you soon

Geoff.

[kitesurf_phil]

Thanks Mark but now I'm a kept man. Er in doors is now me. Bills were starting to pile up and Tracy now works, so although I would love a Tomtom money wise it's out of the question.My dad bought me an Inforad speed Camera Locator for a sort of prezzie. I belive that on the website www.gpsinforad.com there are some software add ons but I dont know what all the bits and bobs total.
By the way Mark coffe mornings are now in the pipe line. Some of the mums are rearly fit.
"Mark stop dribbeling" it'll short out the key board.

See you soon

Geoff.

Nice to see you back on the forum Geoff

[pops]

Quote:Thanks Mark but now I'm a kept man. Er in doors is now me. Bills now works,

Quote:thought your wife was called Tracy who,s this Bill

[marky]

Quote:Thanks Mark but now I'm a kept man. Er in doors is now me. Bills now works,

Quote:thought your wife was called Tracy who,s this Bill

It wasnt me

[rubblebags]

As daft as ever.

It wasnt me

What you wackos smoking, it smell like cat s**t.
Scrub that last remark, Tracy has left her work shoe's next my chair. I dont know who this bloke bill is but I heard the name stickers mentioned ???.

Rubble.

[TJG]

Geoff do yourself a favor and get a tomtom system i use mine daily in the truck and bearing in mind i got to watch for bigger obstructions like bridges and numpties in BMtroubluuu it is a godsend and if you look in the right place the camera database is free

The right place for the free database is here http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ , give gatso, temporary ones, red light and popular mobile places. or you can pay tomtom for one!

[marky]

What you wackos smoking, it smell like cat s**t.
Scrub that last remark, Tracy has left her work shoe's next my chair. I dont know who this bloke bill is but I heard the name stickers mentioned ???.

Rubble.

GEOFF we are glad that your back with us again.

[pops]

GEOFF we are glad that your back with us again.

and US Geoff

[marky]

The right place for the free database is here http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ , give gatso, temporary ones, red light and popular mobile places. or you can pay tomtom for one!

I got a cracked copy of TOM-TOM5 & it works a treat.

[Rincewind]

Just got back from towing the van (Avondale Avocet around 1200kg) down to the Vendee and back, averaged 25 towing 29 solo so generally very pleased but having read the various posts on the auto gearbox I am a little confused as it doesn't seem to make any difference what I did with the various switches.
Generally towed at around 60 - 65, RPM @ 1800 with the throttle feathered, get to hill, do nothing, slow down to 51mph, gearbox changes down 2,500 RPM countinue up hill at around 52 MPH, approach summit creep up to 55mph change back into overdrive top, 1800 RPM.

Same approach but at around 53 MPH switch ECT on, drops gear, RPM up to 2,500, get to 55 near summit turn off ECT changes gear revs drop to 1800.

Same again except at 53ish turn off O/D exactly the same, up to 2,500,get to summit, turn back on again, change up, revs drop to 1800.

So, which is best?

I did notice a slight vibration when in O/D and under load but i am hoping that is normal.

Couple of other questions , with 60 kg noseweight the van was slightly tail down which i know is not good, is a drop plate normaly required?

And finaly, i am thinking of changing to a twin axle, but need to turn the van pretty much through 90 degrees to get it in the drive, is this possible and would a motor mover cope?

[Tallyman]

Hi Rincewind,

If you're towing nose up then that ain't good. You need to tow either nose down or level at best. If your truck is raised at all then that might be the problem. My 1350kgs van always tows very slightly nose down but that's with a 70-80kgs noseweight and Milners 20% stronger springs fitted (to cure a saggy arse). If it is too high then a drop plate might be the answer. Check your towball height (top) unloaded. It should be between 14 & 17 inches I believe for correct operation. If it's any more than that then you should get it sorted.

As for a motor mover on a twin axle, yes it should work ok. I've got the Powrtouch on mine. It's only single axle but they do a model for twin axle vans, about £1100 or so I think, fitted at your location (they come to you). Seen a few twins with movers fitted at various CC sites and not heard any complaints about them.

I'm beginning to wish I'd got a 3rd Gen if that's the sort of mpg you're getting. Mine won't do much more than 20mpg with the van on the back, and that with it mostly on M-ways & dual carriageways.

[marky]

i am thinking of changing to a twin axle, but need to turn the van pretty much through 90 degrees to get it in the drive, is this possible and would a motor mover cope?
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My Twin axle ABBEY SPECTRUM was a bugga to move manually but i had no problem reversing it into my drive @ 90 degrees as long as someone keeps an eye out at the back end.

[da SLUG man]

my mate's got some kind of remote control motorised thing attached to manouvre his caravan... it goes up his drive that's near 45 degrees... it's really powerful and looks cool to see a caravan driving itself up to the car to hich up!

[Rincewind]

Thanks for the info. guys, I did think that all towbars had to be designed to have the ball at a certain height but perhaps not! It is the one from towequip which lots of others have used, I don't think my suspension is raised perhaps I need to check Perhaps the caravan has sunk as it used to tow completely level behind my Octavia vRS (superb tow car by the way). Anyway I will get the tape measure out to see how high and get a drop plate if necessary.

I did think that reversing the van into the drive would be a solution but it puts the door on the wrong side, which is why I was wondering if a mover could turn it through 90 degrees, a guy accross the way has got one on a single axle and as da slug man says it is cool and very bizarre seeing the caravan make its own way up the road.

Otherwise perhaps I need to get a continental van with the door on the otherside and then I can reverse it up the drive and have the door on the right side.