towing ???

Post by **aitch** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:25 pm

Just a quick question: or two:
A) If towing a trailer tent do I need an extra oil cooler?

B) how much will this affect my diesel consumption? Towing?

C) have not yet got a towbar or a trailer tent is it worth the expense and effort?

D) Thanks for reading this and any answers it may produce.

dreamwarrioruk · Post by **dreamwarrioruk** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:43 pm

1, we havnt changed the oil cooler
2, we also havnt noticed any difference
3, yes and yes.

bongos unconverted are fine in our eyes for a few days but a couple of weeks would be pushing the levels of comfort. we have a conway cambridge dl trailer tent which we use/tow with the bongo with no trouble at all

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:45 pm

A) If towing a trailer tent do I need an extra oil cooler?

Shouldn't be necessary with a trailer tent

B) how much will this affect my diesel consumption? Towing?

With a trailer tent, hardly at all. In fact it will probably improve if you stick to the towing speed limits in the UK.

C) have not yet got a towbar or a trailer tent is it worth the expense and effort?

Only you can decide. We had a trailer tent for years, when the kids were small, took it all round Europe, towed behind a variety of 1.8 -2.0 petrol and diesel cars. It suited us perfectly at the time.

D) Thanks for reading this and any answers it may produce

No problem

mvous · Post by **mvous** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:52 pm

Hello Aitch

A) No you don't need an extra oil cooler. We tow a small caravan, much heavier than a trailer tent, with no probs.

B) Yes towing does reduce fuel consumption but it won't be too much with just a trailer. Towing a caravan reduces it by about a third in our experience

C) A tow bar will always come in handy for something. I tow a caravan, use a small trailer to take things to the tip, pull a big trailer full of Percussion and music stands and other equipment for the brass band I play in. You can attach bike racks and other accessories to it and you can tie the dog to it when on the campsite!
But why do you want a trailer tent? Have you not got an awning and all the relevant camping stuff already?

D) Your welcome!!

MV

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:57 pm

A) Would'nt of thought so
B) Towing is better than adding a roof box for fuel consumption.
C) Seen kits for around £90 +postage? on ebay Mine was £120 posted (towsure) and self fitted which was straight forward.
D) Your welcome.

I have'nt towed anything yet, and only own a small trailer used mainly for getting rid of bulky rubbish.

patnben · Post by **patnben** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:01 pm

I am towing a caravan to the Scotland bash this weekend and I don't expect any problems. My caravan weighs about
800 kilos and I generally stick to 60 MPH. I know that at least 2 Bongo members tow far heavier caravans than this
with the standard auto box.

I have often driven to Scotland overnight (520 miles) with 1 stop for fuel only and the Bongo has never complained or
overheated.

Post by **aitch** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:04 pm

I haven't got an awning and am looking at all the possibilities our van has got two removable units which if fitted take up the space for the second bench seat at the back and when we go away there will be my wife and myself and two teenage girls. The girls will sleep in the roof and I can "make do" with the one bench seat and the reclined fromt seat but my wife is looking for a little comfort and I don't know if an awning or a trailer tent will be best for both comfort and "living" space while we are away, cooking, eating, etc,etc,etc.

brorabongo · Post by **brorabongo** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:11 pm

Once our youngest is old enough for camping we will look into getting a large tent, and carry it in our roof box. Or we might just rent a static for the trip

mvous · Post by **mvous** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:17 pm

A nice big awning with an inner tent and camp beds or air beds, which can all be moved during the day for loads of living space, sounds like a good and cheaper option to me Aitch. Only thing is that your now going to have to trawl through the hundreds of threads on here about different awnings!!

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:37 pm

aitch wrote:I haven't got an awning and am looking at all the possibilities <snip> I don't know if an awning or a trailer tent will be best for both comfort and "living" space while we are away, cooking, eating, etc,etc,etc.

Some random thoughts:

*An awning on the side 'integrates' with the bongo.
*A trailer tent will be separate and away from the bongo - they can be pretty huge.
*Some Campsites might make you pay for two 'units', or will make you *park the towing vehicle away from the trailer tent.
*Our old Conway slept six, two either side of the trailer body, and two under one of the beds in a little inner tent, which our boys loved when they were small.
*Beds in the trailer body comfy enough, but thinner foam than you might want.
*A LOT of pegging on some trailer tents.
*Towing is a bit of a pain parking in supermarket carparks etc.

I've always liked the look of the Danish Camplets, very light, very little pegging, but were not big enough on their own back in the day, but they do bigger ones now, like this:

Camperlands in Manchester are the only UK distributor, though,

Post by **aitch** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:47 pm

mvous
I have been looking at the threads on here for weeks and this still has not given me an answer I have purchased a large (queensized) blow up bed for my wife to use to give her the comfort required, just now need to find a suitable "thing" to put it in, awning or trailer tent or summerhouse!!!!!!
I'm trying to convert her to the camping lifestyle but it is proving much more difficult than I imangned.

mvous · Post by **mvous** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:54 pm

Have you been to any of the meets to see other peoples set ups?

MV

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:57 pm

aitch wrote:mvous
I have been looking at the threads on here for weeks and this still has not given me an answer I have purchased a large (queensized) blow up bed for my wife to use to give her the comfort required, just now need to find a suitable "thing" to put it in, awning or trailer tent or summerhouse!!!!!!
I'm trying to convert her to the camping lifestyle but it is proving much more difficult than I imangned.

Trailer tents come with their own beds, so that kinda rules them out, I would have thought.

Post by **aitch** » Tue May 15, 2007 10:01 pm

I will keep looking, reading, and trying to come to some decision but it may not be easy as I have discovered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all for your comments so far I now wait with baited breath for the next pearl of wisdom which will through another spanner in the works so far as making a decision!!!!!

Post by **aitch** » Tue May 15, 2007 10:01 pm

I will keep looking, reading, and trying to come to some decision but it may not be easy as I have discovered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all for your comments so far I now wait with baited breath for the next pearl of wisdom which will through another spanner in the works so far as making a decision!!!!!

towing ???

towing ???

Re: towing ???