Car for towing Orkney Longliner 16ft or similar?

Tabnabs

As the title says, what would be a good car for towing an orkney, launching and recovery etc. Something with good fuel economy (so probably rules out a 4x4?).

fergal.b

You should be ok with any car, the orkney without the cab is about 400lbs so add in your gear and trailer you should be around 1000lbs
A fiat panda 1.1 has a towing capacity of 1763lbs just make sure you have good tyres and clutch also remember the towing capacity is on the flat so take into account the slipway. I would go for a 1300 cc or more.
Here is a link that you can check towing capacity of a few cars.
http://www.uktow.com/towing%20capacity.asp?make=Ford#tab1

Tabnabs

Thanks Fergal, that a great link too.

Slig

If you are towing anyways frequently then a jeep or van is much more comfortable than a car, they are usually better suited aswell with heavier duty suspension, brakes and clutch plus low range is very handy for steep slipways.

That said, a rear wheel drive car would be my next choice. If the slipways is steep the weight of boat, trailer and engine can sometimes be enough to counteract the cars engine weight and reduce traction in a front wheel drive car especially if the boat trailer isn't correctly balanced (I remember being told that there should never be more than 7 stone weight on the hitch of the trailer)

The biggest issue with towing will not be the cars power but more likely its weight which is essential to stop efficiently, also don't go for a car make that has a bad reputation for burning clutches as the extra weight of a trailer puts alot of strain on the clutch when taking off.

Oh and try get one that has a hitch already ad they usually cost a couple of hundred to fit

tin79

The only problem with getting a car that already has a hitch fitted is that it has likely been used to tow. If you dont know what it has been used to tow then I would be wary. I have seen cars towing big caravans and horse boxes and its not good for them.

It if was me I would try to find a nice clean car with no hitch then I would take the hit on fitting one.

We have a strikeliner that we have towed with several cars:

A petrol Vectra
Diesel Mondeos
Petrol Avensis (auto 1.8).
Trooper
Freelander

They have all been fine except the Vectra which struggled on any incline (not just retreving).

The avensis seemed able to handle it fine as did the Mondeos. The freelander can tow it fine but the jeep itself is a bag of problems.

The trooper was great but had to go with the tax changes.

The longliners are quite light so if you are not using it very regularly I would go for compromise and get a car rather than a 4x4.

If you go for a diesel check if the DMF(if ti has one) and clutch have been done as they are expensive.

At the moment i have a 2.0 TDCI mondeo which I figured is a good compromise and I bought it with light towing in mind. The MPG is good, its nice to drive day to day, has enough torque to tow and has not let me down on slips yet. Good value with them at the moment too.
If it was me i would go for a 1.8 to 2.0 diesel.

If you go for a petrol I would try to go for a 1.8 as the Vectra really struggled with our strikeliner.

Having said that i am going to go for something in the 2.2 to 2.5 4x4 range next time as I have a heavier speedboat now too and we launch on some rought slips.

As Fergal said above the longliners are light and engines on them are small so a car should be fine unless you are going bigger.

Tabnabs

Brilliant advice, thanks tin79

Slig

As its an Orkney, you'll probably be launching to the sea rather than lakes so it may be a good idea to have some sort of winch in the boot if you are going with a car, that way you can leave the car at the top of the slip and just winch the trailer and boat up to it if the slipway is anyways steep or your worried about waves.

My father in law swamped a nissan terrano trying to retrieve a 17 ft fishing boat up a slip in Westport a couple of years ago so its something I'm consious of.

noby

So, does anyone know a ball-park figure for getting a hitch fitted? I have a hitch-less Corolla, and plan on getting a dinghy (wayfarer or similar) soon.

fergal.b

noby wrote: »

So, does anyone know a ball-park figure for getting a hitch fitted? I have a hitch-less Corolla, and plan on getting a dinghy (wayfarer or similar) soon.

It can be anything from €150 up depending on the car, type of fitting and the electrics. I got one done last year by http://www.mrbullbar.com/ if you give them a ring and tell them what car you have they will give you a price.

Looking here your towbar is €120 so just add on the price of fitting.
http://www.wexfordtowbars.com/newtowbars.htm


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tin79

Slig wrote: »

As its an Orkney, you'll probably be launching to the sea rather than lakes so it may be a good idea to have some sort of winch in the boot if you are going with a car, that way you can leave the car at the top of the slip and just winch the trailer and boat up to it if the slipway is anyways steep or your worried about waves.

My father in law swamped a nissan terrano trying to retrieve a 17 ft fishing boat up a slip in Westport a couple of years ago so its something I'm consious of.

We put a second two way winch on the front end of the trailer (ie the first for winching the boat and the second for winching the trailer - though you could just have one if the boat sits secure), so if you are by yourself or need better control you can walk with the trailer as you winch. Worked out quite well.