Towing with Diesel automatic Anyone ?

[5kippy]

Hi Jim,
I tow with an 03 plate 2.0 cdt manual, no mods that i'm aware of. I have a 4 berth twin axle van (as in my avatar), we generally travel from Wiltshire to Devon fully loaded with two adults 3 kids 4/5 bikes. The beastie you can see pictured purrs along no probs. The only thing that i would say, from my experience is that if travelling around a hilly area, use the downward momentum to give you the power to climb up the other side whenever possible, this'll save the motor straining.
I've towed this van with new 2.2 Honda accord, a new 2.0 and 2.2 CRV when i worked for Honda, and my R75 does the job just as well.

[Jim Jamieson]

Originally Posted by reworht

That is a very nice looking 'van Jim - is it fairly heavy? I know Coachman have a reputation for putting build quality in front of light weights, which is no bad thing.
Makes my 1989 Abbey Somerset look like something from the last century (oh! - it is )
Lets hope that next year's weather gives you the chance to make the most of it - there's still nowt to beat sitting in your caravan on a sunny morning, inhaling the smell of frying bacon from all the others around you.

The Vip is just below the max weight for the 75 and yes the build quality is very good with all the mod cons.

Originally Posted by 5kippy

Hi Jim,
I tow with an 03 plate 2.0 cdt manual, no mods that i'm aware of. I have a 4 berth twin axle van (as in my avatar), we generally travel from Wiltshire to Devon fully loaded with two adults 3 kids 4/5 bikes. The beastie you can see pictured purrs along no probs. The only thing that i would say, from my experience is that if travelling around a hilly area, use the downward momentum to give you the power to climb up the other side whenever possible, this'll save the motor straining.
I've towed this van with new 2.2 Honda accord, a new 2.0 and 2.2 CRV when i worked for Honda, and my R75 does the job just as well.

I will have no problem with the hills in Scotland as they are all downhill
Know what you mean so tomorrow I collect it from Bridge of Allan near Stirling and bring the baby home. I've got my driveway all ready for it.

I had a slight glitch with the wiring with the N/S indicator. It turned out to be the wrong colour shown on Haynes wiring manual. It clearly shows on page 12.31 diagram 6 at item 30 the L/H rear light cluster d (the direction indicator) and a (the tail light) colours have been transposed.

Anyway soon sorted it out and I also have my twin isolation relays up and running.

Now I'm off for a good nights' sleep and off in the morning to collect it.

JYJ

[Jim Jamieson]

I've now got my new baby home and securely locked up on the driveway.
After a break of some 16 years since I last towed I was back in the saddle very quickly although I did have a little incident when the turbo intercooler pipe blew off just a few miles from home.

It's taken me the better part of the evening to un-pack all the parts and accesories the previous owner gave us in the deal. George & Helen have given up on caravanning after some 30 years and I feel we have taken a chunk of their lives away but rest assured we will look after everything with the same care as they have done.
Our 5 year old caravan looks almost like new due to the care it has received and with both a porch awning and a full sized awning both Isabella Manufacture, complete with tailored stowage bags this should last us for a few years of caravanning.

Enjoy the Glenfiddich George.

JYJ

[Jules]

Hi Jim
Bit late info now, but with an auto Tourer CDT 116 with well over 100k miles on, I towed a
twin axled trailer with another Tourer CDT on it.
It dealt with it almost effortlessly!

I watched the OBD temp some of the way home and it didn't rise above 92c.
Sport mode is recommend up some gradients but on the straights it will quite happily pull in D and lockup mode.

Jules

[5kippy]

Well Jim,
All there is left to say, is
'Happy camping and I hope the trailing traffic behind you is patient around the Scottish roads'!

[Jim Jamieson]

I see the forums' on a go slow again, It's taken me almost 10 minutes just to get this on

Anyway I've spent the last week or so getting my caravan just the way I want it and all the extras (awnings etc) are safely stored in the garage.

Here we are just before setting off on the 21st October. The car was laden with the awnings so it is sitting down a bit but it drove fine, well up until the intercooler pipe blew but that's now fixed.



And this is a shot of the recycled rear No. plate from the 75. The plate had some dampness on the edge so I fitted a new one to the car some time ago but me being me I kept the old one and here it is.



JYJ

[reworht]

That is a VERY smart outfit - and that smilie plate complements the back end of the 'van perfectly

[Jim Jamieson]

Originally Posted by reworht

That is a VERY smart outfit - and that smilie plate complements the back end of the 'van perfectly

Thanks for that, I might fit a new plate next year as this one has the two fixing holes in it and I don't really want to drill holes in the panel even though it's just plastic. The other point is the plate no longer has the makers ID on it but it will do for now.

JYJ

[Jim Jamieson]

I've finally managed to get away for a few days with the Caravan and it towed very well and no re-occurence of the intercooler pipe blowing off.

The missus and I went to Gretna and when we woke up on the Sunday morning everthing was covered in frost but we were quite literally "as snug as a bug"

Here we are below



After two days shopping at the outlet (Oh! that's why she chose Gretna) we were on our way home but in the wet but even that did not spoil our first outing in 16 years with a caravan.

On our way home


JYJ

[Thomas]

im jealous Jim, what a cracking outfit!