The demise of the tow car?
Comments
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Re comment on Diesels and Travelers using horses.
I was going to replace my 250hp diesel with 250 horses but my great grandson pointed out that the exhaust from them will exceed the nox from my blue motion diesel. I am 86, disabled and want to tow for the next 20 years at least. Oh! what shall I do?
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Lets be honest, there is nothing "Green" about electric vehicles.
They are made in carbon consuming factories, use batteries that contain noxious chemicals and are recharged by using electricity generated from carbon producing power stations.
Might have a look at a Hydrogen fuel cell car one day but not the current generation of electric vehicles.
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If all what is being said that the end is nigh for the diesel, then l will have a 37k show car sat on my drive going nowhere, l don't think so. The SF l have just bought is Euro6 if the transport secretary pushes through with his idiotic idea then all the country will come to a stop, no heavy machinery industry at a stand still, no doubt he will ban Diesels from cities but who wants to go their in our hobby l personally give them a wide berth.l intend to keep the Santa FE for ten years as l have done with all my tow cars by then the value whats left is neither here nor their.So bring it on if they dare l will still keep tugging along
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I work in the motor trade and looking at the model range plans and model life cycles for our manufacturers I'm not concerned.
Yes there is a definite move to lower capacity engines (petrol and diesel) and yes there is a shift to lower weight materials all with a view to improving fuel economy and emissions.
I'm not seeing anything that could be considered as a serious alternative as when it comes to Hybrids or EV. I'm sure their time will come, but I believe they are still a few model cycles away from providing a serious challenge.
Our new caravan will have an MTPL of 1,700 Kgs and there are currently 8 models from our 6 manufacturers that could tow our caravan. All of those 8 are current generation cars that have a remaining life cycle of 5-7 years.
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It is more than just lifespan of cars though. Recently london have said that there will be an extra £10 charge to take a diesel into london, other cities are looking at the same. Government ministers are telling people not to buy diesels, this is just the start.
This has all suddenly kicked off by the eu court saying we are on a final warning to reduce emisssions and as usual it is the motorist rather than the councils busses and commercial vans that are the biggest pollutants.
But to summarise, diesels are becoming a pariah. Whilst they may still be in the line up of cars, this change in tide of opinion means that in a few years diesel resale values will be hard hit. So if you have a diesel car that works now better to hang on to it rather than exposing yourself to possible huge depreciation by changing it.
But unless a viable alternative is found soon our pastime be it caravans or motorhomes will be severely impacted.
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In reality the so called 'diesel ban' talked about in London is actually a ban on diesel AND PETROL cars which do not meet EU4 emmissions standards. Look at the small print on TfL website. Unfortunately the 'press' in their wisdom (and usual practice) are more interested in the easy headlines than giving the full details. Diesels are simply today's easy target whilst ignoring all the other sources of pollution from particulates and dust from tyres, brakes, trendy wood and pellet burning stoves, older worn petrol engines (which are probably much worse for humans than diesel particulates) for just a few examples. Non of this excuses diesel however until an alternative propulsion system is in place which is as good as diesel and is acceptable to the wider market, EV's will be a side show. Maybe hydrogen will be answer (I am still unsure but like the concept), hybrids are just step along the way and suspect the whole life costs have not been truly and objectively factored and compared with clean synthetic diesel fuels such as from coal. Now that would give us energy security.......
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It's a bit like company cars they will tow anything loo
My Jeep is a late 2005 and it still goes well, mind you it is maintaned well and wants for nothing and my recent MOT smoke test was only 0.5 which is lower than what Jeep say it should be
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I don`t know why everybody is jumping around over another story to fill the news. Nobody has yet come up with a cost effective viable alternative to the combustion engine. Yes there are some "toys" coming along for the wealthy to play with but average joe is not going to be running out to buy one in the near future, the change will be gradual as it always is. The braver ones are those splashing out £50K+ for motorhomes a much smaller market where second hand values could drop if diesel does really start to lose favour. On the other hand alternative engines for larger vehicles still seem to be along way away at least those that have to do any distance.
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I shall hang on to my Land Rover as long as possible.It is an excellent tow car.Hopefully it will last as long as or until my caravanning days are over.I just cannot see how battery powered cars are ever going to be any use for long distance towing. We are being sold down the line as usual by the blame the motorist for everything brigade. Electric lorries standing around waiting to recharge with diesel refrigerators humming away for hours. It is so impractical in so many areas it beggars belief.
I am in my late 60s now and can honestly say my enjoyment in motoring knows no bounds, sadly it appears to be coming to an end so goodbye dear old infernal combustion engine and hello half baked electric boredom.
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I agree N99, at nearly 74 a severe back problem has forced us to sell the caravan, and question whether we really need a big 3 litre tow vehicle any more. But my ML350AMG is by far the best towing vehicle I have owned in 40 years of caravanning. It runs on AdBLU and its recent MOT showed almost no pollutants, but to the dealers it is a dreaded diesel. Spotless and only 4 years old I shall probably keep it, pity the factory fitted tow bar will no longer be needed.
TF
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I agree that fossil fuel tow vehicle use can be prolonged way beyond the point when most cars on the road will be electric, assuming fossil fuel remains available of course.
But why struggle with this anxiety?
Why feel we need to continue hauling two ton 8 ft wide 30ft long conch shells in an age when small is the new beautiful?
An aggregate circa 5 ton car/caravan train, often just for the use of two people, not out of necessity but out of, in lot of cases a “look at me on my holiday” showcase need.
We all know that an Englishman’s car is his castle
But we all know too, that it’s utterly unsustainable and that these ancient mechanical puffing dinosaurs will disappear from our roads with the equal certainty of it being morning again soon. And rightly so, we’ve had it too good for too long.
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Thinking only of those ICE vehicles !!
Brian looks back to his ( distant ) childhood when there were quite a few back street garages & workshops working away merrily on 1930's that is pre-war motors, keeping them running quite well. Vehicles like Austin 7, 10, 16 , Singers, Fords.
Are we really thinking that our engineering talent is so faded that we won't see similar workshops fettling up our Kia, Mitsi, Ducato or whatever.
{ Still it's very good of Davembk to dig out this 2016 post tho' quite brings back old times
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