The return to caravanning we had a Kia Carens, it seems the year we had the towing capacity was 1500 kg and the caravan was 1450 kg so officially nothing should be carried in the caravan, the fuel consumption dropped a lot when towing, but it did it without any problems.
However being worried about being pulled over and weighed we decided to change car, so found a second hand Kia Sorento towing capacity 3000 kg and this does around the same MPG running light in spite of 2600 cc instead of 2000 cc, and with the caravan it does far better than the Carens.
However since it has a low box, the first gear is rather high, so the gear ratios better spaced for towing. Forget 5th when towing unless you want to play tunes on gear box.
The test with the EV was in real terms pointless, as we don't travel on flat roads, so the car works harder when climbing hills, and also the 60 MPH is only with duel carriageways, and motorways, one normal roads limited to 50 MPH and again looking at BHP with engine revs, so at 60 MPH on a duel carriageway could use 5th gear and cruse control on most short raises, but at 50 MPH slightest raise and had to drop a gear.
Not towed as yet with the Jaguar XE, but not the towing capacity with manual is 1500 kg but with automatic 1800 kg, likely due to automatic being an 8 speed box, so lower first gear.
I am sure my Kia Sorento could tow a caravan up Sutton Bank, I know I took a sprite musketeer up there with an Austin Gypsy in third low, but that means 4 wheel drive, and a stop to select high ratio again, so not really very practical. And I think the towing weight is about what hill the vehicle can pull the caravan up, so gear ratios matter.
Many years ago my dad had a van derived car, the Hillman Husky to tow with as the gear ratios were lower so towed far better, pity help anyone stuck behind one. It is OK saying my Kia Sorento can pull a caravan up a 1:6 at 2 MPH but can the cars following go that slow without slipping the clutch?
We had to scrap the last caravan, and we are talking about what to replace it with, it did not really pay for its self, caravan sites are not free, be it £10 or £25 a night, cheaper than a hotel but still costs, and I drive around in a large car all year so I can tow it, plus need to pay for storage, the motor caravan likely can store at home, but getting the annual MOT etc still costs. So if one considered life of a caravan around 10 years, and can get one in reasonable condition for around £6000 so £600 per year plus £400 for storage, so 5 weeks away will cost £1350 per week. Where when we went to a craft hotel £50 per night each that was £700 per week including the food. So for it to pay need to have at least 10 weeks a year holiday. Remember in the hotel all in so food provided, when with caravan still need to buy food, and the craft hotel we went to also many of the crafts included.
I found with the caravan we did not want to go abroad for a holiday as then money spent on caravan waisted. OK my parents in law would spend whole of winter in Spain, so people do use caravans a lot, my parents my dad got a long weekend every six weeks so would go away once every six weeks, so again it was used a lot.
But years ago we had gas lights, and the battery did all the rest and would last around 5 weeks, today gas lights gone, so either a generator thumping away, if not yours some one else's, or you pay for electric hook-up. So camp sites no longer cheap, may get away with odd night side of road with camper van, specially if made to look like a van. But it seems only wagon drivers can pull into lay-bys and sleep in their cab, police will move you on with a caravan.
So we had a look, costs around £60 per night to hire a caravan, for the odd time we want a caravan think we will hire.
, I've always dreamt of something like this!:
