Best first car for towing...

[henryfreston]

I am 17 in 10 months time, praise the lord

Need to start about getting a car so it is all ready for when I am driving (if it needs work)

What would be the best first car for the use of launching the boat? I launch at oxwich beach (hard sand and with slipway at high water). Obviously it is going to get completely ruined by the salt water and air so i am not looking for anything fancy. I don't get the car wet in anyway i just bring it down to the waters edge and launch by hand.

For insurance purposes it has to be 1.25L and under.

cheers

[rik_elliott]

suzuki jimny? they have little engines, are cheap and would probably tow something small ok? highly rated 4x4 systems on them too so sand would be fine

[Landlockedpirate]

Good luck, just going through a similar process with my daughter. The first few quotes were scary Jimny was on our list to, but its a 1.3 and it makes a massive difference on the insurance.

I have managed to get a decent deal on a classic Landrover through Adrian Flux. Its not trendy or fast but she loves it

[rossymtb]

Fancy buying a 1.4 golf.
Winter tyres all round and seems to cope ok with slipways towing a sib

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Rib.net

[henryfreston]

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

Good luck, just going through a similar process with my daughter. The first few quotes were scary Jimny was on our list to, but its a 1.3 and it makes a massive difference on the insurance.

I have managed to get a decent deal on a classic Landrover through Adrian Flux. Its not trendy or fast but she loves it

what landrover is that then, they do a 1.2?!?

cheers

[Landlockedpirate]

Originally Posted by henryfreston

what landrover is that then, they do a 1.2?!?

cheers

No its a Series 3 SWB with a 2.25 petrol. Its on a cherished policy with limited mileage, its the same price as a 1.0 Micra.

[Ribtecer]

Don't you have to take a towing test these days???

Is there an age limit to that? Bet there is.

[andyxs]

I had a landrover discovery 1 insured by the NFU for my first car

[andyxs]

it was 7 years ago though.

[henryfreston]

Thanks for the replies, that suzuki looks like it might fit the bill. As I will hopefully be going off with the navy when I have finished uni, there is no point in paying a huge amount of money for my own insurance policy for a no claims, so it would just go under my dad's policy, how much do you think it would be to insure that way?

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by henryfreston

so it would just go under my dad's policy, how much do you think it would be to insure that way?

If you're the main user and you're not telling the insurer...allowing them to think your dad is the main user....it's known as 'fronting'..and makes your policy pointless...and you driving under it potentially illegal.

Just a word of warning as its heavily frowned upon by insurers and could leave you and dad in a world of trouble.

I love those little Suzukis though :-)

[Landlockedpirate]

Originally Posted by PeterM

If you're the main user and you're not telling the insurer...allowing them to think your dad is the main user....it's known as 'fronting'..and makes your policy pointless...and you driving under it potentially illegal.

Just a word of warning as its heavily frowned upon by insurers and could leave you and dad in a world of trouble.

I love those little Suzukis though :-)

+1

And it would still be over 2k !

[rossymtb]

Don't go under someone else. It is fronting the insurance and you can end up in a mess trust me. As my mate has now found out, you also dont build up any NCB

Just done some insurance comparison for a few different vehicles.

Series 3 88 model £630
Golf mk4 1.4 £820
Freelander £1050
Sierra xr4x4 £1195

[rossymtb]

1. Driving licence rules and what you can tow
The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test.

Licences issued from 19 January 2013
From 19 January 2013, drivers passing a category B (car and small vehicle) test can tow:

small trailers weighing no more than 750kg
trailers weighing more than 750kg, where the combined weight of the towing vehicle and the trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg
If you want to tow a trailer weighing more than 750kg, when the combined weight of the towing vehicle and trailer is more than 3,500kg, you’ll have to pass a further test and get B+E entitlement on your licence.

You’ll then be able to tow trailers up to 3,500kg.

Licences held from 1 January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:

a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen or ‘kerb’ weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)
For anything heavier you need to take a category B+E driving test.

Licences held before 1 January 1997
If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM.

This is the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road.

You also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.

Towing heavier combinations
If you want to tow heavier combinations, you’ll have to first apply for provisional entitlement to the new C1+E entitlement. You’ll then have to pass the category C theory test and C1+E practical test.

Once you’ve done this you can drive vehicles and trailers with a combined weight of up to 12 tonnes MAM.

[m chappelow]

Originally Posted by rik_elliott

suzuki jimny? they have little engines, are cheap and would probably tow something small ok? highly rated 4x4 systems on them too so sand would be fine

Surprising how little some models can .actually tow on the legal side especially unbraked trailers ,
Guy I worked with bought one his was plated at something like 240 kgs for an unbraked .

[portlandphil]

I used to own a first generation Kia Sportage 4x4, drove it to Tunisia for 6 months! 2 gear sticks for high low range gears, rugged and cheap to buy with 2000lb towing capacity.

[Budgie1]

Originally Posted by henryfreston

it would just go under my dad's policy, how much do you think it would be to insure that way?

It's 3 or 4 years since I had the nightmare of helping my two teenagers onto the insurance ladder (absolute nightmare and daylight robbery!!) so things may have changed but have following comments that where very relavent at the time

1) Insure in your name and if at all possible put Mum and Gran as named drivers, Dads name on the policy just puts it up whereas Mum/Gran got it down

2) If at all possible pay up front, companies tell you policys are interest free for monthly payments but wack the premium up I saved £884 one year on my son/daughter combined policies this way!

3) Desiels where cheaper than petrol to insure (your Average Chav doesn't want to be seen in a desiel!)

Wonder if an old Vauxhall desiel van might best suityour needs?

Good luck!!! .....

[portlandphil]

I hear tractors are dead cheap to insure, and good for towing

[steco1958]

Originally Posted by Budgie1

1) Insure in your name and if at all possible put Mum and Gran as named drivers, Dads name on the policy just puts it up whereas Mum/Gran got it down

...

That will not work anymore, its illegal for the insurance company to treat males differently to females (Sex Discrimination Act)

So the insurance companies just upped all insurances, complete con robbing B******s

[Budgie1]

Originally Posted by portlandphil

I hear tractors are dead cheap to insure, and good for towing

I think you can still drive them at 16 as well

PS ... Also bear in mind that if you take policy out when you are provisonal driver the premium will go up significantly after you've passed your test, worth asking how much the increase will be before hand so you dont get such a shock!!