What we driving in canada ? Any good deals (post covid)
Apr 6th 2021, 10:40 pm
#107
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 432
Re: What we driving in canada ? Any good deals (post covid)
I seem to recall that estate cars were the vehicle of choice for lots of UK caravanner's. Is this because the caravans in the UK are lighter than the models available here in Canada or another reason? Curious why people with small trailers need a $50k F150 instead of a less expensive Volvo 940.
The longest you'll see on UK roads are 8m(25ft) for the body, 2.45m(8ft) wide with no slides - and you will very rarely see them - typically this is a big UK tourer - Bailey Grand Palermo - fully laden it shouldn't weigh more than 1700kg (weighs 1500kg empty so effectively its clothes and some cereal in it)
Compare that to something fairly average size in the US Jayco Eagle - twin slides, weighs 4000kg empty and can take 650-700kg worth of gear.
Width is practically identical (till the slides come out) - but there's a handful of US bumper pull units going over 40foot/13 metres now.
The other side to it is how conservative some of the caravan makers/magazines/owners are (or how ambitious truck manufacturers numbers are) - Believe F150s are now rated for 12,000lb+ towing, but plenty of people don't advocate going above 8000lb. Whereas in the UK - it seems a lot more acceptable to go "my car is rated to tow 2000kg/4400lbs, I'm buying a caravan that weighs 1950kg)
Apologies in advance for the swapping between metric and imperial, I've tried to add in the lb figures where it's important.
Apr 7th 2021, 1:17 am
#108
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: What we driving in canada ? Any good deals (post covid)
Most definitely so- there's plenty of UK caravans in the 1200kg/2600lb range, and even the biggest on the market will never exceed 3500kg/7700lb. but having compared both, US/Canadian stuff is better built, better insulated, more creature comforts etc which all adds a lot of weight
The longest you'll see on UK roads are 8m(25ft) for the body, 2.45m(8ft) wide with no slides - and you will very rarely see them - typically this is a big UK tourer - Bailey Grand Palermo - fully laden it shouldn't weigh more than 1700kg (weighs 1500kg empty so effectively its clothes and some cereal in it)
Compare that to something fairly average size in the US Jayco Eagle - twin slides, weighs 4000kg empty and can take 650-700kg worth of gear.
Width is practically identical (till the slides come out) - but there's a handful of US bumper pull units going over 40foot/13 metres now.
The other side to it is how conservative some of the caravan makers/magazines/owners are (or how ambitious truck manufacturers numbers are) - Believe F150s are now rated for 12,000lb+ towing, but plenty of people don't advocate going above 8000lb. Whereas in the UK - it seems a lot more acceptable to go "my car is rated to tow 2000kg/4400lbs, I'm buying a caravan that weighs 1950kg)
Apologies in advance for the swapping between metric and imperial, I've tried to add in the lb figures where it's important.
The longest you'll see on UK roads are 8m(25ft) for the body, 2.45m(8ft) wide with no slides - and you will very rarely see them - typically this is a big UK tourer - Bailey Grand Palermo - fully laden it shouldn't weigh more than 1700kg (weighs 1500kg empty so effectively its clothes and some cereal in it)
Compare that to something fairly average size in the US Jayco Eagle - twin slides, weighs 4000kg empty and can take 650-700kg worth of gear.
Width is practically identical (till the slides come out) - but there's a handful of US bumper pull units going over 40foot/13 metres now.
The other side to it is how conservative some of the caravan makers/magazines/owners are (or how ambitious truck manufacturers numbers are) - Believe F150s are now rated for 12,000lb+ towing, but plenty of people don't advocate going above 8000lb. Whereas in the UK - it seems a lot more acceptable to go "my car is rated to tow 2000kg/4400lbs, I'm buying a caravan that weighs 1950kg)
Apologies in advance for the swapping between metric and imperial, I've tried to add in the lb figures where it's important.
