netcam replied on 07/02/2022 10:03
Posted on 07/02/2022 10:03
Hello,
We are hoping to buy a Trigano Silver Mini Freestyle 290 (MTPLM 1,000Kg, MiRO 688Kg) and are thinking of buying a Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer 1.2 PureTech Petrol 130 bhp EAT8 Auto.
We have done lots of research and have decided against diesel, hybrid and electric for now for various reasons. We have been wondering about manual vs auto but research seems to suggest that the EAT8 torque converter autos are good and my feeling is that if you are paying for something with adaptive cruise control, it will be more worthwhile with an auto.
Our aim is to have a flexible outfit that we can use in various situations, but that we can store at home. It will mean emptying the garage and having a new roll up garage door fitted, but in the long term it seems worthwhile, as we can then store the caravan in our garage. With the new door, we should have about 12cm each side to get it in, a bit tight, but we have a straight, paved drive and the caravan has handles on the back and front. Once inside there is more width, but it will pretty much take up the whole garage, apart from a couple of bikes and perhaps a narrow shelf unit or two.
I have 2 teenage sons and not only is my current little car old, it is also really too small for all of us to go on a day out together, so we want something bigger for that, as well as the inevitable space probably needed taking the teens to and from university in the coming years. We don't really need the 7 seats, but like the extra space including height at the back of the car and who knows if they might come in handy sometime.
The caravan is really for my partner and I to travel as we have holiday time on our own when the teens are with their dad and we hope to continue to use it into retirement. We also realise such a small caravan is a compromise and so the bigger car would also be useful for carrying equipment on touring trips, while still being reasonably light and economic with fuel. It would also allow the option of bringing a tent for the teens if we all decided to go away together. We might have waited a few years until they leave home, but with Covid still around we just don't feel like doing the kind of holidays abroad that we used to do, so we thought we might as well do it now. The silver has a little washroom and shower as well as hot water, which is the only garage size lightweight caravan we have been able to find with those features, which both Freedom Discovery and Gopod, which we looked at too, do not. We are both quite small and think it would be usable and a washroom/toilet is something we really want.
My partner has never travelled in a caravan before, but I had an Eriba Troll which I towed with a Mondeo 2.0 diesel manual about 10 years ago with my ex when the teens were very little and I loved it. My partner is now coming round to the idea and is willing to give it a go. He loved the look of a Wildax Pulsar, but we have a restrictive covenant and are not permitted to park Campervans in our drive and it is very much over budget and not practical as our only vehicle right now.
Any advice would be welcome. It looks like we might be able to get a really good deal on the car through a broker right now before the new reg comes out in March.
It seems like Citroen have considered the petrol viable tow cars for lightweight caravans:
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/whats-on/awards/towcar-of-the-year/Citroen/
And here is a review of the a diesel:
https://www.practicalcaravan.com/reviews/citroen-grand-c4-picasso
Please see photos for towcar match.
Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks.
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