Eric

AFAIK the trailer freeway speed in the UK is around 55Mph.

In South Africa I was towing a single seater in an an enclosed trailer quite
happily at 70-75Mp/h (105-120km/h) with a 1600 (100cu inch) Opel Kadett. That is
a small hatchback similar to the Honda Civic/VW Golf.

Performance was quite adequate, although you had to work the gears in the
mountains.

Fuel consumption was 9.6l/100km on a 700 km trip into the Drakensberg. Same trip
one up and no trailer the Kadett would give about 7.5l/100km.

Same trip is a lot more comfortable and less work towing with my Volvo XC70. It
has the weight and wheelbase to make the glider trailer "disappear" - XC speed
is about the same on good highway. The better power to weight ratio improves
acceleration but it is just not safe driving a CG wheeled trailer much faster.
So you spend more time at cruise speed. (and occasionally forget yourself)

Fuel consumption worked out at 10.8l/100km for the same 700km each way trip. So
the fuel consumption penalty on the open road is not too bad. In town the weight
and four wheel drive transmission conspire to make the picture less pretty. One
up the XC70 gives about 9.5L/100km on long highway driving.

If you are only going to have one vehicle the day to day driving convenience and
economy of the hatchback would be deciding for me.

Bruce


Eric Greenwell wrote:
Cats wrote:

Speaking as someone who lives in the UK, it strikes me that a change
of tow vehicle could produce major fuel savings all the time. I mean
- 26mpg at best! My car is perfectly capable of towing my glider in
it's trailer at UK legal speeds, without the trailer it does almost
50mpg, with it it drops to low 40s.

What are UK speed limits when you are towing a glider trailer?