With Christmas just around the corner, families are thinking and planning what to do and where to go.

At this time of the year we start receiving telephone enquiries from people thinking about towing boats, camper trailers and caravans.  Most callers want to upgrade their current motor vehicles, but the problem is that they have not decided what they are going to have to tow, therefore they do not know what the weight, length or height of the towed vehicle is.  I advise these people to research and make a decision on what they are going to tow, and then we can discuss the towing vehicle.  Why purchase a vehicle that has a recommended towing capacity of 2 tonne to tow a caravan that has an ATM of 2.4 tonne?

The first thing that you need to consider is that in 1998, national regulations for vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of less than 4,500kg was introduced.  It basically states that either the maximum capacity of the towing apparatus (tow bar or hitch) or the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations on maximum towing mass (i.e fully loaded caravan)apply - whichever is the lesser.  This applies because some towing vehicles can have various rated tow bars/hitch’s fitted.

Most vehicle manufacturers specify maximum towing mass and maximum ball weight.  The ideal weight for this is considered to be about 10% of the fully loaded weight of the towed vehicle.  It is important to know that some vehicles, mostly those imported from Europe or Japan, sometimes have a stated maximum ball weight that is considerably less than 10% of the maximum towing mass.

After deciding what trailer/caravan to buy, then you have to consider whether you tow it with a sedan or a 4WD?  If you are venturing off-road, then the decision is easy - a 4WD. If not, then a modern 2WD sedan is just as capable of towing a caravan or camper trailer.  You must remember that you cannot exceed the manufacturers towing recommendations.

The next question is whether to purchase a manual or automatic?  This is often a personal preference, but some manufacturers recommend an automatic transmission for towing larger vans/trailers.  The main advantage is that it allows the driver to concentrate on the road conditions without having to worry about what gear they should be using.  Some manufacturers will recommend an extra oil cooler to be fitted to an automatic vehicle also.  The benefits of a manual gearbox is that it makes the uphill and undulating terrain easier to negotiate.

Your car is worth what someone will pay for it TODAY

We receive requests daily from people wanting to sell their cars and wanting a valuation.

Most people jump on the Internet and go to the Red Book or the Glass’s Guide for an indication. The Glass’s Guide is usually used by finance and insurance companies to establish the market value.

These are historical guides only; all prices are based on what has happened in the past and on the average price Australia wide. Therefore, what a car is worth in Brisbane will be different to Perth. The funny thing about these guides is, if you look at a certain car value in both guides, you will find that both have different values.

These guides also don’t reflect the current market trends. With the price of fuel going through the roof, all large V8 prices have dropped substantially. This has also affected the pricing of 4WD petrol and diesel variants.

Small, automatic, 4 cylinder cars are holding their prices far better than 12 months ago - some makes are more expensive 1 year old than they are brand new. These days you really have to do your homework!

If you ask NRMA, RACV or RACQ for a value, they will give you whichever book value they have. Ask you mechanic and he will suggest what’s best for him to work on,  not what’s best for you.

The best way to sell your car is privately. But remember, you must be cheaper than the dealers because they spend money preparing the car, and by law, must give warranties - which as a private seller, you do not need to provide.

People looking at buying privately; remember that the person trying to sell their pride and joy will inflate their pricing to allow negotiation. You will receive no warranty and remember to always ask for a REVS Certificate to ensure there is no financial burden on the car. Remember that buying privately is like buying from the auctions - “Buyer Beware”. You purchase the car as is - All shine & warts!

These days car owners are trying to save money and look after the environment at the same time. As a part time grey nomad I thought I’d put pen to paper and let you know about a system I have been investigation.

• Diesel/LPG

Injecting LPG into a diesel engine has been around since Adam was a boy. The main problem was the delivery system was as old as Noah, but as history has shown us, technology has advanced.

There are at least two systems I know of that work great. The first one incorporates a venturi, which is plumbed into the air intake line just before the turbo. The LPG is feed via a gas converter through a computer controlled stepper motor.

The other system is a more up to date system that utilises sequential vapour injection again computer controlled. Both systems work on approx 1/3 LPG mixed with 2/3 diesel.

The advantage for the environment is that LPG injected into the diesel engine means that 95 to 98% diesel is burnt and converts to energy, compared to 70-80% on a standard diesel engine. This near total burn increases the power and improves the fuel consumption by at least a 1/3. It also keeps the oil cleaner and gives less soot over time which is great for the environment.

If you want more information, I found a website that explains this technology and gives details of examples. I went to and spoke to their rep here in Brisbane (Mr Spanner at Sumner Park) and was very impressed with their operations.

Check out www.dieselgas.com.au

Definitely, worth the investigation, especially when you see the price of diesel these days in the country areas.

Happy Motoring