On Monday, October 1, 2012 10:22:31 AM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:

Do people ever form Tow Vehicle Syndicates? How does that work out?

Similar situation - I drive a small, fuel-efficient car. It's fast, I can see the stars at night and feel the wind during day-time, and it has room for one driver and one passenger. It certainly cannot tow.

I tried borrowing a non-pilot friend's SUV (i.e., giving him the sports car in exchange), but that absolutely didn't work out (he didn't like it). He's no longer my friend, unfortunately. I recommend caution with such dealings. In my UK club, though, we more or less towed each other's gliders and helped out where we could, so it can work out.

I ended up buying a $2k 2000 GMC Safari (same as the Astrovan) that tows great and costs next to nothing in insurance. However, it's taken up a lot of my time and money in repairs. AAA membership pays for itself. I do not recommend leaving it at the airport, at least not parked on a non-sealed surface. The last time I did that, the brakes failed on me a week later due to corrosion of the brake lines.

The Subarus seem great, but they're pricey. With hindsight, I should have bought a newer vehicle, even if it sits there most of the time waiting for something to tow. I like the Mazda CX-7 (sufficient for towing, more efficient due to 4-cylinder), or the Santa Fe.