After getting rid of our Ford Ranger last year we bought a new Nissan Navara. Nissan have a very simple sliding scale of allowable towing weights depending on the load that the vehicle is carrying. the more weight, the less you can tow. That means that if you have a bullbar, canopy, roof rack, tinny, fridge, generator & lots of other gear etc. in your vehicle you can't really tow much at all. Maybe a very small caravan? Definitely not a huge one with full water tanks, extra solar panels, a big tool box, a couple of bikes & a few jerry cans hanging off it.
Radar said
07:51 AM May 4, 2016
First off we are an owner of a modern ute towing a 2 tonne Van and in the near future at sometime will move up to a larger van possibly around the 2.5 tonne mark which it will still tow comfortably. When we purchased our ute I was aware of whats its capabilities are weight wise and took all that into consideration, very happy with the out come.
Looking back in the 60/70s, remember the circus and show people with there big vans being towed by 1&half ton trucks Bedfords, Dodges and the mighty Ford F100 no match for comfort, performance and economy of our modern utes but really they could do it with total safety and those vans were not as heavy as the ones of today.
My how things have changed.
Woody n Sue said
12:53 PM May 4, 2016
Thanks tony and Bev yes it seems I got the wrong link
I think with so many vans having "accidents " it is only a matter of time till mister plod starts to look very closely at checking vans and tugs for weight not to mention insurance companies .
Woody
http://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/buyers-guide/4x4campervans
A simple explanation on weights
this makes interesting reading
woody
Just a lot of advertising there.
Hello everyone
I think that this may be the link, which Woody n Sue were referring to
http://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com.au/buyers-guide-buying-advice/ute-paylaods-arent-what-they-seem
After getting rid of our Ford Ranger last year we bought a new Nissan Navara. Nissan have a very simple sliding scale of allowable towing weights depending on the load that the vehicle is carrying. the more weight, the less you can tow. That means that if you have a bullbar, canopy, roof rack, tinny, fridge, generator & lots of other gear etc. in your vehicle you can't really tow much at all.
Maybe a very small caravan? 
Definitely not a huge one with full water tanks, extra solar panels, a big tool box, a couple of bikes & a few jerry cans hanging off it. 
First off we are an owner of a modern ute towing a 2 tonne Van and in the near future at sometime will move up to a larger van possibly around the 2.5 tonne mark which it will still tow comfortably. When we purchased our ute I was aware of whats its capabilities are weight wise and took all that into consideration, very happy with the out come.
Looking back in the 60/70s, remember the circus and show people with there big vans being towed by 1&half ton trucks Bedfords, Dodges and the mighty Ford F100 no match for comfort, performance and economy of our modern utes but really they could do it with total safety and those vans were not as heavy as the ones of today.
My how things have changed.
I think with so many vans having "accidents " it is only a matter of time till mister plod starts to look very closely at checking vans and tugs for weight not to mention insurance companies .
Woody