we have a2003 nissan xtrail auto that we are towing a 1500kg caravan with but are finding it a bit heavy on full and are looking at upgrading to diesel auto have $6000 what do you people suggest
Diandken, it's all a matter of personal choice really but maybe have a look at a Prado or similar but don't go under 2000 model. You might just have to re think the budget to get something reliable though.
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DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
The Falcon is rated to 2.3-tonnes, or put another way, 2,300kgs. That is dependant on the correct tow bar being fitted.
But while towing the 2.3 tonnes the Falcon is speed limited to only 80-kilometres an hour! Of course, it can exceed that speed but you would have all sorts of problems with warranty and possible legal action if alert police were to spot it or an accident was to happen.
There are many Falcon wagons out there on LPG/petrol - this means they are much cheaper to run than a diesel plus cheaper to fix as every wrecker has Falcon parts.
The OP stated he's towing in the order of 1500Kg The 80KMH limit doesn't apply to the Falcon in this case, and it's still the best value tow vehicle out there for the stated application.
That's right Mike. I have a BF Falcon (Futura actually) with a 2300kg towbar fitted towing a Jayco Freedom. I think the next lowerest towbar is rated at 1600kg - which to my mind only gives 100kg 'spare.'
And I normally tow at 90km/h - sometimes creeping up to 100km/h when necessary.
As several others have mentioned, a Falcon would suit Diandken quite well. He should look for one with a 2300kg towbar already fitted.
By the way, nobody else has mentioned it but the automatics have a higher towing rating than manuals.
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Tuesday 5th of May 2015 10:50:08 AM
If I were looking for a tow vehicle be it 4WD or a sedan/wagon, I'd prefer to buy one without a towbar - reason being that the engine and transmission has had an easier life and has been not subjected to the rigours of towing. 2nd hand towbars are available from most wreckers or on Ebay and for older vehicles are less than $100.
If I were looking for a tow vehicle be it 4WD or a sedan/wagon, I'd prefer to buy one without a towbar - reason being that the engine and transmission has had an easier life and has been not subjected to the rigours of towing. 2nd hand towbars are available from most wreckers or on Ebay and for older vehicles are less than $100.
Good Luck.
But if it was a sedan or wagon it would mean no tow bar = no oil cooler fitted which could be expensive
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How is your mechanical knowledge?....mine is fairly broad and in 50 years driving I've only used a mechanic once when lazy and never owned a new car always old ones yet I'd be a bit worried owning any diesel vehicle with over 300,000km on the clock, more so if it was a landrover despite them being wonderful when new. Reasons are that if any brand diesel has trouble fuel-wise, the costs of overhauling the injector pump or injectors is often more than what the car is worth. DIY is more complicated and near impossible. Also diesel vehicles need to be serviced twice as often as petrol ones and the sumps on them are larger meaning they need more oil. If your mechanical knowledge is limited then I'd personally avoid an older diesel especially a Disco (I know there are exceptions)
My B.I.L. has a 2004 Falcon wagon on LPG and petrol - has over 400,000km on it and he recently went around Australia with us in our Territory with not a single problem - 19000km in total towing a camper.
However if I had the cash I'd own a new Landcruiser with the twin turbo V8 diesel.
Not to disagree Hako .. Diesels need proper servicing .. Oil changes and filters at proper intervals is about all required.. Let it go too long then yes neglect will catch you big time.. About the same with petrol engines.. Keep fuel and oil clean they go well..
Diesels in general.. There's better motors than Disco diesel by far...
Before the Collie I had a 1998 Prado on Gas/Petrol and found better on petrol. The biggest problem I had was actually getting gas inland especially inland QLD. The other thing I noticed was if you could get gas the car seemed to perform not as good. I ended up running on petrol all the time while inland QLD. Ok in the bigger towns and cities though.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Before the Collie I had a 1998 Prado on Gas/Petrol and found better on petrol. The biggest problem I had was actually getting gas inland especially inland QLD. The other thing I noticed was if you could get gas the car seemed to perform not as good. I ended up running on petrol all the time while inland QLD. Ok in the bigger towns and cities though.
Gas in general term looses about 20% of power compared to ULP. You run a car on gas because it is 1/2 the price of ULP.
Direct injection LPG systems came in around 2003 and made a big difference to power and economy. I had a direct injectionon 2004 V8 Grand Cherokee Jeep which I owned for over 8 years and 275,000 Kms. The power difference between LPG and petrol was not noticeable to me and I towed a 2300KG van. I kept complete fuel records throughout the 8 years. LPG on the East Coast close to capital cities is a bit over half the price of petrol and made it a very economical proposition. As a quide I suggest that, along the East Coast area, the operating cost of a good LPG injection system would be about one-third less than the operating cost on petrol. However, once you venture inland the prices differential is much closer and the economies are less - the further outback you go the less the benefit.
LPG systems are relatively simple and easy to maintain, especially on a large engine. One benefit is that LPG is easier on engine internals and they should last longer than when operated on petrol. The nations taxi fleet does not predominantly use LPG for the fun of it - they do so because the whole of vehicle ownership costs are less than the alternates. There has to be a lot of good dual fuel Falcons/Holdens out there with injection systems for very reasonable prices. Sure there were a few other models that did not perform so well on LPG but most were just fine. Although you see lesser numbers of petrol Pajaros, Patrols and Discos on LPG I met quite a few and mostly they spoke positively of their performance and economy.
These days I drive a turbo diesel Jeep which is a very good tow vehicle and certainly has better torque that petrol/LPG vehicles, but I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the economy and power of a well set up dual fuel vehicle.
Good Luck with your hunt for an economical tow vehicle.
We currently tow a large van with a Pajero running on dual fuel and have found it very good there is a minor drop in performance but nothing to worry about, you may pick up a mm or np Pajero for the money you have and they are a great tow vehicle.
In 2013 we travelled through outback QLD on the way to NT and had no difficulty in obtaining lpg but it was quite expensive in some locations so ran on petrol. Hope you find a vehicle to suit your needs.
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