Mate finely bit the bullet and back traded the Triton on a MUX Isuzu and very happy until he hooked up the 1400kg van (120kg on the tow hitch) without load levers and it sunk and the rear ****ing the head lights sky high
Short trip to see if it would tow okay and the sway was to much he felt unsafe. Went to the dealer to see if they could fit load levers to it as 1400 kg was well short of the 3000kg stated . NO! No sir if you fit levers then your warranty is voided. Just as well he didn't buy the bigger 2800 kg van
Has anyone had the same problem or has an answer to the sinking problem.
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Pets are welcome but children must be leashed at all times
not wit a isuzu mine is a 2012 colly and had the same problem took it up with holden there quick fix was wind the headlights down . now illegal when no load so i took it up with holden australia bris syd and melb and not resolved . i told them of a company on the sunshine coast that bought 6 of there vehicles and had the same problem with full tool boxes . they guys even refused to drive them on night call out . they took up the issue with holden local nup no good . so they took it upon them selfs to put another spring in and holden rang the suspension guys and told them to put 2 in each side . they really admitted liability if you ask me but holden just said to me n*&^*t didn't beat us you won't . mine used to sink 65 mill with 240 kgs on the ball . they said to much weight but i shot em down and told em i got my own scales in my jockey wheel . o you will have to run wdh yea rite and to pull 65 mill out i would rip the tow bar of . so my fix was to spend $2500 on a sax 3 stage setup works gr8 . there was someone on here that shot me down said its the ring setup for towing but hey I'm me i know how it feels now till I'm proven wrong i will advertise this system as i now don't have to use wdh and thats with 2600 gk van .
I'm don't know what the dealer is referring to in regard to voiding your warranty if a load distribution hitch is used. Sounds like utter bollocks to me because in most instances you cannot tow safely without one.
I do have a MU-X and do tow a 21 ft Jayco Sterling with it. In fact I'm extremely pleased with the ability of the vehicle to handle the van under a wide range of conditions, and as steady as a rock without any anti sway systems.
However I do use a Hayman Reese 275 kg weight distribution hitch and would not leave home without it. If Isuzu decide that this voids my warrantee I will see them in court.
Cheers, Tom
Edit: Now if I was told that fitting airbags in the suspension system to lift the tail of the vehicle back up voided the warranty I could understand it, as that has caused fracturing of the chassis of various breeds of tow vehicles.
-- Edited by greyhoundtom on Saturday 19th of September 2015 08:06:43 PM
-- Edited by greyhoundtom on Saturday 19th of September 2015 08:08:05 PM
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I had a thought but it got run over as it crossed my mind.
If you fit a Hayman Reese to bar the HR will warrant any problems you have with the tow bar fitting. Same thing applies to other vehicles particularly Nissans.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
I'm looking at upgrading my tow vehicle to a pajero or izuzu mux, our van is 2300kg. The mux had been recommended due to its fuel economy and engine endurance where the pajero although old technology is tried and trusted. Interested to here from anyone that tows with either vehicle
Don't over look the fact that it is not just the tow ball weight that effects the vehicle attitude, but also the load in the rear of the towing vehicle. If the rear of your vehicle is chocker with stuff, then transferring it into the van would help.
As far a the Parjero is concerned. I know of some one who brought a new Parjero and is now selling and going for a Landcruiser. I think the Parjero has a reduced towball weight when hitching larger loads.
I've been thinking of upgrading to a MUX. The salesman tells me to get in before the end of 2016. After then they're going to euro 6 pollution standards. This will be smaller engine & sequential turboing & extreme exhaust mods. Basically doing away with a tried & proven engine.
Cheers Pete
We love our DMax SX. We use load levelers and told by various Dealers that they are OK. BUT if you have the suspension modified in anyway - then no warranty on suspension issues. I think most/all manufacturers (including RV's) have the same policy
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
the old story - each dealer will have their own ideas and the manufacturer MAY use this as an excuse to duck out of warranty. I think they would be hard pressed though with WDH's as they've been around for years, made by well known companies and not permanently fitted to the motor vehicle. Reckon fair trading or the ACCC would take the side of the consumer........
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
I know I'm a bit slow at times understanding stuff, and as I get further past 70 it seems to be getting worse. Therefore could someone please explain in simple terms I may have half a chance of understanding, just what damage the use of a load distribution device could do to a vehicle which would not be fixed under warrantee because such damage was clearly seen to have been caused by such load distribution device.
Cheers, Tom
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I had a thought but it got run over as it crossed my mind.
We have a DMax Duelcab, which I bought as a cab chassis and the rear springs were level with less than 500kg and totally inverted with 750kg and on the bump rubbers with the van connected.
I went to the local dealer in Redcliffe and made a comment about the ability of the vehicle to carry 1 ton and tow 3.5 ton.
I got sick of waiting for a response and had a complete Sax suspension mine kit installed, which is capable of a constant 1 ton load. The rear end no longer saggs and also supports the van too.
As we are permanently on the road we need a vehicle which can carry the loads necessary and safely.
Rod
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"No matter what happens travel gives you a story to tell"
our Colorado also had a 'soft rear'. Initially there was a sticker on the door frame stating 'do not use WDH'. We took this up with the dealer as the reason we bought the vehicle was to tow a large van. Dealer contacted holden who said it is OK to use WDH and to remove the sticker - we took it to them to remove.
Still too much sag even with WDH so had extra spring put in - solved the problem but as mentioned by the original poster now have a problem with headlights - will get them adjusted next service for driving without the van as we hardly ever tow at night.
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Jenny and Barry
2009 Roma Elegance / 2013 Colorado. Permanent travellers 2011-2015 now just travel for 4-6 mths
The way I see it, and I used to have the same discussion with boat trim, and that is that the vehicle (or boat) should be set up to be trimmed when carrying its normal load, with out the need for other devices. With a vehicle that means the suspension should be able to take the load and sit level, with a boat the weight should be distributed so that it is on an even keel.
Then the addition of any other temporary loads which puts the attitude of the vehicle out can be trimmed so to speak with a WDH.
To use a WDH to level the vehicle which is very down at the back (not up-grading the suspension), must put enormous loads (moments) on the chassis and on the towbar attachment points. And where there was a flexible joint, i.e. the tow ball coupling, this is now very ridged. So we effectively have a solid lever from the van to the spring attach points.
Summary, up grade the suspension to take the normal load, and use a WDH to trim out any extra load or load shift. For instance water tanks, fuel or the sack of potatoes the wife has just brought and put in the back of the ute.
Now I am not an authority on this, but going on past experience, this is my opinion. I am also in the same process in setting up the vehicle.
I'm not sure but the D Max is the ute with leaf springs and the MUX is the station wagon with coil springs is that right. One is built to work and the other for comfort Toyota had the same situation with the Hilux and the Surf back in the 80-90's. coil springs just don't perform the same leaf.
If we take a 1400 kg van and a tow ball down pressure of 140 or 10% then why is it that the rear end sags when the vehicle is rated to two three ton , yes I appreciate towing and carrying are different aspects but if you put a 3 ton van on the hitch meaning a max of 300 kg or 10% D/P on the tow ball the rear end would certainly be grounded . Hell 300 kg is really bugger all, roughly 15 bags of cement, most box trailers are rated to carry 1 tonne on leaf springs .
It is rather confusing and the dealers as other have said are of little help and head office is non committal when it comes to warranty issues it's a such and see to them
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Pets are welcome but children must be leashed at all times
I can't believe some of the exaggerated #### that is being posted in the topic.
I have a 2015 MU-X and tow a 21ft Jayco Sterling with an ATM of around 2500kg and a current ball weight of 220kg, and no the back of the vehicle does NOT sag severely, and the lights do NOT point at the heavens when the van is hooked on without a weight distribution hitch.
This is despite a bit of weight in the rear of the vehicle which includes a 2500 watt generator, folding solar panel, a box of tools, and a fridge currently unloaded.
The whole thing rides very nicely with both the van and tug close to level with a H/R 275kg weight distribution hitch, and no it's not a solid connection between the tug and the van as I can stand on that connecting point and bounce it up and down.
If the 1400 kg van of the OP is causing the ass end of the MU-X to severely sag may I suggest they run the van over the weigh bridge because no way is this happening with a van that should have a ball weight of 140kg. Damn it the Mazda 6 I traded in on the MU-X could handle a ball weight of 150kg. Sheesh
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I had a thought but it got run over as it crossed my mind.
Well I guess I shouldn.t have said "And where there was a flexible joint, i.e. the tow ball coupling, this is now very ridged. So we effectively have a solid lever from the van to the spring attach points." When you are using a WDH, and you have applied load to level up the vehicles, i.e. transferred weight to the front wheels, depending on how much load is applied, you must stiffen up the ball joint formed by the tow bar ball and the van hitch. How else can you be lifting up the rear of the vehicle and pushing the front down?
I've re-read my post, I didn't mention the make of any vehicle, didn't find anything that was out of line.
The way I see it, and I used to have the same discussion with boat trim, and that is that the vehicle (or boat) should be set up to be trimmed when carrying its normal load, with out the need for other devices. With a vehicle that means the suspension should be able to take the load and sit level, with a boat the weight should be distributed so that it is on an even keel. Then the addition of any other temporary loads which puts the attitude of the vehicle out can be trimmed so to speak with a WDH.
To use a WDH to level the vehicle which is very down at the back (not up-grading the suspension), must put enormous loads (moments) on the chassis and on the towbar attachment points. And where there was a flexible joint, i.e. the tow ball coupling, this is now very ridged. So we effectively have a solid lever from the van to the spring attach points.
Summary, up grade the suspension to take the normal load, and use a WDH to trim out any extra load or load shift. For instance water tanks, fuel or the sack of potatoes the wife has just brought and put in the back of the ute.
Now I am not an authority on this, but going on past experience, this is my opinion. I am also in the same process in setting up the vehicle.
I read this quote and could not agree more. Trim the boats first.
What we really need is weigh bridge statements, model of cars, a few measurements of heights before and after.
Straight out I am not a big fan of throwing on wd bars first, maybe ok to tow your van once a year but to tow full time set your vehicle up is a real plus.
