Have a 2007 Pajero and never a problem. Tow in 4th, if auto, you will get better consumption.
Consider getting a treg or Hyland hitch for you van. The rear door will not open with a standard hitch.
I have seen this problem solved by fitting a fold down handle to the van hitch. It was done by removing the pin that holds it in place. The bloke then fitted his modified fold down handle made from 4mm thick aluminium sheet. Worked very well and we will be doing this mod before our next trip. Btw the Pajero is an excellent tug, as N and R said towing in 4th gear is the go if you have an auto. Happy travels.
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Those who wish to reap the blessings of freedom must, as men, endure the fatigue of defending it.
I have a 2013 NW Pajero (diesel, manual transmission) and tow a 16.5 ft Jayco poptop van. It handles the van really well. Fuel consumption depends entirely on how hard you push your foot down, but going from Cooma to Melbourne, I can easily get it down to less than 12 L/100 km. That was sitting on 100 km/h indicated speed (actual about 94 km/h). My last trip covered 10500 km, and we averaged 12.8 L/100, but we were doing 100 km/h (by the GPS). I have seen 15 L/100 in hilly country and into headwinds. The fuel consumption is brilliant, and I generally work on at least 600 km range out of the tank.
The rear door opening is a bother. I modified the handle on my van so that it folds down and the door clears the handle. That was cheaper than buying an adaptor to raise the spare wheel.
Be aware that when you load the Pajero rear wheels, they change camber and lean in at the top. This means that you tend to wear the rear tyres on the inner edge. I had my rear camber made more positive and also have fitted air bags to reduce this problem, but it still wears the tyres a bit unevenly. I don't use load levellers because of access problems at my house, but they would help with levelling the car and also with the rear tyre wear problem.
As a towing rig, the Pajero is brilliant. It is stable, has plenty of power, good brakes and general stability. Ic you look in a caravan park, probably 40% of the tugs there will be Pajeros, so that give you an idea of how popular they are for towing vans.
-- Edited by erad on Wednesday 7th of September 2016 09:14:59 AM
-- Edited by erad on Wednesday 7th of September 2016 09:15:43 AM
-- Edited by erad on Wednesday 7th of September 2016 09:16:54 AM
Just remember there are two scenarios using a Pajero as a tow vehicle . The ball weight has to be under180 to tow 3 ton or if it is over 180 you can only tow 2500 fully loaded. So depending on the size of the van if you want to be "legal in Aus" you have to keep within these limits. In other countries they can tow 3ton without this stipulation. We had one and it was a great car, towed both our vans very well but the new van came in just over 2500 when loaded so we upgraded to a second hand Toyota cruiser which we are very happy with and I can put everything in including the kitchen sink if I want to without worrying about weights as long as I am prepared to pay the diesel cost! Note. We are pretty basic caravanners though and take minimal gear!
Only timeyou have problems with that. is if unbalanced.
OR
Rear set suspension, Mainly tandem off roaders.
I couldn't keep my 6.5mtrRoadstar under 350kg.
But accepted that. Had Patrol suspension set for that.
Tug at least 1\2 ton heavier
and the best on market for towing to 3 ton.
