Towing Vehicle

Athol · Newbie

Towing Vehicle

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Towing or carying ?

montie · Guru

3.5 tonne is a heavy van.

200 series cruiser or an F truck.

Montie

iana · Guru

You are asking a lot, towing a 3500kg van means a towball weight of up to 350kg, plus your stuff in the back of the vehicle means that the vehicle suspension will need to be able to cope with that load, there goes your comfort. I brought a Mazda BT50, same as the Ford Ranger, of the std. range of utes, that had the most pulling power and weight capacity. The single cab ute will give you a load carrying capacity more over all four wheels, the 4 door ute will have the weight hanging over the back, just making matters worse. I went for the extra cab, one, so the two seats could be leant back for comfort, and two, the load was still further forward than the 4 door.
However my van and vehicle combination I feel will be close to the 6000kg max, and I am now sorry that I went for such a large van, even so my van sounds to be lighter than yours. Bearing in mind that the tow vehicle should be heavier than the towed vehicle, you need to be looking at something like a Yank Tank to be able to tow in comfort. Then there is the other side of the coin, getting around in town with parking.
It seems you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Possum3 · Guru

Toyota 70 series, Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram Ford F Series. Iveco Daily - basically that's your options if you want to have people inside the tug, carry anything, plus tow your van

Cupie · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Toyota 70 series, Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram Ford F Series. Iveco Daily - basically that's your options if you want to have people inside the tug, carry anything, plus tow your van

IMHO we'll see lots more of this in the future as vans keep getting loaded up with 'must haves' & as a result get heavier & heavier, requiring big yank tanks to pull them.

At the recent Caravan Show I was very impressed with the range of Gin Palaces but the weight!

Makes me more content with my old Jayco Westport & GQ Patrol. (Plus a new ish Mazda 3 for round town).

But it would be nice to have an off road Gin Palace behind a Tundra or Titan.

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Athol,

I have a 2012 Toyota 200 TTD GX Plus . Being a V8 diesel in standard form, it puts out 650 neutons of Torque from 1600 -2600rpm.( Very important for towing.)

Having a wide wheel base makes for a very stable towing platform.

Its weight and towing capacity of 3500kg and max ball weight of 350kg.

Fuel as standard 138lts.

On our recent trip to WA return towing 1900kg we averaged 16.7lts towing all day at 102km in overdrive 5th gear.

Around town I get 12.9lt to the 100km.

Not cheap by any means. However we brought ours for long term(20 years) towing in retirement. Our van weighs 2650kg.

Every day running around we use our 2008 Toyota corolla.

Jim

Possum3 · Guru

@ Hey Jim ; Van weight of 3500 Kg was criteria plus two occupants and I assume some personal effects - outside of 200 series legal capability.

macka17 · Guru

Too Many dreamers out there hey.

That van is restricted to light truck or Yank Tank Ute.

The Ute starting in $130k range if new.

Truck. Around $40ish.

Even if you "update" (play with) the figures with an engineer.
It's still only, really. Paper figures.
You still using an underrated veh for the job.

None of the current market veh's we use are suitable for that weight van.

ONE DAY.
People will start to realise it. And go for sensible sized vans.
Mainly because those will then need a "truck Licence" to make you legal.

4.5ton "Combined". Should be the max for car licences I reckon.

Allowing a person who's never had more than 6x4's behind them. To go out on Public roads with up to 4.5ton behind them (6+ t combined) IS Criminal in a lot of cases.

They have NO idea what can happen.
Without some instruction and some hrs behind the wheel on a P Plate.

Truckies have to.
Us old farts need it even more so,
with a lifetime of car driving bad habits behind us.

The instruction you lot my age here in Aust, got. was zilch.

Round the block after 8 questions with your mate the local cop was it.
I think you had to get 4 or 6 right?.

Remember....

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Possum,

My GX is a plus model. smile Just get a plus kit added. Ho Ho Ho! then he's good to tow.

Cupie · Guru

macka17 wrote:
snip

The instruction you lot my age here in Aust, got. was zilch.

Round the block after 8 questions with your mate the local cop was it.
I think you had to get 4 or 6 right?.

Remember....

I remember ....

My car licence test (1959) consisted of rocking up to the Local Sergeant at the Burleigh Heads Cop Shop in a work ute.

No learners. No Questions. His first words were, "Yes, I've seen you driving about the place". I used to drive down to pick up the morning teas & lunches.

He got in & I took him on a 2 or 3 km trip down the Pacific Highway & back to the Station.

I got top points because a rain shower came over so I drove up over the gutter & footpath onto the grass to let him out at the foot of the steps so that he didn't get wet.

Came in a bit later & picked up the licence.

No P plates.

Motor bike Licence (1963) was the same. The Testing Officer (an Uncle I think .. or one of his mates at least) stood on the front landing of the Station house & watched me go down the street to the first intersection, do a U turn & return to pick up licence.

Did a few 4WD & Recovery courses in the Army (CMF) though . This 'qualified' me to instruct the Cook/Drivers of our Artillery Battery.

Possum3 · Guru

Hey Jim wrote:
Hi Possum,
My GX is a plus model. Just get a plus kit added. Ho Ho Ho! then he's good to tow.

Jim, What is involved in Plus Kit? I cannot get any details from Toyota site http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-200/specifications/sahara-turbo-diesel How can it exceed 3500Kg towing ie van weight with personal effects, gas and water?

macka17 · Guru

Those kits primarily fit bigger springs and a few links.
The chassis and running gear etc don't change.
They still only "Really" a 3 ish ton tow car.
No matter what you do to them.

A 3 ton Dual cab TRUCK. is much more capable of towing and carrying
more than these toys.

One day they'll realise, and start using safe vehicles
for the bloody big vans they buying.

macka17 · Guru

Cupie.
I got mine in UK Army '59\early '60.
2 weeks in classroom with another week in garage
to see how everything inside there did what.
Then 2 more weeks on camp roads Night and day driving.

Test. was a full day. off for dinner then 4 more hrs after dark.

In first.
a 350cc Don R BSA motor bike.
1 ton Austin Chanp or Land Rover.
3 ton Austin Truck.
Diamond T. 2 way splitter, Gate box, Tank Hauler.
Dinner.
Then Bike Champ 3 tonner nd D.T.

With retest on most used veh every 12 months. with medical after that.
ALL crash boxes. MORE than one crunch.
Back to base.

I was a V.M (Diesel\Hydraulics tech) in REME
G.W.(Guided Weapons\Missiles) trained.

We did broken tank recovery. IE. Maintained Missile transporters.
Some tracked, ( Nuclear ones.)
Plus LAD work in Artillery regiments.

Keep ALL regiment wheels turning.

Had to have licences for everything up to the 200ton Mighty Antars
which towed\ Carried 2 x Conquerors with weapons turrets not barrels.

Some of those were frightening enuff.
But those little white with stripe on nuclear warheads on the Corporal and Honest John Missiles were were standing under. and slept on top of.
Scared the f---'n **** out of this little black duck.
11 of us plus Serg, and OC (Lootennant sir)

Most of us in the Nuclear (G.W.) Battery's .
Artillery with the LAD's (REME)
ended up with some forms of cancer over next 30 yrs.

Some of life's little experiences ain't the best hey.

PS.

Over there.

M Bike licence was 16 yrs.

Car 17 yrs,

Trucks (or semi's?>) 21.

-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 4th of July 2017 07:15:59 PM