Hopefully someone can help with a boat question - we quite often 'bovan' using the boat as a van.
My boat and trailer comes in at 3.8t fully loaded, fuelled and provisioned. Trailer GVM is 3975kg
Have been towing with a 200series + gvm upgrade but it is illega especially if i take to queensland.
I don't believe Rams or similar would be sufficient with payload i wish to carry in tow vehicle.
I am happy to investigate a light truck (and even upgrade my drivers licence if necessary), however most of the small hinos, canters and fusos have a 3.5t tow limit.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a suitable vehicle?
Hopefully someone can help with a boat question - we quite often 'bovan' using the boat as a van.
My boat and trailer comes in at 3.8t fully loaded, fuelled and provisioned. Trailer GVM is 3975kg.
Have been towing with a 200series + gvm upgrade but it is illega especially if i take to queensland.
I don't believe Rams or similar would be sufficient with payload i wish to carry in tow vehicle.
I am happy to investigate a light truck (and even upgrade my drivers licence if necessary), however most of the small hinos, canters and fusos have a 3.5t tow limit.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a suitable vehicle?
Thanks
Hi. Tomorrow I'll address this as best I can, but please note that trailers do not have GVMs, as they're not powered vehicles. The term you seek is ATM.
Seems that a RAM 2500 will do the job quite well. Details tomorrow, but FORGET RAM 1500 which can't SAFELY tow much more than about 3000kg as a PIG trailer. Cheers
P.S Not flash on computers and have no idea why text now is bold!
-- Edited by yobarr on Saturday 22nd of April 2023 10:58:51 PM
Thanks yobarr, i look forward to your suggestions.
Only issue is i didnt want to spend $100k++ hence thought a prper truck might be more "cost effective"
Cheers
Thanks yobarr, i look forward to your suggestions. Only issue is i didnt want to spend $100k++ hence thought a prper truck might be more "cost effective" Cheers
Hmmm. Unfortunately it seems that you have little option but to go for a BIG Yank Tank as a cursory search of towing capacities of the more common small trucks shows tow capacity between 1500kg and 3500kg.
However, many of them have good GCMs, such as 7995kg for Isuzu N series which has GVM of 4500kg and tow capacity of 3500kg.
Kerb weight under 2600kg means you've got plenty to play with, so a perhaps you could make enquiries on what is needed for an increase of 500kg in tow capacity? Good luck!
IF you do elect to bite the bullet and get a RAM or Silverado or similar, do not choose the 1500 models. You can safely ignore the claimed towing capacities which can never safely be reached when towing PIG trailers, such as the vast majority of caravans and boat trailers. These claimed tow capacities can be reached only when towing DOG trailers, where there is little towball weight.
Stupidly low rear axle carrying capacity is the problem, despite the sales spiels you'll hear.
Sorry I couldn't be more help, but I've got to get the Roadtrain ready for tomorrow's work.
Perhaps other members with direct experience of using trucks to tow could be of assistance? Good luck. Cheers
I am happy to investigate a light truck (and even upgrade my drivers licence if necessary), however most of the small hinos, canters and fusos have a 3.5t tow limit.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a suitable vehicle?
Thanks
Some of the Isuzu light trucks, with the addition of the Isuzu X servicepack appear to have a tow limit of 4.5t.
Thanks for that link, Cuppa. Thought I'd read somewhere about this truck, but didn't have time to look for it. Plus I've no idea how to add links etc. This looks to be a good option for the OP if he wants to spend less than he might have to for a BIG Yank Tank. Cheers
Thanls to all.
Have decided to purchase Isuzu npr45/155.
Truck has gvm of 4.5t with gcm of 9.0t.
Can tow anything over 3.5t up to 4.5t as long as you match mass of tow vechile to trailer mass
Pver 3.5t need 70mm ball and hitch.
I will need "ballast" on truck to get to get match - so looking for a half (500 L) IBC.
Have decided to purchase Isuzu npr45/155.
Truck has gvm of 4.5t with gcm of 9.0t.
Can tow anything over 3.5t up to 4.5t as long as you match mass of tow vechile to trailer mass
Over 3.5t need 70mm ball and hitch.
I will need "ballast" on truck to get match - so looking for a half (500 L) IBC.
Have decided to purchase Isuzu npr45/155. Truck has gvm of 4.5t with gcm of 9.0t. Can tow anything over 3.5t up to 4.5t as long as you match mass of tow vechile to trailer mass Over 3.5t need 70mm ball and hitch.
I will need "ballast" on truck to get match - so looking for a half (500 L) IBC.
Any ideas on where i can get one?
Cheers to all
Great decision to purchase the Isuzu, and great to see that you understand that, because your tow vehicle has a GVM over 4500kg the weight on the wheels of the truck must always exceed the weight on the wheels of any PIG trailer (van or boat trailer) that it tows.
This is for safety, and to minimise the chances of the Tail wagging the Dog .
It all is simple physics, and the sooner similar laws are introduced for ALL towing vehicles the safer we all will be. Cheers
Yobarr, in the case of the NPR 45/155, this has a GVM of 4495kg, so it is technically Light Commercial and driveable on a normal car licence. It is not a heavy vehicle and while I totally agree with you with regard to keeping the pig trailer lighter than the towing vehicle, heavy vehicle towing conditions, with regard to the weight of the trailer and the weight of the towing vehicle, don't apply.
Isuzu trucks Australia are very good when it comes to fitting out tradies with car licence driveable light commercial vehicles, last year they re-vamped their Light Commercial, Light Rigid and some Medium Rigid range of vehicles with a complete aftermarket range of retro-fit towing upgrades starting approximately from 2018 model year onwards and of course everything they are currently selling.
I found this out when I took my NPS in for a service last year and while there, the service person behind the counter started to tell me that I may wish to upgrade my tow pack (his words) so that I could legally tow 4.5T of trailer. This could be done during the service and would not extend the service time duration and while he was saying that, he proceeded to walk out the door with me following, and headed straight to the rear of the truck and was struck speechless when he spied no existing towing attachments. After a pregnant pause, he turned to me and said, "this is the first NPS I have seen without a towing pack".
The beauty of what Fridge65 has bought, is that it is the wide cabin version denoted by the P in the nomenclature of NPR, P is wide cabin. Personally I would get the full rated version of that truck, which is 5500kg GVM, then you could have another 1000kg of carrying capacity. Still, its a licence and registration thing.
Well congratulations are in order then, I hope it does what you hope it will do.
Which actual model did you get, short or long wheelbase?
At least the driver will have some comfort with the mechanical suspension seat, but the passenger(s) are in for a hard ride. You should be able to fit an aftermarket Stratos passenger mechanical suspension seat, but you will need to purchase the All Terrain Warriors (ATW) passenger seat mount, which they manufacture.
These only fit the wide cabin Isuzu trucks, as far as I know.
We have two Stratos seats in our NPS, both are fitted with left and right armrests, which really give a level of comfort for when you wish to have the armrests lowered. By squibbing the bench seat, you can legally retain the three person carrying capacity of the cabin.
