towing with 75 series diesel landcruiser

Submitted: Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:01
ThreadID: 39418 Views:26034 Replies:10 FollowUps:3
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i have just bought my 1st 4wd to tow my 4 horse float,it weighs 1500kg empty & i plan to put 3 horses in it that total approx 1500kg, will this be to heavy for my ute? does anyone know the towing capacity of these utes? i read on the forum that you shouldnt tow in 5th gear! why is that? also it is not a turbo, would it be advisable to have a turbo fitted to give me more towing power? i towed my float today with 1 horese totaling 2000kg & it was gutless! please help as i am now devastated & am thinking i have made a terrible mistake! thankyou
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Reply By: Exploder - Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:17

Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:17
Can’t they tow 2500 or 3500 Kg ?, grated in a N/A diesel Toyota you won’t be getting anywhere fast but you will get there latter rather than sooner.

A turbo would help out, thou if you want to throe some money at it maybe consider fitting a 6.5 V8 Diesel Chevy not exsactly cheep but.

Sounds like you need a F250 LOL
AnswerID: 204750

Reply By: adamj1300 - Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:47

Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:47
the 78/79 series can do 3500kg i would assume the 75 would as well. i think it has the 2h motor in them, there like the 1hz in the 78.79 series are rather gutless, but still would do the job, but don't expect to do it in record time

how many kms are on it? im sure the an after market turbo has been fitted to a 2h before there are enough of em around.
AnswerID: 204760

Reply By: raunchy - Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:51

Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 22:51
Hi eeyore
75 series will tow 3500Kg I recall. DOnt be too sad, the ute will tow that load all day. BUT it will be slow. Turbo will help heaps. If you are not in a hurry youll be OK. I used to tow about 1800Kgs of boat with my old HJ47 with the 2H diesel, never bothered me, I guess I was going fishing though. I used to say I could drag off anyone on the road... For the first 2 feet.. I had a turbo fitted many years later and it was great. Made a huge difference. Fifth gear in the 75 is a bit weak, should be OK to tow on the flat without a headwind, but loading up in 5th tends to knock it around a bit. That said, most gearboxes are hurt more after the fitment of the turbo as you are likely to stay in 5th longer.
Regards
Ray
AnswerID: 204761

Reply By: Aandy(WA) - Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 23:01

Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 23:01
Should have test driven before you bought! A non turbo diesel cruiser is certainly gutless. It has less torque and less power than the 3l turbo diesel that powers the much smaller Prado and Hi lux for example. However the towing limits are not based on power and I think you should check the legal weight limits for towing with your vehicle. The Prado can take 2.5 tonnes so I imagine yours will be higher. Also although it is as you say "gutless" it will tow the weight - you just need to be a bit patient, but you'll get accustomed to it. Towing is a different style of driving. You're much more like a truck - slow to accelerate and slow on hills.
AnswerID: 204767

Reply By: Member - eerfree(QLD) - Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 23:50

Monday, Nov 13, 2006 at 23:50
eeyore
From the figures you have supplied you are going to be towing a float that totals 3 tonne (possibly 3.5) with a tug that weighs about 2.5 tonne, I do not think that power to pull is going to be your problem but power to stop is going to more important !!.
Please for the sake of your cargo make sure your rig is properly balanced and braked .

eerfree
AnswerID: 204781

Reply By: Member - Royce- Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 00:40

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 00:40
I've towed with 75 series vehicles for years. They will tow anything. Both the 2H and the 1HZ.

By 'gutless' you probably meant that it won't go fast or take off quickly. Well.... that's why we have a F350 to tow the goosekneck horsefloat.

The point is .. what do you need?

With three horses, I'm betting you will be exceeding the towing limits, but if the float is well balanced and you drive to the conditions using the gears, you will be fine. Slow... but fine.

A turbo only adds a percentage improvement.... so if you cruise at 90k on the open road.... you might get up to 95k or 100k an hour. They don't work miracles..

I've towed 6 head of cattle in my tandem trailer to market using 5th gear all the way... about 30ks. I estimate that the trailer plus cattle would total around 4,000kg. Both gearboxes doing fine still.

Use fifth gear whenever the speed is right, revs are right and goings good.

BTW..... strangely 2000kg vs 4000kg... doesn't seem to make much difference to the degree of gutlessness [is that a word?]. The old diesels seem to chug along happily..... slowly.

Cheers

AnswerID: 204791

Follow Up By: V8 Troopie - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 01:20

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 01:20
"the 2H engine will tow anything" Royce said, to which I put the proviso : on a flat road - perhaps. On a long hill, you will be crawling up in first gear, watching the temp gauge creeping towards the red line and even pass it. I towed a 2.5 ton boat when that happened and I could not stop due traffic to engage low range to crawl up even more slowly. As it was I only just made it to the top before she boiled.

On flat roads, given a head wind, I would have the accelerator to the floor all the time to maintain a speed over 80kmh.

Needless to say my troopie now has the old 2H engine replaced with a 6.2 Chevvie and the towing problems are over.
Klaus
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FollowupID: 464670

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 11:48

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 11:48
Klaus is right about the 2H.... but swap 3rd gear for 1st.... unless it's a really big hill and then second will always get you there. Mind you... sometimes two engines are not the same. My tray back tows up anything without getting hot. The Supa Trupa however got hot whenever put under pressure. New engine okay. 1HZ... but wish I'd gone for the 6.5 Chev....
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FollowupID: 464731

Follow Up By: eeyore - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 16:43

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 16:43
thanks for the replies, i spoke to arb today & they told me i could fit a turbo for around 4-5 thousand, is that the going price? my engine is a 1hz & has done 198.000 km, im not looking for fast take off or to be doing 120km all day long, 95-100km would be quite sufficient and a little bit of power on hill, im in adelaide & travel via melbourne a bit going up tunkillo & palmer hills, hence not wanting to be at a standstill! would a turbo help me in this situation?
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FollowupID: 464812

Reply By: troopywanderer - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 02:03

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 02:03
Hi eeyore,
My 75 is 1996, its towing capacity is 3500 kg with 300 kg ballweight max. (Jayco confirmed this) If your diesel is 4.2 l, then it's the 1Hz engine.
I tow a 22' Jayco weighing approx. 2,200 kg. for over 3 years now. It will tow it all day long, slowly but surely. Any incline will see me using 3rd gear, but will chug up most hills in 2nd gear at 40 kph.
5th gear is not recommended for any speed below 90-100 kph. It's overdrive and have weak spline.
Good luck
AnswerID: 204799

Reply By: troopyman - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 15:02

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 15:02
Its better to be 5 minutes late in this world than 5 minutes early in the next .
AnswerID: 204898

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 17:01

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 17:01
>>> i have just bought my 1st 4wd to tow my 4 horse float,it weighs 1500kg empty & i plan to put 3 horses in it that total approx 1500kg, will this be to heavy for my ute?

Wouldnt you ask this before buying a new car?

SMF....
AnswerID: 204918

Reply By: Dunedigger - Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 17:52

Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006 at 17:52
Hi,

I have a 79 Cruiser, Now I know my engine has a lot more grunt than yours, even though I have also fitted Diesel/Gas. I can overtake the Semis going up the hills easly, but unless the road is really good I can't keep up with them on the flat.

Reason is that a 2.5 tonne tow vehicle towing 3.5 tonne of only partially restrained potentially VERY excitable horse means that if something goes pear shape, ( blown tire or an emergency stop for something on the road) then traveling at 85 Km instead of 100 Km makes a big difference.

Except on expressways, our roads just not safe enough to tow a "big box on wheels" at highway speeds, and this also applies to caravans. The "big box on wheels" tells me if a semi has started to overtake as the front of the Cruiser starts to change it's line.

Electric brakes on trailers are just not good enough either, even if it is 4 wheel braking.

If money is no object buy a F250, It will be safer for the horses and the driver

Dunedigger
AnswerID: 204924

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