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BUYING A CARAVAN

Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 16:18

pommy lass

Article Overview - Buying a Caravan
If you're considering taking your time exploring what Australia has to offer, then taking a caravan with you is great option. Travelling with a caravan will provide you with many of the creature comforts of your own home. View Full Article...
MY BROTHER IN-LAW WANTS TO BUY A 24,FT. CARAVAN, AND IS CONSIDERING BUYING A NISSAN NAVARA TO TOW IT WITH. DO YOU THINK THIS YEARS MODEL VEHICLE WOULD TOW IT.THE VAN WOULD WEIGH APPROX. 2.5OO K.G. UNLOADED. MY HUSBAND THINKS A LAND CRUISER OR 4.2 NISSAN PATROL TURBO, WOULD BE BETTER SUITED FOR THE JOB.
ThreadID: 68945 Replies: 8
Views: 1037 FollowUps: 7
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AnswerID: 365519   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 17:11

Cruiser . replied:

Best thing is to look up the Navara specs then figure out approx how much he wants to load into the van including water, gas, food, clothes, tools, annexe etc and take that off the towing capacity and that gives him an idea of the max weight of the van unladen that the Navara can tow.

The Cruiser or Patrol will have a tow rating of 3500Kg from memory where as the new Navara is only 3000Kg (once again from memory) so if he can afford or justify one of them he shouldn't have a problem with a van that size.

An BTW, please turn off your caps lock when posting.

Cheers,

Cruiser
Reply 1 of 8
AnswerID: 365525   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 17:33

Member - SR509 (WA) replied:

My 2 cents

Navara's, Triton's, Hilux's, Colorado's, D'max etc, I wouldn't tow anything above 2 tonne with these unless it was on nice bitumen roads.

There are numerous cases reported of chassis bending and twisting.

I would definitely get a lighter van or go an 80 / 100 series or a GU patrol.
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Reply 2 of 8
AnswerID: 365529   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 17:38

Motherhen replied:

2500 sounds light for a 24 footer. Has the van actually been weighed at that or is it just the manufacturer's compliance plate weight? Also the bigger the van, the more stuff you are likely to pack into it, and likely to have more water tanks to fill.

Motherhen
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Reply 3 of 8
AnswerID: 365531   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 17:53

grumpy mick replied:

There is a compliance plate on the front of the van, either drawbar or in the boot, that will give you the tare weight & GVM plus the all important tow ball weight. Then the log book of the intended tow vehicle will give you the max Gross Vehicle Mass, max tow ball weight & max Aggregate Vehicle Mass. Hope this helps.
Mike.
Reply 4 of 8
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AnswerID: 365532   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 17:54

Warstar replied:

Suggest to your bro-in-law that IF he really needs a 24' van, the Navara won't be suitable. As others have said, it will weigh over 3000KG on the road and the Navara is not the right tow. 4.2 Patrol, LC 80 or 100 would suit.
Reply 5 of 8
FollowupID: 633228   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 18:05

Member - Old/new Girl (QLD) posted:

As long as the 80 is a 96 onwards.
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FollowUp 1 of 7
FollowupID: 633240   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 19:05

mowing posted:

and the 4.2 patrol is not a ute (they have a 2500kg tow capacity)

Mark
FollowUp 2 of 7
FollowupID: 633291   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 22:12

kenann posted:

My 1996 80 series is only compliant for 2500kg towing capacity. Toyota changed the compliance about August i believe.
Ken
FollowUp 3 of 7
FollowupID: 633293   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 22:16

Member - Old/new Girl (QLD) posted:

Ken
Its annoying. As far as we know the difference is the size of the tyres brakes etc..
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FollowUp 4 of 7
FollowupID: 633305   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 23:58

Horacehighroller posted:

Kenann, my 1990 80 series 1HZ was 3,oooKG.

Is yours Petrol?

Peter
FollowUp 5 of 7
FollowupID: 633328   Submitted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 09:11

Member - Old/new Girl (QLD) posted:

Peter
Its a factory T/D. Ive had a gutt full of the damn thing. I wander what the differance from yours to ours is. We went to buy a family van to live in while over WA but had to stay with a smaller one. Pretty jacked off with the situation.
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FollowUp 6 of 7
FollowupID: 633373   Submitted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 15:25

kenann posted:

Peter
Mine is a standard 4.2 diesel. I purchased a 2.2t caravan and it was only when i noticed that the towbar showed a capacity of 2.25t that i checked into it further. I believe that it was only the 96 model that they downgraded to 2.5t and then only until August when they changed the compliance plate due to outcry (and probably loss of sales.) The towbar manufacturer deliberately kept the recommended weight on his towbar down as a safeguard but did send me a sticker with 2.5t to satisfy vehicle inspection requirements.
As this still didnt give me enough tolerance to tow the van it gave me the excuse to buy the new LC200. A pity in some ways as in 350000 kms have had only to replace the back door latch.
Ken
FollowUp 7 of 7
AnswerID: 365535   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 18:03

Kiwi100 replied:

Tare of 2500kg is probably about right if it's a black-top tourer and it is not likely to be over-endowed with water tanks. Nonetheless, unless it's a new van, he should run it over a weighbridge to find out if anything has been added since it was built and then check it against the tow vehicle capacity after making a generous allowance for all the stuff that invariably gets added for a trip.

Your husband is right in thinking that something like a Patrol or LandCruiser with more towing capacity will make for more comfortable and safer towing. 24ft is a lot of caravan.

Michael
Reply 6 of 8
AnswerID: 365589   Submitted: Monday, May 18, 2009 at 22:06

Member - Don M (NSW) replied:

My Jayco Sterling 24' (24-75.2) has a tare of 2200kg and an ATM of 2750kg. In theory and legally you could tow it with a Navara/Pathfinder but I think you are pushing it to the limit.

I have the LC200 TTD and, while some say you wouldn't notice the van behind, that is plain BS. It feels big and heavy....and it is. I wouldn't consider towing it with much less.

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Reply 7 of 8
AnswerID: 365631   Submitted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 09:32

turbopete replied:

oh my ears please stop shouting
Reply 8 of 8

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