Mitsubishi pajero 4wd and Concept Belmont Caravan

Hi Ian, What year is your Pajero? If it's a late model be aware of your towing weights & ball weight on towbar. I have a 2009 Nt VRX auto diesel. Although the Paj can tow 3 tonne there is a significant towball weight difference once you exceed 2500kg. At 2500kg your ball weight is 250kg....anything over that ball weight drops to 180kg. Does your rear door (when opened) hit the tow hitch....try it & see it's a common problem with Pajero but easily fixed with a spare wheel lift done by the dealer (usually for free)....if that doesn't allow the rear door to be opened to your satisfaction you may have to modify your tow hitch on van. Have you got WDH? If not that device is a necessity. I assume you have an electric brake system fitted like a Tekonsha.Suspension wise I would look at how the van sits behind the vehicle....you may need air bags fitted or some aftermarket shocks & spring. I tow a 22' Van and have Polyairs fitted,ARB OME suspension (Rear shocks are progressive or load sharing) I fitted a cargo barrier,GME UHF,ARB Deluxe Bull Bar with fog lights & driving lights also have a 4G stick phone antenna with cable into car to plug into back of phone (hardly ever NOT have phone reception) I also have a 60 ltr Auxillary fuel tank fitted by LRA. Light truck tyres fitted to van & vehicle. There are other things I could mention but a good idea for you would be to visit the pajero Club of Victoria website. Like members on this forum,they are very helpful & full of ideas & experiences to pass on. Good luck with your new van & the Pajero. Robert.

Gedday mate,

If I was you I'd join one of the caravan clubs, Most of them you can join while you're waiting for delivery of the van.

List of NSW Van Clubs

Heaps of knowledge in the clubs.

UHF Radio is handy. Bull bar unnecessary, but some like em. Decent 12 volt power supply to the van from the car. Most of us use "Anderson" type plugs. Your dealer should be able to advise on this.

If you're planning to charge the van batteries from the tow vehicle, you'll need an auto electricians advice on wire sizes etc.

Decent stone guards between the van and the tow vehicle. If you plan to carry "Stuff" in the back of the paj, a decent luggage guard behind the back seat to stop stuff flying through the air in the event of a prang.

Two very important items immediately come to mind....

Electric trailer brake controller and if you need power to your fridge in the van, batteries if you have them, an Anderson plug to power said items. A weight distribution hitch for level towing. The rest can come over time.

Welcome to the world of caravans and a world of learning this nomadic life.

Cheers

Merv

Hi Ian, wow, where to start! Will you be travelling alone or with other vehicles? So much will depend on the type of roads you will be travelling, your experience in 4WDriving (which will be so different when towing a van), how 'remote' you will be going etc etc. Assuming (rightly or wrongly) that you are totally new to 4WDriving as well as towing, its a good idea to start with a few shorter trips as this will help in deciding what you will and won't need on a longer trip eg how to pack the van correctly so it's balanced. Get a feel for what it's like with a heavy weight behind your vehicle. A good set of towing mirrors are a must; I would also recommend a new 80 channel UHF, a good 1st aid kit (plus the knowledge of how to use it, so 1st aid course would help. Again, depending on where you travel, a set of recovery tools eg snatch strap, long handle shovel, spare parts for tug and van. Personally, I prefer a good steel bullbar as I've hit a few roos with no damage to the vehicle, but I'm sure you'll get varying opinions on this. There are many other 'must have's' and even more 'nice to have's' depending on budget! I'm also sure others will give you more ideas too. All the best on your travels and enjoy the country. Cheers, Ian W

The simply answer is put on as much or as little as you want, every one has different needs and wants........ and then you get some who must have to have everything to look cool.

Must have....
Cargo barrier.
First aid training.
Comprehensive first aid kit (with extra stuff you don't usually have in a first aid kit).
1.5-2Kg fire extinguisher.
Quality vehicle mounted UHF radio.
Quality battery jumper leads.
Tow rope.
Snatch strap.
Equalising strap.
Associated shackles to suit recovery gear.
Basic hand tools.
Spare shackles for chains on caravan.
Spare wheel nut for car and van.
Spare fuses.
assorted electrical terminals.
Cloth tape (100mp/h, duck, duct tape).
Electrical insulation tape.
Cable ties (big and small).
Tyre pressure gauge.
Trailer plug and socket.
400mm X 400mm X 6mm thick aluminium jacking plate.

Should also have.....
Air compressor.
Tyre plug kit.
2 X good quality torches.
Spare battery's for the torchers and headlights.
Handheld LED worklight.
Head lights to wear on your head.
Wide brimmed hats.
Ratchet tie down straps.

Might be a good idea.....
Steel bull bar.
Quality driving lights.
Aux battery.
Compressor fridge.
Roof rack.
Side car awning.

A long range fuel tank might be worth the money.

Also check to see if you jack can be used on the caravan and the car and make sure you can undo the wheel nuts...... (we carry a 600mm long 1/2 breaker bar with deep sockets to suit) and get your partner to do it as well.

Depending on where your going other gear might be useful.

Hi Ian G4,

Firstly let me say that most will tell you that a bulbar is not essential, however as I live on a country road I consider them essential. Even a small roo can do some major damage.

Also a bull bar will give you something to hang your UHF radio aerial on. UHF radio is another essential for communicating with the truckies so that you can orchestrate an overtaking manouvre. Keeps them happy and keeps you happy. Also it is great in an emergency in case you need assistance, someone is always listening somewhere. There are exceptions I know.

The other thing you may like to think about is Clearview mirrors. These are the extendable mirrors which are fitted in place of the factory units. Those of us that have them swear by them.

As others have said, an Anderson plug at the back of the vehicle and on the front of the van is also a good idea for all sorts of reasons not the least of which is for charging the van batteries as you travel along.

A reverse camera is an extremely helpful device to have as it saves the yelling match when hooking up the van and also gives you a second set of eyes in case the grandkids decide to run behind the vehicle when you are about to reverse. Or anybody else for that matter. 4 wheel drives have a huge blind spot at the back, but then so do many ordinary vehicles.

Solar on the caravan is a brilliant idea. It means you are never without a power source to charge the batteries and you are not tied to a 240 volt power source either. A must for free camping in my opinion. They are getting cheaper in price all the time.
A 200 watt panel can now be had from ebay for just over $230 and a good 20 amp MPPT regulator can be had from ebay also for around $120 Add a bit for fitting and wiring and it will be much more handier than a generator, in my opinion.

There is a bloke running around the caravan shows called Sid Whiting, selling his line of DVDs entitled Grey Nomad 101 and has a series the latest of which is 104.
Here is the link

This will give you a good insight into what you need for your caravan on the road.

Olcoolone makes some good suggestions also although for a beginner a little too comprehensive if you are not intending to stray too far from the blacktop.

That is the best of my good ideas list.

Cheers, Bruce.

Hi Ian,

You ask "what should be on or in the 4wd before we start to travel ", and you will get suggestions for all sorts of hardware. You say "we plan to do..." so Im assuming that there will be at least two people in the vehicle while you are travelling.

From our experience the most essential thing is a competent, capable co-driver, able to drive when towing and if you are off 4wding. Hopefully you already have this covered but if not, please do a 4wd and/or towing course and follow up by consolidating your learning with good on-road experience.

As we speak we have friends recently retired, house sold, doing the big trip in their new van - and he ends up in hospital with a heart attack. She has not driven with the van on. And in our travels we have heard many similar stories. You would not set out without a spare wheel - a co-driver is good travel insurance.

Cheers,

Val

Ian

Before you start preparing a shopping list from all the above great suggestions, you have to ask yourself what type of driving will I be doing?

Your idea of heaven may be sticking to the coastal highways driving between 9AM and 3PM, pulling into a powered site each night. If it is, then you don't actually need anything, you are right to go (assuming you have the brakes covered).

Good ideas though would be a 1st aid kit, suspension upgrade (not a lift), Premium RACQ cover, a 3 or 5W hand held UHF (cheaper) and the auto electric upgrade when you install the brake controller.
No need to WASTE your money on anything else, especially a bull bar & driving lights. I have a bull bar & lights on my Pajero, but I do a reasonable amount of driving at night in roo country.

As your 4WD demands go up, then yes go for all the above options in line with what you actually are doing, don't buy it just because "Mr 4WD does" or a magazine "reckons they are great".

hi Ian I have two friends who own 2006 pajero's and tow 20 ft. vans and both have had circlips pop off the rear axle's inside the diff. One had it repaired in 2011 by mitsubishi no
charge. the other bloke repaired in 2012 and was charged by mitsubishi.Apparently if you
fit air bags inside the rear coils you dont have the problem. regards mickm4