Doing the big lap in a 2000 Pajero?

Thank you so much, I will check out the Pajero forum :) didn't know there was one! have to start somewhere I guess :)

We are definitely getting a 4wd course and caravan before we go as so far we have zero experience. we did tow a loaded trailer in the Pajero from Melbourne to Dubbo so we know it can tow at least ;) My main concern is I have no idea what size/weight van to get but a bit more researching and hopefully I can find the info I need. Thankyou for your help :)

Ash,

The Pajero is an excellent touring and towing vehicle, but be aware it has a towing limitation quirk.

It can tow up to 3000kg, but if the ball weight (weight on the hitch) is above 180kg the towing weight is limited to 2500kg.

There is no sliding scale, it is a step.

The rule of thumb for ball weight is about 10% of trailer/van weight, so for a 3000kg van that's about 300kg. So you can't tow that 3000kg van unless you re-distribute the weight in the van so that the towball weight is 180kg or less.

BUT, and it's a big "but" - that may make the van unstable. Changing the balance usually means taking considerable weight from well up the front and putting it well down the back. That is a recipe for instability. There are plenty of Youtube clips showing unstable vans coming to grief from simple things like a wind gust or the pressure wave from a passing truck. I saw one clip where the van was upset by coming OUT of the a truck's pressure zone after overtaking it!

You don't want to be there - continue your quest for knowledge, you've made a good start.

You may find this article useful. Also, a well respected engineer in caravanning and motorhome circles, Collyn Rivers, has written some excellent material on the subject.

Cheers

Ash

My comments about the ball weight were based on later models, 2009 and after. My knowledge on that comes from my best mate's experience - he had all sorts of problems with a big Kedron and a 2009 or 10 Pajero. The 2000 model may be different. It would pay to check.

Cheers

Thank you for all of that info Frank, This is something that I want to plan very very well before we leave (in terms of the caravan setup, safety, maintenance etc.) everything else can go with the flow but I want to be prepared and actually know what we are doing is safe for us, our kids and everyone on the road around us :)

Awesome :) Thank you

We are wanting a fairly small van, nothing super long. The ones I've seen seem to be around 900-1100 Tare, I'm not sure if Tare is 'loaded' but if not it shouldn't go over (well hopefully, how much would clothes/cutlery etc.. weigh) We are looking to buy before the end of the year so have a lot of researching to do.

Without knowing what you will be buying, here's a couple of terms you should know about.
ATM = The Total weight(Mass) of the caravan with everything that's going with you in the van,( Food clothes, booze etc)
GTM = The Total weight(Mass) carried by the wheels of the caravan
Towbar Load = The Total weight(mass)imposed on the towball of the vehicle. This weight is set by the Vehicle manufacturer and/or the Towbar manufacturer. If these weights are different, the lower of the two applies. The Towball load is always included as part of the legal load in the vehicle and should not exceed the rear axle rated loading in any case or the Gross Combination Mass for the vehicle as specified in the handbook.
These figures SHOULD be on the caravan identity plate, usually found in the front boot or drawbar of the 'van.

Just to confuse you even more Caravans manufactured prior to 1989 do not require all this information, some may have it and others may not.
In cases with older (pre 1989) caravans you usually find the following, sometimes painted on the RHS of the van but nearly always in the rego papers
Aggregate (A) = the Total weight/mass of the loaded van and Tare (T) = The weight/mass of the unloaded/empty van.


If you keep looking here are plenty of older units out there in good serviceable condition, both in dealer yards and also privately.

Hope this helps

Disco.

Quote "I'm not sure if Tare is 'loaded'"

Ash, the tare weight of a vehicle is defined in legislation:

"TARE MASS - mass of a vehicle other than a L-group vehicle ready for service, unoccupied and unladen, with all fluid reservoirs filled to nominal capacity except for fuel, which shall be 10 litres only, and with all standard equipment and any options fitted."

As there are no "fluid reservoirs" or fuel tank in a van it means that there should be no gas or water in the tanks when the manufacturer ascertains the tare weight. The weight of anything that is added to the van by the agent or the owner must be subtracted from the load capacity.

The load capacity of a van is the tare weight subtracted from the ATM. For single axle vans the loading capacity of a van is generally set at 300 kg. This includes any water and gas you carry and any solar/battery system and other accessories that are added after delivery from the factory.

Thanks for that info :)

Great, thanks for the tip :)

I have no idea about any of these car/trailer terms so will have to speak with my mechanic to make sure it's all good and safe :) My husband will be doing the driving ;) I can't drive the Pajero as it's manual and I have a buggered up left ankle no good for changing gears.

Than you for the info 671. Towing with a vehicle that is at least as heavy as the van makes a lot of sense. We don't need anything super big so I'm hoping we can keep the weight down as much as possible for ease. Before we are planning on leaving we also plan on doing a test run to see how we go, and also getting some lessons on 4wd and caravan driving to help us out :)

I found the article a very interesting read about caravans manufactured here being much heavier because of the rough road conditions and there not being very many cars suitable if you follow the rule of the vehicle being as heavy (or heavier). We will definitely be making sure to buy a lighter one. I have done some research on how much a Pajero weighs (as I have no access to be able to weigh ours out here) and most are around 2500. I'm pretty happy with that as most of the vans we have looked at were around 1000 or less.

Ash

You are not going to have too many problems with a van under 1000kgs. My wife and I started many years ago with a tow car that was close to triple the weight of our little van. Needless to say the car had no trouble at all towing it and making sure it behaved itself.

There is a bit more here on caravan quality. It would appear some leave a lot to be desired.

http://caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12286

This one might help you to keep the wheels on.

http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/why-wheels-fall-off-caravans/

In NSW the rego authority will send a postal and a couple of SMS reminders as the date draws near. If no safety inspection is required you just pay on-line.

If a safety inspection is required, the NSW authority will accept a report from another state providing the author of the report is approved for the purpose in that state. The paperwork then has to be sent to the NSW authority, together with or followed by payment.

The requirements differ from state to state. NSW may be the only state that requires annual safety inspection of caravans, but I'm open to correction on that.

Cheers

Okay great, thank you :)