heavy towing with Patrol 3 litre diesel auto

Well... you got an all up weight of over 5 tons....
What do you expect, Ferrari take offs?
Get real!
Cheers

Right on max towing capacity so could have a big effect on drivetrain longevity if doing it for any length of time. The auto will help getting it moving off the line but the accelerator would be well down I'd imagine to kepp things on the boil.

Buy an F250 V8 turbo diesel 4x4 . Then you will have no problems, trying to move 5 tonne with a 3L your got to be kidding. My commodore towbar is rated to 2100kg I'v have nothing left of it if I towed that weight with it let alone trying to pull up when I needed to stop, I can just hear the tranny now cooking between me and my wife.????? Dont do it !!!!! Regards Vitara

Sanga,
I have favoured autos for towing for a long time and although they have some limitations, there is a lot of room for improvement. The Nissan auto’s are strong enough, but will overheat if you tow heavy loads, especially in overdrive. This is because they have a lot of slip built into them, which gives you a nice smooth ride and gear change, but does you no favours in heat build up.
If you have an auto, and need to tow heavy loads, you should get a “Shift Kit” fitted and fit the largest oil cooler to the trans that you can. Also a manual converter locking switch will help it run cooler.
Check THESE guy’s out, because they have the goods to beef up a Nissan auto.
With the right modifications to your gearbox, you should be able to tow heavier loads with less wear and tear.
Chaz

I have a 17 ft van and the 3.0 litre auto tows it much better than my previous gq 4.2 turbo.
It has more power and torque plus a quicker pick up for passing.
I never tow in overdrive.
Regards

Like Fourstall we are towing with 3 ltr td auto 1/2002 model. Rarely use overdrive - only a very easy run - generally leave o/d off. Even at current prices, the extra diesel is cheaper than doing the gearbox out in the never never. Van is 2.2 tare, so fully loaded would be over the weight for the auto. Powers that be tell us that the engine is exactly the same in the manual 3 ltr which can tow 3.5 t. Goes really well in normal conditions, but did snail up a narrow winding dirt road from a standing start once - had we known the area, we would have done it in low range. Got a exhaust temp gauge fitted to watch we don't cook the motor. We'd get an F250 if we could, as we would not have to worry about loose sand and other towing hazards. Rumour has it that the 3 ltr pulls better then the 4.2. As it seems ours is just into the upgrade since the model that blew motors, we are going to stick with it - cheaper to replace a blown motor than upgrade the vehicle. Watch for posts by Macka (Macka176 on caravanners forum) - he won't go past the 3 ltr and tows a bigger van with same tare weight as ours. We do drool when we see a nice Effie though - now if i win Lotto - - - -

Sanga
I was bemused at the first few responses. Like fourstall, angler and motherhen I also have an auto 3l GU TD and tow a caravan with weight over 2T. O/D off also. Performs fine. Worst mileage Ive had was 20 l/100km into a strong headwind.

But the thing about the Patrol is that you have a vehicle that can do some serious off-roading when you get to your destination. [What was the ramp over angle for the F250 again, 130deg?? Not for me]. As always i guess it depends on your needs (and your means).

I maybe wrong here but is'nt the auto 30lte Patrol only have a max tow rate of 2.5 tonne and the manual has 3 tonne, i don't think towing the max tow rate would be good for any vehicle, i'd turbo your Troopy seeing as you like what you have except for power, and then you'd have the perfect tow beast and it would work out cheaper too.

Baz.