Prado - KDJ120R - Does it need lifting

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 09:32

ThreadID: 43434 Views:6331 Replies:5 FollowUps:10

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Member - Peter R (QLD)

First off excuse my ignorance but is the KJJ120R the 2007 plated Prado which replaced the KD-FTV 2982 (T/D), and is referred to on other threads as the 120 model?
The following query is based on the assumption that it is

Thread re lifting by Anthony
Anthony said he had lifted his Prado 120 and as,I will be purchasing a Prado 2007 plated later in year , am interested to know if it is necessary to lift them or not.

I have a driveway that is impossible to use to back in Jayco Freedom , and with my old 80 series needed to drive partly across footpath (one wheel on and one on road) and jacknife the van over the gutter.
80 series had gas fitted and vehicle was lifted to take weight of gas tank (super salesman made suggestion was told later).

Will mainly use the bitumen , and interested to get the wisdom of this forum as to whether it is necessary and the alternatives available for lifting.

Pedro

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Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 09:44

Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 09:45

Reply By: Member - Kiwi Kia - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 10:16

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 10:16

Have you thought of putting a tow ball on the front of your vehicle (removable receiver fitting). It makes manouvering to park a van easy as.

AnswerID: 228514

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:28

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:28

I have thought of that KK but my problem is not so much the backing as the clearance.
May still do that for ease of backing in tight situations.

Pedro

FollowupID: 489282

Follow Up By: Member - Kiwi Kia - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:42

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:42

Pedro, I have never really thought about it much as to why, but the front does not seem to dip as much as the rear when pushing the van. We used to drive in a gate way, unhook and swing the van around, reverse car and re-attache the van in the front then push it up hill, round an elbow and onto a pad till it was next wanted for a trip. The transition from the flat drive to the uphill bit would bottom the tow bar if trying it in reverse but it never bottomed when hooked to the front of the car.

FollowupID: 489285

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:56

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 13:56

KK,
That is very interesting .
My problem with using the driveway is the camber of the road , combined with the camber of driveway, combined to make the van bottom out at the rear.

This is a little different to your situation where your tow bar bottomed , but it might still be worth while investigating with someone who has a tow bar on front.

Pedro

FollowupID: 489289

Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 16:24

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 16:24

If your problem is the back of the van bottoming out, don't you want to lower the towbar height of the car to lift the back of the van? Not lift the back of the car?
I used to have this problem getting our trailer sailor out.
Back of the trailer used to scrape.

Ended up putting a bit of timber laid along the gutter so the trailer wheels didn't drop in the gutter as much. Kept it handy just behind the fence. Bit of 100x50 worked well.

FollowupID: 489317

Follow Up By: Member - Peter R (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 17:32

Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 at 17:32

Oldplodder,
Thanks for that.
The problem I had backing in up the driveway was not the trailer wheels, but the rear wheels of the L/C which could not reach the actual gutter without the back of van bottoming.
The trailer wheels were over the gutter and on the upward slope when grounding occured.
The L/C had been raised so perhaps what you say might not occur with the Prado .

Pedro

FollowupID: 489332