tow vehicle

I have toured all over Tassie, the deserts & open Highway & I could honestly say my old 2003 NP 3.2 Did Pajero auto was far superior in towing than my friends' Nissan Patrols. One has an auto 2004 GU manual the other a 2006 auto. Both diesels. We all towed off road camper trailers of about the same weight & the Pajero left them for dead. Recently have gone caravaning with friends 2006 Patrol Auto with LPG & diesel, 2002 Patrol diesel manual & 5 speed 2004 Navara diesel dual cab ST-R with a performance chip. All towing 21' vans. Into a head wind the Nissans were able to maintain 80 k/pH on the f/way & open roads the new Pajero VRX Auto diesel Pajero 100 K.pH & sat nicely on the Hume f/way at the posted 110 K/pH I used 12.9 litres per 100 KM as per a bowser & on board computer check. If you want to hold up the truckies & Pajero owners buy a Nissan Patrol 3 litre & when it blows up buy a cruiser or Pajero.

Hi Orejap. I have no reason to doubt anything you say. My point was about the legal towing capabilities, NOT the mechanical merits (or otherwise!!!) of the towing vehicle. This thread asks about late model secondhand towing vehicles, and, in the case of the Paj, that would presumably exclude the very latest 3 tonne Paj. The thread mentions 2.7 tonnes ATM which is more than the 2.5 tonne Paj can legally handle, however well the rig behaves, not to mention the odd issue of the 2.5 tonne Paj having a max ball load of (I think) 180kg at 2.5 tonne ATM, compared to 250kg at 2 tonnes or less. This also may create a legal problem for the 2.7 tonne van, hence my reference to 6.6% ball weight.
So, nothing anti Paj, and certainly not pro 3 litre Patrol in any sense other than legal limits.

In your original post Tenpounder there was no mention of the 2.7 Van!! I understand what you are trying to say though & the original post is on the basis of how long is a piece of string. I am pro Pajero having had a Range Rover, Land cruiser, Patrols and having towed vans,horsefloats,trailers all with varying weights the Pajero for me is a very good vehicle. I can remember in 1990 due to the law changes about towing I bought a L/cruiser because the law in Vic was very clear you cannot tow two large horses in a float...you are simply exceeding the towing capacities of the car. Spoke to a polceman friemd been in the job 32 years he tells me he has stopped one vehicle in that time with exceeding what he thought the towing capacity of the vehicle (He has been highway patrol all his career) the vehicle was a 1975 Escort van towing a tandem with a grey Massey Ferguson on the back. When he checked via Vic Roads data base there are no towing specs listed for an Escort van!!! Try proving that the driver exceeded the towing weight in court!! Anyway I digress. Do what most Victorians do. Buy an old Toyota cruiser diesel & tow a 2.5 tonne van everywhere at 80 k/pH holding everyone up in 4th gear reving the guts out of it into a head wind. Remember it is not the weight Tenpounder it's towing the "shoebox" (aluminium sail) into the wind, that's the thing that knocks you not necessarily the weight!!

Or Discovery

That helps. I agree Land Cruiser or Patrol. Even tho the latest Paj is rated at 3 tonnes, it is limited to 180 kg on the ball if the ATM exceeds 2500 kg, and I for one would like a bit more weight on the ball than 6.7%. Just let him know that, at that weight, he'll have to watch his GVM of the tow vehicle, even with a Patrol or LC (fridge in the back; tinnie on the top; L/R fuel tanks; roof rack; second spare; and so on)
Hope this helps

Gooday,
Jeep Grand Cherokee or Commander with 3 L CRD Diesel is an absoloute winner.
Tow up to 3500KG very comfortably great convenient sized vehicles.
Cheers,
Boroma604