3000Kg Towing BEST Ute

Fully agree with that one .

.

Been looking at rangers, a few XL PK 2010 models in my price range with low km on them

SWMBO used to use the older rangers as work vehicles. They where universally regarded as rubbish for towing. They now use 'cruiser utes and they are happy again.

That's ok, the Ranger/BT50 are available with 5cyl TD.

And a fine 5cyl TD it is.... much better than our 200 series TD.

x2

X3
Longevity is the key.
It might be able to do it !! BUT Will it keep doing it ??

Barry -Southern Cross Dreaming.

That's an interesting view you have Ross, could you substantiate your claim with some proven facts please? as I own a Colorado and it performs pretty well with a decent load behind it.

No offence Ross but I think I will take the word from a car maker that makes a claim to a cars potential, and spends millions of $$$$ designing these things, as opposed to some bloke on a forum like this.

Phil

G'day Phil
If the tow vehicle weighs less than the towed trailer/caravan/horse float and something goes a bit wrong then the heavier towed weight controls the tow vehicle. Have you ever seen how a heavy trailer throws a 2 ton vehicle around in side winds, loss of traction or tyre failure. Usually not a good ending. Just because it can pull it along a road isn't the issue.
I have seen a Ford Falcon get effortlessly thrown around by a large legal sized caravan, bad ending.

I don't want you to believe me, I want you to think about the physics of it all.
Everything is quite ok until it isn't. The heavier you tow the more you erode the safety, stability factors.
The opinion of an A grade Automotive engineer/ Automotive Trade Instructor.

Ross -I can confirm your view - I own an 07 Rodeo Common Rail 120KW which I chipped to get 138KW

I tow a large boat that would be in the low 2 ton range.

In my opinion it is working at its maximum capacity with this load, especially in the summer months & hill country.

I have posted on this before. They have overheating issues when towing a large load in hilly country. My 3 ton limit may be doable for a short time, but there is no way I would attempt to tow the full limit for extended periods.

I have not towed the boat for any distance scince putting in the chip, that will be interesting to see what happens. But it will be a couple of years before I start towing it any distance :-)

Cheers Tony

Sounds like you might be suggesting Ford F250, Chev Silverado or Dodge Ram.
Regards Alpero

Ditto

Couldn't agree more.

Cheers Teza

Well done John H, If someone is towing more than the vehicles own weight they are running into the unknown area.
I have towed a loaded Tvan with a Turbo 61 Landcruiser and it towed it well, but the weight of two or three or more Tvans behind the tow vehicle to be really dangerous.
Makers will claim as much as they dare, within reason.
Aussie traveller is the person the makers/dealers hope to have come into their sales yard, as they believe the makers claims without question.
The sales of these vehicles largely relies on people who blindly trust without having a sound background in mechanical engineering and vehicle repair or understanding the physics of vehicle dynamics.

Keep this up and we will all be using Mack Titans.

As asked Ross please post your expertise on my question above.

Trust me I have been around the block once or twice, you have no idea of who I am or what I know so I will ask you to put up or shut up.

Aussi Traveller
To ask someone to trust them makes that person not trust them immediately. You are right, I don't know who you are nor do I require to know.
Having grown up with working on heavy vehicles and driving heavy vehicles for some time and having a Automotive technical background I do have an opinion.

Just look around at the shorter life and failures some have experienced.

I have been classed as a professional driver for 33 years, I doubt there is anything you could teach me in that regard.

I drove my first road train in 1982, so to assume I know nothing about vehicle dynamics or the way physics on a vehicle works is a insult, next time you wish to insinuate someone blindly trust something without having a sound back ground in what ever, you may want to at the very least know what the person knows first.

Phil

Aussie Traveller, Get a grip would you. These are forums and Ross speaks sense, he is talking about physics. You are entitled to believe what you want but using the words put up or shutup are not appropriate

Settle down gentlemen...thanks.

Cheers
The Modsquad

I get it, It is either your way or the highway.

Well you guys can have the highway, I will take the road less travelled, I won't post here again, you guys don't need common sence here, you all know it all, good luck with that.

Im going bush now.

Just one last question Ross, you being an expert and all.

If a 2 ton vehicle is " not designed to tow a 3 ton trailer" because of dynamics, or physics, how come a 7.5/ 8 ton prime mover can tow 3 x 43 ton trailers without a problem.

I will log off now so you can choose to answer this or not I realy don't care.

Hilarious this. Nobody is disputing the 2 tonne vehicle can legally tow 3 tomnes, the question is more to do with the safety of it. The original question is what vehicle would you buy, having towed 2.2 tonnes with a Hilux I wouldnt want to tow 3.2 tonnes with a Ford Ranger or BT50. Why is a Navara rated to tow considerably more than a Hilux? The rated towing capacities are being increased and Ross talks physics, fair enough. Personally I would take the Landcruiser anyday over the Ranger and Mazda

To settle the argument raised by one poster

I own a Rodeo 07 Common Rail which was rated at 3ton

It is not capable of towing that load in australian summer conditions for an extended period.

I have posted on this before. As stated above, yes it can tow that load, but the longevetivity of the vehicle would be compromised.

P/S It is a great ute & very capable off road (with mods) but if you are not an experienced driver you would most likely come to greif if you attempted to tow the full capcity with one of these vehicles. IMHO & Experience

Regards Tony

Spot on Tony, you hit the nail on the head.

Lets go off scale,
Scania tip truck 11.2 tons empty
Loaded with road base 22.7 tons
Tipping dog trailer loaded 18.4 tons

There is no way I would tow the dog loaded if the truck was empty.
The truck will tow 22.4 tons and be legal but not with an empty truck.

This is an upscaled version of what you expect your TOY (not Toyota) utes to do.
I cannot stress how dangerous this practice is.
Manufactures want sales and some don't care how they get them.

Another GOOD LUCK from me as one day your caravan will push you down the road to a not so pleasant end.

Regards John H

It's a petrol manual

Hi Gazz I tow float maybe once a month I travel about 300km sometimes to my holiday destinations down diet roads and very hilly country. My budget is $30000.
Sarah

Sarah,
now I can see what you use it for, the amount you use it and the budget.

It is a pity you need a ute as a 4.8 petrol patrol would be an excellent vehicle. Tough vehicle and you can pick them up in that budget range.

100 series V8 petrol would also fit the bill well.

A V6 petrol Rodeo ute would also fit the price range.

There are other 4 cylinder vehicles out their but due to the price range and the steep terrain I would go for something with low down grunt. Many of the turbo diesels don't have that.

I get in navaras and hi luxes at work and they just don't have that grunt low down.
It kills clutches in that sort of country.

Workmates brother has a 2010 Scania towing his jumping horses around the country. That would certainly fit the bill. Just a tad dear.

RA.

Sarah

Rockape mentioned the V6 Rodeo - one of my vehicles was an 04 model V6 Rodeo which I couldn't praise up enough. In the 8 years I had it 4 things went wrong - the sunvisor fell out - the tailpipe fell off in the Snowy Mountains - needed a new key ( $90 ) and the tailgate handle broke ! At 220,000 k's I had to put a new clutch in it and it still has the original disc pads on the front. I had a suspension kit put on which you would need to do and apart from being a tad on the thirsty side with fuel it was a great car to drive and very very reliable. It towed my large tandem trailer effortlessly but when I had it loaded and there was nothing in the back of the ute you had to drive a little more cautiously than you would in say a Landcruiser or Patrol.

I believe most of the clutch problems you here about on other utes such as navara and hilux is due to the fact they have a dual mass flywheel - don't know if the later model Rodeo's changed but my Rodeo had the single flywheel. My 2 Patrols got 220k and 250 k's out of there clutches so I was happy with the Rodeo's clutch life.

For $25,000 you could get a late model Rodeo with low kilometres and spend a few dollars on suspension / accessories ( and have some money left for the petrol )

As Old Girl suggested it would pay for you to drive a few different vehicles with your float on and you will soon work out quite easily which one suits your needs.

The above is only my opinion - I own and run a small construction company and also have a part time outback 4wd tour business ( towed a fully loaded Landcruiser across the Simpson one year with my fully loaded Patrol - Oh what a feeling ! - and have driven over 5 million kilometres in and around this big brown land

Good luck with your searching and I hope whatever you buy gives you trouble free motoring.


Cheers

Gazz

Thanks Gazz for all your comments I shall take everyone's comments on board and continue my search a wiser person. I didn't realise it was going to be so difficult

Why are petrols good? My cruiser is so thirsty on the fuel. I wanted something a bit more economical

I'm with you mountainman, I ended up getting a Navara STX550 to pull a 5th wheeler (3490kg) loaded If I hadn't got the 3lt V6 550 nm model (way over the budget here) I would have got the 2.5lt 450nm model as there are many people using them to tug 3500kg 5th wheelers around Australia without a problem (we have been on the road since October and average 6km to a lt towing)
(before everyone starts sledging me because a Navara only has a 3000kg towing capacity - I know! And 5th wheelers don't work by the ATM so it's fine).
As for all the comments about trailers being heavier than the tow vehicle it makes me wonder how heavy the truck is pulling the road train! Isn't that why we have electric or air brakes fitted. Also drive to the conditions it's not a race.
I know the Navara will do the job and a good second hand one will come in budget. GET the diesel 450nm model with the auto box.
Cheers Nigel

I too see that sort of thing often I don't know how they do it, they obviously have no idea of the danger they are putting themselves in.