Suitable tow vehicle

[Sebo]

hi guys, I'm new to the forum.

Just purchased a 2015 Jayco expanda 17.56-2 OB And was wondering what a suitable tow vehicle would be? Looking at potentially a current shape Pajero. Has a ball weight of 300 kgs, but have been told that if the van exceeds 2.5 t the ball weight restrictions drop to 170 kg. I'm worried as the atm is around 2.545 t. Any suggestions and help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[WHHEMI]

Have you considered a Jeep Grand Cherokee, we have a 2006 model and it tows our Journey great

 

[NoWorries]

Pajero will not tow it Max Tow ball weight is 250 on it, I would be very surprised if the ball was 300kg as most vans that size it is more like 220 (unless they have put a big tool box on the front)
I just got rid of my Pajero (2014) and got a Cruiser so I think that is the best Tow Bus
But Disco's are nice as well.
A Jeep can tow it but for how long is another story

 

[Bushman]

hi guys, I'm new to the forum.

Just purchased a 2015 Jayco expanda 17.56-2 OB And was wondering what a suitable tow vehicle would be? Looking at potentially a current shape Pajero. Has a ball weight of 300 kgs, but have been told that if the van exceeds 2.5 t the ball weight restrictions drop to 170 kg. I'm worried as the atm is around 2.545 t. Any suggestions and help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Yep that is correct for the Pajero though the are a great tow vehicle
3 ton tow capacity
Up to 2.5 ton ball weight up to 250kg
2.5 to 3 ton 180 kg on the ball.
Best to look at some thing that doesn't haven't restricted ball weights, so anything with 3 to 3.5 tow capacity however be aware of the GCM (Gross Combined Mass) that is total weight of car and tug together.
Example the Pajero's GCM is 6030 kg, though the new Pajero Sport also has 3 ton tow capacity however its GCM is only 5400kg
Many of the current ute's can actually only tow their maximum if there is reduced load in the ute, in other words the more you tow behind the less in the vehicle.

 

[Sebo]

@Bushman, thanks for the response, it makes it clearer for me now, so many things to consider. So it seems that given what you said GCM is also an important factor, something I hadn't considered before. So I guess the fact that the ATM is slightly over in my scenario, it could be a problem. Thanks for your input and help. Cheers

 

[Sebo]

Have you considered a Jeep Grand Cherokee, we have a 2006 model and it tows our Journey great

We are considering one, but have always been concerned about perceived reliability. How have you found yours?

 

[Sebo]

Yep that is correct for the Pajero though the are a great tow vehicle
3 ton tow capacity
Up to 2.5 ton ball weight up to 250kg
2.5 to 3 ton 180 kg on the ball.
Best to look at some thing that doesn't haven't

Pajero will not tow it Max Tow ball weight is 250 on it, I would be very surprised if the ball was 300kg as most vans that size it is more like 220 (unless they have put a big tool box on the front)
I just got rid of my Pajero (2014) and got a Cruiser so I think that is the best Tow Bus
But Disco's are nice as well.
A Jeep can tow it but for how long is another story

Thanks, starting to think there are not that many vehicle that can tow a van that size, cruiser would be awesome, but out of budget at this stage. Cheers

 

[Smergen]

To whittle down your choices first you need to ask do you want/need a wagon or a ute? The answer to this comes from expected use, family dynamics/make up and comfort. From there your choices become a bit more targeted.

Each category usually has some of the usual suspects that will be capable to tow the van.

Wagon - Jeep GC, Landcruiser, Patrol, etc.
Ute - Ranger/BT, DMax/Colorado, Navara, etc.

The likes of the Pathfinders, Hilux, Prados, Tritons, and Pajeros might be suitable in certain specs/years but there will be grey areas.

Like pretty much everything, it will probably come down to budget. There are good and bad stories about most. My suggestion is do a bit of reading, a bit of research, and check the relevant forums. Plenty of good experience across most vehicles in this forum, particularly (and obviously) when it comes to towing caravans.

Ask questions, we're a friendly bunch.

 

[Sebo]

Thanks for this, yes wagon definitely as we have three young kids and will be the wife's daily bus too. Have started to research now as we have settled on a van. Thanks for the tips. So far the responses have been great and , yes, it's seems like everyone is friendly Cheers

 

[Pace]

Here we go again. Is there any more worms in the can to come out.......

 

[davemc]

Yes can of worms.
Depends on $'s if looking new check out the Isuzu Mux we almost got one. Depends how young the kids are we struggle to put two car seats and anyone else in the 2nd row who are not skinny
The bottom of the range 4WD LSM can be found around $37k new 5 years warranty.

Also depending on cash and if you want to buy new bottom of the range Ford Everests and Toyota Fortuners go around $45k if your lucky less payload then the MUX although worth a look .
As said watch the GCM and payload

 

[twscoot]

I sold my much loved Pajero (because of the weight restrictions) and bought a Laredo MY14 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel.

Three years and 45000km later it has been a great car overall. Towed many 1000's of km a van weighing almost 2.7tonnes. Just completed another great road trip to see it in action.

Value for money was a key criteria. Mine has Quadralift and the Off road pack which makes it more realistic as a 4WD. Once I put after market perforated nappa leather in it (about $2000) it is almost the same specification as their top of the range models - no GPS (buy a Garmin), no parking sensors (it has a camera) and a few other nice to haves.....

Just a vote for the Jeep. (Remember the petrol tows less than the diesel).

Good luck with your decisions @Sebo.

 

[bigcol]

as @Smergen said, it depends on your particular dynamic's

you need a wagon, and the Boss will be using it as a daily driver.....

as @davemc said, depends on how much folding you are willing to part with

best thing to do is get a sheet of paper, and write down EVERTHING you want to do with it
towing
seating
daily driver
comfort
long distance touring
beach fishing
off road adventuring
etc

then look at the 4WD's that fit in your main area of need - a wagon that has towing capacity
Nissan Titan - 5T towing
Chevy Silverado - 4.7T towing
Toyota Tundra - 4.7T towing
Range Rover - 6T towing
Discovery 4 - 3.8T towing (I think @davemc )
Landcruiser 200 - 3.5T
Jeep diesel - 3.5T
early 4.2diesel Patrol - 3.5T

work out which will suit you the best - then go backwards in years until you find one in your price range

 

[Sebo]

Yes can of worms.
Depends on $'s if looking new check out the Isuzu Mux we almost got one. Depends how young the kids are we struggle to put two car seats and anyone else in the 2nd row who are not skinny
The bottom of the range 4WD LSM can be found around $37k new 5 years warranty.

Also depending on cash and if you want to buy new bottom of the range Ford Everests and Toyota Fortuners go around $45k if your lucky less payload then the MUX although worth a look .
As said watch the GCM and payload

Thanks @davemc, we have have three under 6 years of age, so space is always a challenge due to car seats. We have a Kluger which is a great car, however, now we have upgraded our van, it's time to move to a more capable vehicle that can tow the load. Thanks for the assistance and suggestions

 

[Sebo]

as @Smergen said, it depends on your particular dynamic's

you need a wagon, and the Boss will be using it as a daily driver.....

as @davemc said, depends on how much folding you are willing to part with

best thing to do is get a sheet of paper, and write down EVERTHING you want to do with it
towing
seating
daily driver
comfort
long distance touring
beach fishing
off road adventuring
etc

then look at the 4WD's that fit in your main area of need - a wagon that has towing capacity
Nissan Titan - 5T towing
Chevy Silverado - 4.7T towing
Toyota Tundra - 4.7T towing
Range Rover - 6T towing
Discovery 4 - 3.8T towing (I think @davemc )
Landcruiser 200 - 3.5T
Jeep diesel - 3.5T
early 4.2diesel Patrol - 3.5T

work out which will suit you the best - then go backwards in years until you find one in your price range

Thanks @bigcol, great idea lots of consideration cheers

 

[Sebo]

I sold my much loved Pajero (because of the weight restrictions) and bought a Laredo MY14 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel.

Three years and 45000km later it has been a great car overall. Towed many 1000's of km a van weighing almost 2.7tonnes. Just completed another great road trip to see it in action.

Value for money was a key criteria. Mine has Quadralift and the Off road pack which makes it more realistic as a 4WD. Once I put after market perforated nappa leather in it (about $2000) it is almost the same specification as their top of the range models - no GPS (buy a Garmin), no parking sensors (it has a camera) and a few other nice to haves.....

Just a vote for the Jeep. (Remember the petrol tows less than the diesel).

Good luck with your decisions @Sebo.

Cheers @twscoot, have been looking at jeeps a fair bit and have taken a test drive. Drove nice and well appointed. I guess I was after some validation from an owner re reliability, and certainly what you have said above is testament to the quality. Thanks for sharing, much appreciated

 

[Sebo]

Cheers @twscoot, have been looking at jeeps a fair bit and have taken a test drive. Drove nice and well appointed. I guess I was after some validation from an owner re reliability, and certainly what you have said above is testament to the quality. Thanks for sharing, much appreciated

By the way, do you use a weight distribution hitch? I read that it is recommended with the jeeps if the weight is over 2.2t ? Thanks and regards

 

[Drover]

Ditto on @Smergen and @bigcol comments............................I've had 2 x Grand Cherokees and they do a great job, both at around 300,000km when traded and never missed a beat, Colorado is fine but sounds like a tractor, they have faults just like them all it's just who you get to work on them that makes the difference no matter what the brand............get something that will tow 3.5t and you will have your weights covered, the more stuff you load into your vehicle/van the less your tow capacity becomes..(see other threads for details)
Have fun on your search...........

 

[twscoot]

By the way, do you use a weight distribution hitch? I read that it is recommended with the jeeps if the weight is over 2.2t ? Thanks and regards

Yes I do. And it works fine with the QLift.

 

[Bluey]

Im staying out of this