After many years of service, it was time to upgrade from the Ranger

[Macca_75]

As the saying goes - out with the old and in with the new.

Our PX ranger served us well (until it didn't). Anyway - it was a great car and did well, but we changed form the PX to a Patrol - oh my god - how good a tow car are these things.

Picked it up interstate, drove home, got it registered, a visit to the Auto Elec for a TowPro and Andersons (still a little work to do there), into Clearview for a new set of mirrors, got the Windows tinted, got it home Friday and took of Saturday morning for 5 weeks around SA Peninsula's.

Absolutely faultless car, so comfortable to drive and soooo much comfort.

I think I have to stick a DC/DC into the line for the van batteries to make it work correctly (I tried to get away without doing it, but it seems the van's batteries with solar connected actually flow back into the cars batteries) and maybe a set of airbags to lift the rear a little. But overall super happy.

Nestled in the Olive trees near Mount Dutton Bay

Not a bad place to spend my Birthday - Pildappa Rocks

Camped up at Baird Bay

Sits a little low in the rear - but for a stock setup it's perfectly capable. Love this car.

If you're looking for a new tow vehicle and if you are concerned about fuel consumption - probably best to look the other way. If you don't mind paying about the bowser, seriously consider one of these bad boys.

 

[Macca_75]

And with 4 of us in the car, full fuel and water and all our gear we (almost) made all the weights (we carried to same amount of gear for 5 weeks as we had for 6 months - go figure). Not to concerned about the van's axle weights - first day on the road, a few showers and a feed and thats back under.

 

[Drover]

It does look good, always have a soft spot for Patrols.....................

Van should be ATM instead of GVM and GTM instead of Axle, the maths in your graphs doesn't seem to be right though...

Even when the van is hitched up it still must pass the scale test as if its on its own.

For example the last graph shows an GTM (axle) of 3020 add 300kg ball and this gives a actual ATM (van) of 3320 so van is only 24kg over loaded....

In the "hitch as weighed graph" , the van, using 300kg BW you have 76kgs of load cap left ......... so dump a water tank load to allow for beer.

The ATM is a fixed max load while the GTM varies with the ball weight and is the ATM minus ball weight, even though when weighed in combination (tug/van) with the ball weight transferred to the Tug the van actual GTM is still ATM minus BW ............... Less BW more GTM allowable...





Confused your not alone ................................. best thing is to not weigh things....

 

[Macca_75]

Even when the van is hitched up it still must pass the scale test as if its on its own.

Agree - the only test it would fail would be the axle load group for the van when hitched. Technically - yes fails. After 1 day when I dump a fair amount of water (4 showers) and consume water/food it would be OK.

For example the last graph shows an GTM (axle) of 3020 add 300kg ball and this gives a actual ATM (van) of 3320 so van is only 24kg over loaded....

Yeap - could change the heading for the van from GVM to ATM - I think it means the same thing though - the weight of the van when unhitched and is made up of axle weight and ball weight.

As I put it over the scales the ATM is fine - but when hitched most of the TBW transfers to the car - a small amount goes to the van's axles (and the axle weight as per the compliance plate) is exceeded.

The TBW is the killer - and often why you can't achieve GCM - because you need to be able to with and without it connected to the car.

Anyway - beast of a car.