Caravan Towing 150 Series

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Neva, load the ATF A. You'll find its a different temperature than the already loaded ATF in the X-Gauge. I believe this is the TC temp in the 150.

Geoff

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

I have just completed my first three week trip towing my brand new Lotus Freelander, which is tare 2150 and after weighing it fully loaded bang on the 2500 allowed.

I have towed on multi lane highways, country roads, single lane bitumen and about 80 Kms of fairly good gravel.

After reading all this before leaving I have used S4 for 99% of the time! only shifting into D when going down a big hill.

Been travelling at 90 kph ( on the GPS) , about 94 on the car gauge and an averaging between 16-17 litres per 100......I am yet to get a Scangaugue , not sure I will even bother.

The Prado tows pretty well but you certainly know it when you come to a decent hill. I had thought of an exhaust / chip upgrade but at $3000 that's a hell of a lot of diesel to save before you break square. I could be wrong but a mate with a Prado , also towing a similar weight van, reckons he averages about 15.......so at best that's about 1.5 litres per 100.

Say maybe (working on an average of $1.80 a litre) that's about $2.70 he saves every 100.....on a typical 10,000 k trip he's saved $270.00.......on that basis it would take me 100,000 of towing to recoup the cost.

BUT the extra power up hills would be nice!!!

[Bluedog16 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bluedog16]

Happy New Year to all
My first post so hope it does and goes where it is suppose too!

Picking up my new Prado GXL auto diesel (update model) on Friday which I am looking forward to.
Will put on a HR towing Hitch as I have the HR adjustable ball mount and load levellers from my previous car.

I will be towing my Coromal poptop which weighs fully loaded 1500kg and has a single axle with independent suspension.
Towed it 20,000km previously and it has never moved an inch even with large road trains going past. Had a HR tow hitch and used a HR friction sway control on the van. However, never used the load levers as they were not allowed with my previous car and installed airbags in the rear suspension which were great for levelling the car and no bounce at all towing.

Been considering getting ESC put on the van for awhile now which I think as the wife shares the towing is good comfort for her but, with Trailer sway control on the Prado is:-
1. ESC any extra benefit with the Prado's trailer sway control system?
2. Will they both work together or against each other?
3. How effective is the trailer sway control system?
4. Will the HR friction sway control be redundant? THe ESC people say to keep using all your current aids - to cover themselves I suppose,
5. Don't intend still to use my load levellers still as I think they put a lot of strain on the A frame (only 4 inch) and the car, although I assume not a real issue
with the Prado's ladder frame? Will I need to install air bags in the rear suspension to get the car level with a ball load of around 160kg without load
levellers?
6. Bought the car as may upgrade to a bigger van up to the 2500/250 kg limit done the track. Will all of the above responses still stand then?

look forward to your thoughts
thanks David

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

I am too much of a newbie to comment Bluedog, but I considered the ALKO ESC and thought I'd just see how it went "normal" for a while. All I use to date is a HR Weight Distribution Hitch and it tows like a dream, and this is with a 2.5 tonne fully loaded van on.

Would love a bit extra power up a hill, but my mate with a 200 Series Cruiser (and a slightly heavier van) is using 22 Litres per 100 Km's and I am between 16-17.....over a big trip that's a heap of fuel....so happy that I have my set up and not his.

I would imagine with a 1500Kg load you'd hardly even know it was there.

By the way wouldn't even consider the $1500 extra for the ESC now!!

[Bassett Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bassett]

[QUOTE=Bluedog16;448766]Happy New Year to all

I will be towing my Coromal poptop which weighs fully loaded 1500kg and has a single axle with independent suspension.

Been considering getting ESC put on the van


G'day Bluedog16,
When I orderered my new single axle van early in 2013, I was advised that ESC is only fitted to dual axle vans.
However, things may have changed in the last 6 months or so.
Regards
Bassett

[Racketsports Member Find all posts View Profile Close Racketsports]

I have a similar setup as Mark towing a dual axle van fully loaded at 2500Kg and only have a HR weight distribution setup which tows great. I have also fitted a transmission cooler for my auto and a Steinbauer chip for the the extra torque. Thinking of getting rid of the second muffler and fitting a straight through pipe until I can afford a full 2.75inch system. I've towed about 7000km with this setup without a problem to date. I've added a pic of my setup from the last trip to South West Rocks.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

[QUOTE=Bassett;448818

When I orderered my new single axle van early in 2013, I was advised that ESC is only fitted to dual axle vans.
However, things may have changed in the last 6 months or so.
Regards
Bassett[/QUOTE]




Have ordered a new New Age van, single axle, should be ready by March, and ESC will be standard, so will need another Anderson plug for that system.

[Danda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Danda]

I tow a loaded up Prado with stuff on the roof and a big coromal camper that with water etc probably pushes +1600kg and get 13-14l/100km. Tyre pressure and speed over 100km/h have a huge impact on fuel use.

Ditto for me too....................

[Racketsports Member Find all posts View Profile Close Racketsports]

Sticking around 100kph-105kph I average 15.5l/100km when towing my 2.5T van fully loaded.

[diesel69 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close diesel69]

Unloaded most of the contents from my single axle van today, and weighed those contents, as I am trading the van on another.

228 kgs, but does not include the wife's clothes, bags of crap and bags of pamphlets, nor the food or food in the fridge, nor some bottles of vino. (keep telling her the van needs to go on a diet). Neither does it include the water in 2 tanks nor the 2 gas bottle contents.

As a single axle van is allowed a payload of 300kgs, it means I should be travelling with empty water tanks. (or by myself)

Wonder how many other vans are overloaded a bit?

Probably more than most people towing them would realize, even if the van isn't overloaded the GCM could quite easily be exceeded if the Prado is loaded near its limit as well.
A quick visit to a registered weigh bridge once loaded for a trip is highly recommended before heading off. Not sure about other states but in S.A. police have the right to order vehicles to the nearest weighbridge for checking if they suspect overloading.

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

I have a similar setup as Mark towing a dual axle van fully loaded at 2500Kg and only have a HR weight distribution setup which tows great. I have also fitted a transmission cooler for my auto and a Steinbauer chip for the the extra torque. Thinking of getting rid of the second muffler and fitting a straight through pipe until I can afford a full 2.75inch system. I've towed about 7000km with this setup without a problem to date. I've added a pic of my setup from the last trip to South West Rocks.

Does the chip make a difference on diesel consumption??

I have been getting between 16-17 (lowest 16.1 highest 16.9) on the current trip, and that is only towing at 90...BUT it is 2 1/2 tonne!!!

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

300kg, that's me stuffed. That just covers the 300l of water I take when heading up north, will have to tell the family no food or clothes on next year's trip

[sleeky5 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sleeky5]

My 150 is the first auto 4WD I have owned and am still experimenting with driving styles when towing. Please excuse my ignorance but can someone tell me what the difference between "D5" and "S5" is? Many have said they tow in S4 and then slip it into D on the flat. I am just curious to know why D and not S5.

Thanks
Neil

[maxjj Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close maxjj]

because in D there is more slip in the torque convertor and more heat is generated. In D it will also hunt between gears when you are towing a fair load.

I tow in S4 only, I came in at 5500kg total last time I went over a weighbridge, Van is 2140KG tare. More revs when towing is better than low revs, easier on engine and auto, better cooling etc.
Fuel economy is hard to compare I average anything from 15-19l/100km. Depends on wind, speed, traffic, hills, driving style, way too many variables.
Over the course of a big day, on average, it seems to come out around 16.5. Speed is the biggest killer of fuel economy, sat on 102km/hr ( gps ) to stick with the trucks on the Newel on a windy day and averaged 19.5 l/100km.

If you put in into perspective over a 2 month trip its only a few hundred km were you might really work the car, rest of the time its just cruising along. Why flog it ?

Not going to chip it, don`t think its worth it, but would recommend a suspension upgrade and LT tyres to anyone towing, car is far more settled and controlled, makes towing much more relaxing in all conditions on all roads.

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

Should also add I run Air Bags, and a WDH system.....Van and Prado are as level as they could be and tows very well (apart from the hills which is a real struggle).

I do slip it into D after a long haul hill finishes with a long run down.....I came down the Pacific Hwy two weeks before Xmas so plenty of opportunities for that BUT as soon as it even looks like levelling out, back into S4.

I too doubt the value in a chip.......lovely to have no doubt BUT would take a lot of Km's to save $1500!! (although the extra power up those hills would be nice)