Caravan Towing 150 Series

[skua Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close skua]

I've just returned from a 10,000 k round trip Gold Coast to Darwin and back towing an Ultimate camper about 1200 kg I have a Glx D4d auto and towed all the way in D. Tyre pressures were 38 and 40 for highway with speed 100 to 110 and 22 and 24 on dirt and speed under 80 kph. Trailer tyres were 2 psi less than the fronts. Tyre temps never got over 50 whenever I looked and pressures generally rose no more than 6 psi even on the days when air temps were 40. I had the same experience with my 120 petrol auto. My current tyres are Scorpion ATR and prevoius car used Dueler ATs.
Fuel economy for the trip varied from 12 l/100k to 14l/ 100 k. Highest fuel use with low pressures on the dirt and best economy with higher pressures at around 100 kph on flat bitumen.

[kanen500 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close kanen500]

With my 150 diesel I tow a 2+ ton full size caravan and when in town I use S4 and on the open road at speeds of 90 to 100 I leave it in D. My last caravan trip covering over 7000 kms in QLD's outback, it returned 16.7 litres per 100km for the trip. This was pretty reasonable I thought, all things considered

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

"We tow a 2000kg Coromal full sized van with our Auto Turbo Diesel 150 Prado".


Hi do you mind telling me what model of Coromal you are towing as I am looking for something similar weight wise as they are far and few between around 18-19' size, Thanks

[Gav&Jo Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Gav&Jo]

Hi cjsilk. Our Coromal is a full size 6 mtr Lifestyle, Family van with bunks in the rear and queen bed up front. Love the Coromals with alloy frame and independent suspension.... Weight is approx 1700kgs empty and the suspension set up makes the Coromal a great match to tow with a Prado.

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

just did a trip from Gippsland to the Sunshine coast, up the coast and then back inland. Crossed the Great dividing range from Lismore to Armidale. Towing a 2140kg tare van that wasn`t loaded that much. The Prado had two kids, 5 and 7 and with beer fridge and 12v air compressor a few tools, maybe 50kg worth of stuff in the back.

Interestingly when I went across a weighbridge in Shepparton on the way back, the total weight was 5500kg. Fuel tank was only quarter and van`s water tanks about a quarter. Not sure if the separate numbers mean much with weight distribution hitch and it all hooked up together, but car was 3000kg and van 2500kg.

total GCM is meant to be 5370Kg.

Anyway with dobinson springs and they are only the standard light weight, not hd ones and Bilsteins. With the weight didtribution hitch, it towed just fine in S4 only. Stable, secure, brakes well, good up hills and down hills. Wife was happy to drive it too.
I don`t have a problem using revs, its better for cooling and the auto, at a 2800-3000rpm the engine has plenty of grunt to go up most hills and hold on in that gear. I was going to fit an auto oil cooler or chip it, but now I will not bother, don`t see the point. I might change the oil at 60000 or 80000km, but will talk to the dealer first .

Sitting on 95-102km/hr on the hwy, bit faster on the Newell to keep up with the trucks, depending on wind got anywhere from 15-19 lt/100km. Certainly don`t recall any one with a caravan overtaking me, certainly overtook a few LC 100 and 200 series.

ran cold 42psi front and 45 rear, that kept it within the 4 psi rule.

Anyway very impressed, car was great, towed well and looking fwd to the next trip across the Nullarbor next year.

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

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?

[briann532 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close briann532]

With my 150 diesel I tow a 2+ ton full size caravan and when in town I use S4 and on the open road at speeds of 90 to 100 I leave it in D. My last caravan trip covering over 7000 kms in QLD's outback, it returned 16.7 litres per 100km for the trip. This was pretty reasonable I thought, all things considered

We just did a similar thing in Outback Queensland. Around 7000km towing a 1.6 tonne camper.
Auto turbo diesel 150.

I have fitted a temperature gauge to the engine just above the auto box on the engine block.
When I push it hard uphill it sends the temperature skywards rapidly.
I did notice that in the heat of the day (around 40 at time) engine temp rose quicker and higher when I was in drive or "5"
When I kicked down to "4" it dropped the temperature.
I found the optimum temp setting by playing around and testing and then I was able to set it so that any rise triggered the alarm.

I found when on the flat (and boy is it flat out there) it seemed to hover around a degree or 2, but as soon as I hit a hill it rose.
By driving on the flat in 5 I could monitor the temp and when I hit a hill or need a shove, I kicked down to 4.

My consumption did rise by using 4 as one would obviosly expect, but not too much.
I averaged around 15.6 l/100 according to the car.
(Now our speed was consistently upwards of 110kph, and the occasional push to overtake) ahem......All on private property of course.

I realise that pushing it to this limit towing was going to labour the box and the engine, but when cruising comfortable at 90 the temperature only dropped at the point of measure by around 2-3 degrees.

In my mind, it proved to me that 4 is the best gear for towing, but I did need to slip into 5 at higher speed, but making sure it wasn't under too much load or uphill.

It also proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that a temperature watchdog is absolutely essential...........

Cheers all
Brian

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

so what was the normal temp in 4th and 5 th and then what is it when it was sky rocketing?

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

Just took delivery of a new VX and the TCS now has trailer sway control. They Gall boys talk about it in this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7pLQfvW6Ww

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

so what was the normal temp in 4th and 5 th and then what is it when it was sky rocketing?

It goes up as soon as the torque converter kicks in and from my experience goes into the high 90s to well into the 100s depending how long you leave it.

Bottom line is to tow with the torque converter locked.

I'm not sure why there is concern about saving a few dollars fuel consumption, probably around 1l/100km by using 5 instead of 4, when a stuffed gearbox costs thousands. Also towing a big caravan or camper at around and over 110 is always going to really hit fuel consumption. Just my two bobs worth.

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

agree, I tow in 4th only. An like I wrote above with a total weight of 5500kg and towing over the Great Dividing Range with no probs, I don`t see any reason to change.

[briann532 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close briann532]

so what was the normal temp in 4th and 5 th and then what is it when it was sky rocketing?

Normal temp.... depends on where you locate the sensor, but mine read between 95 - 100 at cruise on flat in 4th.

Uphill - bearing in mind this is outback uphill not mountain goat country - it rose to around 112 - 115.
I set the termp alarm at 114 so I knew when it was getting hot, which happened a few time I forgot to flick it back to 4th.

I have no idea what normal is meant to be or how high it should rise, this is just what I experienced and noticed on the temp watchdog.

I did ask toyota, but they had less idea than I did.

Sorry I can't offer more,
Brian

[nevh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close nevh]

I have my Scangauge set up for auto transmission fluid temp. Can you tell me where can I get the code for torque converter temp.

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

Codes

I have my Scangauge set up for auto transmission fluid temp. Can you tell me where can I get the code for torque converter temp.

Here ya go.

http://scangauge.com.au/?page_id=338

Enjoy,
Geoff

[nevh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close nevh]

Thanks for your help Geoff, but I have the ATF reading. The torque converter code isn't on that SG site.
It must be available, because another member posted that he had that reading. SG support have been very helpful
but haven't been able to supply the TC temp code as yet.


Thanks
Nevh