Prado crash Sunshine Coast

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

Hope this wasn't a member as the outcome looks sad. If you look at the link to Clayton's towing it has a picture of a snapped Towbar. Not sure if it was the cause of the accident or the failur as a result.
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...ghway/3034279/

https://www.facebook.com/Claytonstow...6824167769425/

[kenny5000 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close kenny5000]

Looks Nasty, could have been a lot worse!! Very Lucky!

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Hmmm..... load equalizers on that 120 tow bar when the manual says NO. All of the other comments in the links sound like they were written by those who hadn't read the Prado manual, especially after the recall on these tow bars. Hmmmm

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Yup, on or over weight, wrong tow hitch, wrong tow vehicle, once it gets a sway up no have little to no chance to correct.

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

Hope this wasn't a member as the outcome looks sad. If you look at the link to Clayton's towing it has a picture of a snapped Towbar. Not sure if it was the cause of the accident or the failur as a result.
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...ghway/3034279/

https://www.facebook.com/Claytonstow...6824167769425/

I'm not sure, but I would guess something may not add up with either the towed weight or all up combined weight of this set up.

The caravan is a Kokoda tribute 2, and its quoted tare is 2,300kg...but it could even be heavier if its the 20ft 6in version.

But there is also a rear mounted folding boat trailer on the van. Its not obvious but the tinny looks like it may have been on the roof of the prado....(why else would you have a folding boat trailer on the rear of the van if you didn't have a tinny somewhere?)

The underside of this semi -offroad caravan is absolutely spic and span, so the van is either new or never been off the blacktop, even in the rain, so it might be the maiden trip..heading north for the winter for the fishing mecca perhaps...as many people do...perhaps a heavy new rig, perhaps relatively inexperienced towing with this set up, and a busy Bruce Highway...mmmm.

Honestly, if this whole set up is put over a weigh bridge, it would have to go either very very close or over the Gross Combination Mass?

Just a comment, and hopefully everyone is ok, but a 20ft + dual axle off road van with a folding boat trailer on the rear and a tinny on the roof ...and then add in everything else...and one of the images you can see fluid under the side of the van on the road, so the on board water tanks may have been full...(that's possibly another 190kg extra as it has 2 95 litre water tanks) ... 2 9kg gas cylinder and a pole tube on the A frame...that's potentially another 50kg or so..surely its getting pretty heavy for the Prado...which may or may not have contributed to this wreck.

If its not the Platinum series, I don't think it has Stability control, unless it was an added extra. Heavy, potentially overloaded, and its downright dangerous.

For me, that's not a set up I would be towing with a Prado.

[Ian Reid Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Reid]

My van is 2100 kg tare, add 200 kg for water and gas and we have to pack carefully to keep under GVM and GCM etc.The Prado handles it ok, in that it pulls and stops fine but get it in high wind and you can feel it pulling the car in all sorts of directions, those time I take it pretty steady.

I reckon we have all seen shots of caravans been blown over while being towed in high winds, the driver in this one said it was a windy day and trucks passing the van caused wind tunnelling a very plausible explanation, but the old "drive to the conditions" rule would make you think if it is that windy slow down or get off the road.
There are a lot of people who suggest the Prado should be rated at 3000kg but I suspect there would be a lot more of this sort of thing happening if it was.


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

My van is 2100 kg tare, add 200 kg for water and gas and we have to pack carefully to keep under GVM and GCM etc.The Prado handles it ok, in that it pulls and stops fine but get it in high wind and you can feel it pulling the car in all sorts of directions, those time I take it pretty steady.

I reckon we have all seen shots of caravans been blown over while being towed in high winds, the driver in this one said it was a windy day and trucks passing the van caused wind tunnelling a very plausible explanation, but the old "drive to the conditions" rule would make you think if it is that windy slow down or get off the road.
There are a lot of people who suggest the Prado should be rated at 3000kg but I suspect there would be a lot more of this sort of thing happening if it was.


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Re: 3t towing limit..remember the short wheel base Prados ? (now not available )... same engine, same gearbox, just about everything the same as the 3 litre 150 , except shorter chassis and 3 doors...and it was rated to 3 tonne towing capacity... yet at the same time the full sized Prado was rated at 2.5 tonnes towing capacity..I agree, I have towed a 23ft boat, and we had to take the spare wheel off so we could get under 2.5t limit (as tested on a weighbridge), and it towed the boat fine, but I also had the correct download on the tow bar, (around 150kg) and I had upgraded the suspension with a 40mm lift and had airbags in the rear springs inflated to @ 25psi when I was towing the boat, and we would go steady. I would definitely not like to tow a full sized van over 2.5 tonnes with a full sized Prado let alone a short wheel base, especially with standard suspension.

[Harfir Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Harfir]

It certainly is a worrying site especially for us and hope that all are safe and their insurance comes through. The speculation about the weight is really guessing without all the details. The reason is that we have also purchased a new Kakoda and towing it with a Prado. Looking at the video it appears to be the same as ours Tribute 2 Not the semi off road Platinum. As stated by the comment before mine, the Tribute 2 Tare is 2135. This is what mine is stamped as yes it could be heavier than stamped. I had mine recently weight just before we left on a holiday and came in at just under the 2500 ATM with one water tank full ( we mostly go to caravan parks) and with the Prado loaded, the GCM came in at 5135 so we were still under the max GVM 5465. Yes it runs close to the limits but still under so I just hope it works our for those poor people towing the van.

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

It certainly is a worrying site especially for us and hope that all are safe and their insurance comes through. The speculation about the weight is really guessing without all the details. The reason is that we have also purchased a new Kakoda and towing it with a Prado. Looking at the video it appears to be the same as ours Tribute 2 Not the semi off road Platinum. As stated by the comment before mine, the Tribute 2 Tare is 2135. This is what mine is stamped as yes it could be heavier than stamped. I had mine recently weight just before we left on a holiday and came in at just under the 2500 ATM with one water tank full ( we mostly go to caravan parks) and with the Prado loaded, the GCM came in at 5135 so we were still under the max GVM 5465. Yes it runs close to the limits but still under so I just hope it works our for those poor people towing the van.

Yes indeed Harfir, speculation is "the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence" and that's exactly what we are doing, speculating. in fact "guessing" is the word that was actually used.

You have, however, added more information to the story thank you....with your Tribute 2 being rated at 2135kg. I'm certainly not familiar with the Kokoda range...and 2,135 is a much better starting weight thank 2,300kg.
..but....if you add a boat carrier on the rear bar, and water in the tank, and usual goods and chattels... I still speculate (guess) that the van could have been overweight
Its very easy to go overweight, and I guess that might add to the problems seen....just a guess though...and not being critical, but a good reminder that things can get out of shape, and weight & balance can contribute.

[Harfir Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Harfir]

Yes indeed Harfir, speculation is "the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence" and that's exactly what we are doing, speculating. in fact "guessing" is the word that was actually used.

You have, however, added more information to the story thank you....with your Tribute 2 being rated at 2135kg. I'm certainly not familiar with the Kokoda range...and 2,135 is a much better starting weight thank 2,300kg.
..but....if you add a boat carrier on the rear bar, and water in the tank, and usual goods and chattels... I still speculate (guess) that the van could have been overweight
Its very easy to go overweight, and I guess that might add to the problems seen....just a guess though...and not being critical, but a good reminder that things can get out of shape, and weight & balance can contribute.

Totally true and agree with you 100%.

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

These two links are worth a read in my opinion if you are planning on towing or towing a van or trailer.
It provides some interesting reading about towing, weights, limitations, and centre of gravity effects etc.

https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car...kg-tow-rating/

https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-advice/everything-you-need-to-know-about-towing-heavy-trailers/

I have found these links very helpful and has helped me understand some aspects about towing that many people don't seem to consider. Perhaps some folk might find these two links helpful also?