huppypuppy Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 The perfect tow vehicle.Will tow anything all day. 660HP. Runs on Diesel. Very comfortable. High seating position gives good vision. Extra large bunk would be easily removable to fit seating for the rug rats. Ticks all the boxes in the OP. Oh and you can moonlight with it through the week. Don't thank me. You are welcome. [ATTACH=full]38275[/ATTACH] Geoff, don't forget the added expense of AdBlue..... and that stuff is pretty hard to come by in most rural and remote communities (except if you carry it with you in those rather bulky 15 litre jug packs).... My choice would be any pre-2003 Toyota 4WD (Hilux, Landcruiser, et. al.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Why pre-2003, Joe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf jessup Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Hard to say in case I am wrong, Coromal, Roadstar are good vans. I know Billabong make good vans but I am sure I am missing mentioning other great manufacturers. I don't own a van but things to look out for are things like - are the cuboard hinges full lenght aka piano hinges, or are they normal hinges like held by 6 or 8 screws per hinge A Billabong salesman showed me this.If you google swagman forum, they will point you in the right direction. Just remember like aircraft, everything is built to a price point. As mentioned above ELITE build Imo great vans here in oz. But they cost a ship load. Dazza Coromals are great vans especially if you get one earlier than 2011 models I think, after 2011 they get the interiors made and flat packed out of China same as Jayco does and they are crap and nothing like the earlier models which have beaut Aussie timbers that hold up As for me I picked up a great 2007 Coromal Corvair 541 just recently (Darby & Joan van as my wife says 2 berth) tow vehicle is a 2008 2 litre 127kw 360nm TD Xtrail manual and tows beautifully, only had to fit poly airbags under the rear as Nissan don't advise or warrant using level riders as is with most Nissan vehicles these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huppypuppy Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Why pre-2003, Joe? Marty, I have seen a 2003 Hilux 4WD with gearbox problems - when they made the gearbox and transfer case, they machine each part of the gearbox separately instead of as a complete unit..... everything is out of sync and causes monumental nightmares. Plus any Hilux made post-2003 is made in Thailand - pre-2003's were made in Japan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmick Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 IMO the likes of a Manual Patrol with Free wheeling Hubs for Heavy Vans. You can reverse in Low Range 2wd getting into tight spots. Brother had a 200 Series GXL with a 22' Fibregass Golf and did a few laps and had to replace two front diffs as AWD. I currently have a Auto 2012 Navara 2.5 towing 1.2T Horse Float + up to 1.2T of Horse. Standard 131kw at rear wheels. Had a CPU upgrade now 153kw (206hp). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeptic36 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Had a CPU upgrade now 153kw (206hp). How did that effect your fuel economy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmick Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 No real change, 5+ km p/ltr towing, 8km p/ltr general, 9+km p/ltr highway. Not as economical as newbies but only cost me $34k new and about same economy as my 99' Hilux 3.oTD but bigger and can tow 3T. CPU tickle under $2k with ongoing support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 It all depends on your budget, followed by your 'must haves', Marty. Anecdotally - I met a Toyota mechanic from Weipa a couple of years back, who said that newer Landcruisers have diff problems ( he said they were Hilux diffs & too light for Cruisers). Everyone up the Cape were changing to Patrols. He was driving a Landrover Defender and said that the only time it needed attention in 180,000k was for logbook service. And that was for Cape York 'roads'. But you probably won't be going all the way to the top anyway. If you are planning a conventional tourist drive, I wouldn't be looking for a 'big' 4wd. You can see most of Australia now without reliving a Leyland Brothers adventure. If you go with a pop top van, Pick a good highway waggon with good luggage space behind the seats. Then get it into top condition before you leave. I have used humble vehicles in great outback places - not a problem as long as you are well prepared and drive carefully. Whatever you finally choose, and whichever way you go, you won't regret the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Also, beware of any of the twin cab utes. Google twin cab bent chassis. Unfortunately even the 'unbreakable' Hilux is vulnerable. I have read of this happening even when all loading was well within the POH MTOW, etc. I drive a 2010 Navara twin cab and have not had a problem, but being aware of the weakness makes me careful when loaded or towing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Older diesels may suffer from cylinder block porosity, particularly thin walled ones. Where they are dry sleeved, it may only be a temporary fix to renew the sleeves. Looking after the coolant is essential. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I don't have the answer yet, but it shouldn't cost the price of a house. I've seen a lot of things I would NOT choose. Unless you are setting out to go on the real bush tracks or put a big boat in the water, I reckon you can get away without 4 WD. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeptic36 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Unless you are setting out to go on the real bush tracks or put a big boat in the water, I reckon you can get away without 4 WD. Nev Yeah, but the thing about the 4wd, is it has the tow bar bolted to something of substance. I remember a panelbeater mate telling me you could pick whether a tow bar was fitted to the xd family of Falcons without walking around the back, there is an obvious stretch mark in the top of the rear quarter panel in line with the rear pillar. There are not many left on the road now, but when you see one next, check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litespeed Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 XD Falcons are famous for self stretching the body. I remember my misspent youth, working as mechanics aid after school. He was a ex RAAF mech, and had a 351 V8 XD. The body was stretched and cracked in the C pillars- never towed in its life. Purely the torque of the engine twisting the car of shape. I expect it was crap steel and nowhere near enough spot welds. Later models got better- more welds. Same happens with EA falcons- EB had a lot more spot welds and was much stronger. AS for a tough tow sedan- I had a 740 Volvo, was tough as nails and towed a horse float with relative ease. Built like a lightweight tank, but comfy (looked like a tank as well). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly_tornado Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 apparently you never leave the windscreen out of an XD for any period of time, you never get it back in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litespeed Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Nor should you ever jack it up unevenly or only on 3 corners- bugger will bend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 XD's are going back a long way. They hardly weighed anything. Increasing the number of spot welds makes the vehicle too stiff. Guarantee's you will break a pillar eventually. Most modern vehicles are very strong back to the rear of the front seat. They all have thick pillars you can't see around as a consequence. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 Good info guys. I was speaking to my mechanic today (he's swapping out the rear struts in the Forester wagon) and asked his opinion. He recommends the dual cab Ford Ranger / Mazda BT50 - alternatively even our 2005 Forester would be ok with a small pop top van, especially with the new self levelling struts. Purely for cost I might just keep the Subie - it's got 130,000 on the clock and not bad nick. Love the look of the newer Prado's (and the 7 seat thing would be great for separating kids) - but honestly we have better things to spend our dosh on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I have recently driven Mazda BT50 / Ford Ranger Prado Hilux twin cab Isuzu D-max Nissan Navara D40 Nissan X-trail Hyundai SantaFe I am 6'1" and have trouble with the seating position of many of these, on longer trips. Say 2 to 3 hours. Anyway, of those listed, I would opt for the Prado. Good ride, good handling, tows well. Most disappointed in Isuzu - it drove poorly on dirt roads (axle hops on bumps). Poor finish and ride. SantaFe is good value for money. Goes very well on highway & comfy & fuel efficient, but I won't be taking it anywhere off road. Haven't towed anything with it though so can't comment on that. My Navara is more road friendly than the Hilux. Quieter & smoother. Also the long wheelbase makes it a predictable tow car. These are my opinions based on my experiences in the CSG area near Roma, a lot of miles on all road surfaces. Hope it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cscotthendry Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Marty: We have a 2009 Toyota Rav V6. We bought it to tow the trike on a trailer when we have it. It will pass slower drivers going up hill with a trailer behind. They are fairly plain when it comes to bells and whistles that some other show ponies have like bluetooth connections between the stereo and iPods etc, but they are rock solid good quality vehicles with bucketloads of power. The Kluger has the same engine, but the extra body weight loads the engine down a bit more. For the bit of extra luxury, you lose a bit of performance. Just my 2 cents worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I like Subaru. Haven't driven the most recent two models though. I would have thought they might be lacking power to tow anything bigger than a small pop top. Maybe the recent ones have more grunt. The earlier ones are a bit cramped for a family of five for anything other than short trips. Not saying it can't be done, but there are compromises there. I drove a 19 year old Subie across the middle of Aust and back without any problem, but it wouldn't have towed a trailer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 It is a bit gutless, but I'll test drive any pop top we're looking at and see how it goes. Being a late 2005 XS it only has 121kW (compared to Scott's Rav 4 with 200kW!) - in any case, it's towed a ton of loaded trailer before and the Jayco pop-tops are all around that. Not sure how it'd go on a long journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sloper Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 The one on the right is the tow car, although the one on the left is too. regards Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Most of Australia is pretty flat so if you can fit your collection of people into the Suby, don't be afraid to do a shakedown camping trip with it. See how that works out. In any case it probably needs an oil cooler. Is it ARO or manwell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huppypuppy Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Gimme a Ford Everest any day - although you do need to be aware that they need that AdBlue stuff....... [GALLERY=media, 3601]Ford Everest Trend Fuel/AdBlue Fillers by huppypuppy posted Nov 24, 2015 at 10:05 PM[/GALLERY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 Most of Australia is pretty flat so if you can fit your collection of people into the Suby, don't be afraid to do a shakedown camping trip with it. See how that works out. In any case it probably needs an oil cooler. Is it ARO or manwell? Auto. I'll ask the mechanic about the oil cooler. Getting a van up and down our drive will be the test - you'll see what I mean when you drop in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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