I have pondering a possible replacement for my faithful old 4.2efi GQ Patrol so I did a bit of a search on the Net & came up with this interesting site.
What I was really after was a simple spreadsheet listing all the likely candidates with a comparison of all of the relevant ratings. But it is of course not just that simple.
This guy seems to have done a lot of research (perhaps not too much caravanning experience though) and much of what I wanted is buried in a ton of information. (I haven't yet looked at his other postings but I did note in passing a recommendation for the 300 Series Cruiser).
Thought that I would share this with you knowledgeable lot& seek feedback.
I see a lot of late model Jeep Grand Cherokee's around, more then normal, they all seem happy with them.
Mariner30 said
08:36 AM Aug 15, 2023
He also seems to be in the age...or mentality... group that just has to drag a 3.5 ton 'anchor'...complete with washing machine and dryer...up every steep as ****e mountain goat track or every beach with soft sand just waiting to swallow ya tyres etc or through every river around the joint.
I've never driven on a beach....without or with a caravan and l'm mid 60's.
I 've watched plenty of youtube videos of caravans getting stuck on beaches
Why would you?
woolman said
08:46 AM Aug 15, 2023
The answer to "best" tow vehicle would be a tractor as they are desidned to tow, probably not the most ideal but best. .
The most practical solution I have worked out is a light truck. You could have 3 tonne of storage on board and legally tow the van. Even a small car on the back would be an option.
Neil
Possum3 said
09:21 AM Aug 15, 2023
It was a very biased read - yes, I actually read the linked article.
There were a lot of factual errors on several vehicle's features.
Short answer to "Best tow vehicle" - What suits you, your budget and Regulations.
Mariner30 said
09:43 AM Aug 15, 2023
Possum3 wrote:
yes, I actually read the linked article.
So did everybody else.
Dick0 said
10:00 AM Aug 15, 2023
Bicyclecamper wrote:
I see a lot of late model Jeep Grand Cherokee's around, more then normal, they all seem happy with them.
Very, very happy with mine!
Possum3 said
10:29 AM Aug 15, 2023
Mariner30 wrote:
Possum3 wrote:
yes, I actually read the linked article.
So did everybody else.
I said that because regular readers would be aware that I am a dyed in the wool Nissan Patrol advocate.
yobarr said
10:31 AM Aug 15, 2023
Bicyclecamper wrote:
I see a lot of late model Jeep Grand Cherokee's around, more then normal, they all seem happy with them.
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good. And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2500kg tow capacity, I believe? Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
The Belmont Bear said
04:31 PM Aug 15, 2023
In the last 12 months we have towed our 3.1T van 25,000kms around Australia with a 2018 V6 deisel Grand Cherokee it has done it effortlessly and without any problems. Unfortunately Jeep made the decision this year to not to sell the Diesel version in Australia anymore and the towing capacity on the new one has also been reduced to 2800kg. Personally I think that this will be the end of the Grand Cherokee in Australia as most people seemed to be buying them as tow vehicles. When or if I replace mine I will be looking for something other than a Jeep, I,m pretty sure it wont be a Toyota because I cant afford to pay that much for a badge regardless of how good they are supposed to be.
BB
yobarr said
07:23 PM Aug 15, 2023
Cupie wrote:
I have pondering a possible replacement for my faithful old 4.2efi GQ Patrol so I did a bit of a search on the Net & came up with this interesting site.
What I was really after was a simple spreadsheet listing all the likely candidates with a comparison of all of the relevant ratings. But it is of course not just that simple.
This guy seems to have done a lot of research (perhaps not too much caravanning experience though) and much of what I wanted is buried in a ton of information. (I haven't yet looked at his other postings but I did note in passing a recommendation for the 300 Series Cruiser).
Thought that I would share this with you knowledgeable lot& seek feedback.
Because it would take literally days for me to discuss the options, I will say only that although there are some errors in the reviews, in the main there is a lot of helpful information provided.
The listing of rear axle weights is a major positive, and the suggestion that the towball weight be multiplied by 1.45 to get weight applied to car's rear axle is very helpful, although not necessarily accurate. At least it explains the physics.
The field is open, Cupie, as almost all those cars can tow your van, but the list certainly is not exhaustive.
Dave (Belmont Bear) has a less-open market as several of the listed cars cannot safely tow his 3100kg van, but he seems to have a sufficient understanding of weights to be able to sort the Men from the Boys, figuratively speaking. Cheers
I see a lot of late model Jeep Grand Cherokee's around, more then normal, they all seem happy with them.
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good. And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2,500 ton tow capacity, I believe? Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
Actually, my 1996 GQ is a 4.2EFI & has a tow capacity of 2.8 which is just right for me.
-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 16th of August 2023 11:23:57 AM
yobarr said
12:39 PM Aug 16, 2023
Cupie wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good. And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2,500 ton tow capacity, I believe? Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
Actually, my 1996 GQ is a 4.2EFI & has a tow capacity of 2.8 which is just right for me.
Hi Cupie, Could I respectfully ask you to check your compliance plate as all my records for this vehicle show GVM 2800kg and towing capacity of 2500kg, for GCM of 5300kg.
In 1997 GVM was increased to 2960kg, but tow rating remained at 2500kg for GCM of 5460kg.
If I am indeed incorrect perhaps you could take a photo of the compliance plate, hiding the serial number etc, and post the photo here so that my records can be amended. Cheers
Cupie said
01:34 PM Aug 16, 2023
yobarr wrote:
Cupie wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good. And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2,500 ton tow capacity, I believe? Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
Actually, my 1996 GQ is a 4.2EFI & has a tow capacity of 2.8 which is just right for me.
Hi Cupie, Could I respectfully ask you to check your compliance plate as all my records for this vehicle show GVM 2800kg and towing capacity of 2500kg, for GCM of 5300kg.
In 1997 GVM was increased to 2960kg, but tow rating remained at 2500kg for GCM of 5460kg.
If I am indeed incorrect perhaps you could take a photo of the compliance plate, hiding the serial number etc, and post the photo here so that my records can be amended. Cheers
We have discussed this issue in the past & I was under the impression that you had accepted the 2.8T rating for the .2EFI mode. Pls feel free to correct me if I am wrong in thinking that.
I'd just love to know what Constable Plod has in his data base & its source, or indeed where you source your data from.
I have tried in the past to find confirmation for my figures without much success.
There is no reference on the Compliance plate or owner's manual about GCM but the GVM is shown as 2800.
A plate on the Factory Tow bar quotes GTM as 2800kg braked. That may of course just refer to the towbar & not the vehicle.
As well, Gregory's Workshop Manual #509 in the 4.2efi supplement Specifications section states "Towing Capacity with Trailer Brakes for Station Wagon with manual transmission is 2,800kg (other models - 2,500kg)". In the absence of any other publication on the matter that I can find, I accept that.
BTW, I don't think that way back in 1995 not too many people worried about this topic.
I will send you an eMail with the stuff that I refer to above.
yobarr said
02:58 PM Aug 16, 2023
Cupie wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Cupie wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good. And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2,500 ton tow capacity, I believe? Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
Actually, my 1996 GQ is a 4.2EFI & has a tow capacity of 2.8 which is just right for me.
Hi Cupie, Could I respectfully ask you to check your compliance plate as all my records for this vehicle show GVM 2800kg and towing capacity of 2500kg, for GCM of 5300kg.
In 1997 GVM was increased to 2960kg, but tow rating remained at 2500kg for GCM of 5460kg.
If I am indeed incorrect perhaps you could take a photo of the compliance plate, hiding the serial number etc, and post the photo here so that my records can be amended. Cheers
We have discussed this issue in the past & I was under the impression that you had accepted the 2.8T rating for the .2EFI mode. Pls feel free to correct me if I am wrong in thinking that.
I'd just love to know what Constable Plod has in his data base & its source, or indeed where you source your data from.
I have tried in the past to find confirmation for my figures without much success.
There is no reference on the Compliance plate or owner's manual about GCM but the GVM is shown as 2800.
A plate on the Factory Tow bar quotes GTM as 2800kg braked. That may of course just refer to the towbar & not the vehicle.
As well, Gregory's Workshop Manual #509 in the 4.2efi supplement Specifications section states "Towing Capacity with Trailer Brakes for Station Wagon with manual transmission is 2,800kg (other models - 2,500kg)". In the absence of any other publication on the matter that I can find, I accept that.
BTW, I don't think that way back in 1995 not too many people worried about this topic.
I will send you an eMail with the stuff that I refer to above.
Thanks Cupie, for that advice. Received your email and responded accordingly.
Quite frankly, I'd be more likely to believe what is on the Nissan website than anything in Gregory's.
However, as you suggest, back in 1995 not too many people worried about stuff like that.
Good luck in your search for a replacement vehicle, but I'll guarantee that the new car won't last 28 years! Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Wednesday 16th of August 2023 03:30:49 PM
I have pondering a possible replacement for my faithful old 4.2efi GQ Patrol so I did a bit of a search on the Net & came up with this interesting site.
What I was really after was a simple spreadsheet listing all the likely candidates with a comparison of all of the relevant ratings. But it is of course not just that simple.
This guy seems to have done a lot of research (perhaps not too much caravanning experience though) and much of what I wanted is buried in a ton of information. (I haven't yet looked at his other postings but I did note in passing a recommendation for the 300 Series Cruiser).
Thought that I would share this with you knowledgeable lot& seek feedback.
I've never driven on a beach....without or with a caravan and l'm mid 60's.
I 've watched plenty of youtube videos of caravans getting stuck on beaches
Why would you?
The answer to "best" tow vehicle would be a tractor as they are desidned to tow, probably not the most ideal but best. .
The most practical solution I have worked out is a light truck. You could have 3 tonne of storage on board and legally tow the van. Even a small car on the back would be an option.
Neil
There were a lot of factual errors on several vehicle's features.
Short answer to "Best tow vehicle" - What suits you, your budget and Regulations.
So did everybody else.
Very, very happy with mine!
I said that because regular readers would be aware that I am a dyed in the wool Nissan Patrol advocate.
Unlikely that anybody who has forked out big dollars for a new car will say that its no good.
And jeep has low towing capacity, although Cupies present car has only 2500kg tow capacity, I believe?
Later today I will have a close look at the list provided, but a cursory view has revealed inaccuracies, as suggested by Possum.Cheers
In the last 12 months we have towed our 3.1T van 25,000kms around Australia with a 2018 V6 deisel Grand Cherokee it has done it effortlessly and without any problems. Unfortunately Jeep made the decision this year to not to sell the Diesel version in Australia anymore and the towing capacity on the new one has also been reduced to 2800kg. Personally I think that this will be the end of the Grand Cherokee in Australia as most people seemed to be buying them as tow vehicles. When or if I replace mine I will be looking for something other than a Jeep, I,m pretty sure it wont be a Toyota because I cant afford to pay that much for a badge regardless of how good they are supposed to be.
BB
Because it would take literally days for me to discuss the options, I will say only that although there are some errors in the reviews, in the main there is a lot of helpful information provided.
The listing of rear axle weights is a major positive, and the suggestion that the towball weight be multiplied by 1.45 to get weight applied to car's rear axle is very helpful, although not necessarily accurate. At least it explains the physics.
The field is open, Cupie, as almost all those cars can tow your van, but the list certainly is not exhaustive.
Dave (Belmont Bear) has a less-open market as several of the listed cars cannot safely tow his 3100kg van, but he seems to have a sufficient understanding of weights to be able to sort the Men from the Boys, figuratively speaking. Cheers
A touch overweight
Actually, my 1996 GQ is a 4.2EFI & has a tow capacity of 2.8 which is just right for me.
-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 16th of August 2023 11:23:57 AM
Hi Cupie, Could I respectfully ask you to check your compliance plate as all my records for this vehicle show GVM 2800kg and towing capacity of 2500kg, for GCM of 5300kg.
In 1997 GVM was increased to 2960kg, but tow rating remained at 2500kg for GCM of 5460kg.
If I am indeed incorrect perhaps you could take a photo of the compliance plate, hiding the serial number etc, and post the photo here so that my records can be amended. Cheers
We have discussed this issue in the past & I was under the impression that you had accepted the 2.8T rating for the .2EFI mode. Pls feel free to correct me if I am wrong in thinking that.
I'd just love to know what Constable Plod has in his data base & its source, or indeed where you source your data from.
I have tried in the past to find confirmation for my figures without much success.
There is no reference on the Compliance plate or owner's manual about GCM but the GVM is shown as 2800.
A plate on the Factory Tow bar quotes GTM as 2800kg braked. That may of course just refer to the towbar & not the vehicle.
As well, Gregory's Workshop Manual #509 in the 4.2efi supplement Specifications section states "Towing Capacity with Trailer Brakes for Station Wagon with manual transmission is 2,800kg (other models - 2,500kg)". In the absence of any other publication on the matter that I can find, I accept that.
BTW, I don't think that way back in 1995 not too many people worried about this topic.
I will send you an eMail with the stuff that I refer to above.
Thanks Cupie, for that advice. Received your email and responded accordingly.
Quite frankly, I'd be more likely to believe what is on the Nissan website than anything in Gregory's.
However, as you suggest, back in 1995 not too many people worried about stuff like that.
Good luck in your search for a replacement vehicle, but I'll guarantee that the new car won't last 28 years! Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Wednesday 16th of August 2023 03:30:49 PM
https://www.carsguide.com.au/nissan/patrol/towing-capacity/1996
Thanks for that. Found mine - 2.8kg tow capacity as hoped.
So Cars Guide agrees with Gregory's Manual.
I'll see if I can find a Nissan site that is applicable.