According to Isuzu, the MU-X LS-T 4×4 we tested has a kerb weight of 2,175-kg and a GVM of 2,800-kg giving a load capacity of 625-kg. You could expect a 3.5-tonne van to exert a tow ball load of 350-kg leaving just 275-kg remaining cargo capacity. If you have two adults in the car weighing 90-kg each (180-kg total), youre left with 95-kg for all their luggage and any vehicle accessories. Its not a lot. Looking at the maths against GCM, the situation is even worse. The MU-Xs GCM is 5,900-kg. Take away 3,500-kg for the van and 2,175-kg kerb weight for the car and youre left with just 225-kg cargo capacity and just 45-kg remaining with two adults onboard. You might be able to remain legal with just two adults but, in reality, it would be impossible for the MU-X to be loaded with a 3,500-tonne van and a family of five to remain legal. In fairness to Isuzu, to a greater or lesser extent, this problem plagues just about all other 3.5-tonne towing capable 4×4 wagons on the market.

Now heres the thing. You dont need to tow a 3.5-tonne caravan in order to accommodate a family of five on an extended holiday. The Roadstar van we towed had a TARE weight of 2.5-tonnes and an ATM of 2.9-tonnes. With this fully loaded van attached, the MU-Xs GCM is no longer a problem and against GVM, you now have a 335-kg cargo capacity assuming a 290-kg tow ball load. This is a much more realistic proposition.

RV Daily Tow Test excerpt

Craig1 wrote:

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According to Isuzu, the MU-X LS-T 4×4 we tested has a kerb weight of 2,175-kg and a GVM of 2,800-kg giving a load capacity of 625-kg. You could expect a 3.5-tonne van to exert a tow ball load of 350-kg leaving just 275-kg remaining cargo capacity. If you have two adults in the car weighing 90-kg each (180-kg total), youre left with 95-kg for all their luggage and any vehicle accessories. Its not a lot. Looking at the maths against GCM, the situation is even worse. The MU-Xs GCM is 5,900-kg. Take away 3,500-kg for the van and 2,175-kg kerb weight for the car and youre left with just 225-kg cargo capacity and just 45-kg remaining with two adults onboard. You might be able to remain legal with just two adults but, in reality, it would be impossible for the MU-X to be loaded with a 3,500-tonne van and a family of five to remain legal. In fairness to Isuzu, to a greater or lesser extent, this problem plagues just about all other 3.5-tonne towing capable 4×4 wagons on the market.

Now heres the thing. You dont need to tow a 3.5-tonne caravan in order to accommodate a family of five on an extended holiday. The Roadstar van we towed had a TARE weight of 2.5-tonnes and an ATM of 2.9-tonnes. With this fully loaded van attached, the MU-Xs GCM is no longer a problem and against GVM, you now have a 335-kg cargo capacity assuming a 290-kg tow ball load. This is a much more realistic proposition.

RV Daily Tow Test excerpt

I have upgraded my dmax to cater for extra tow ball weight and gvm and gcm which I have trallelled to my weight limit on a range of terrain and off road conditions driving to the conditions.

Im not sure I would get the same results from a Mux without extensive modifications

Cheers

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patcallinanmediapty.patcallinanmedia.com.au/Prod/link-tracker%7C%7C25048190%7C%7C&account=patcallinanmediapty%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&email=ZBdFNdko4Xz7i%2FqI2swSerYcPskyikkcaYOo0rGRPTY%3D&s=146efb49c24efc07d85629bfa8fcd993&i=1831A2369A21A495521

rvdaily.com.au/tow-test-the-all-new-2021-isuzu-mu-x/%24250&utm_campaign=RV+Daily+EDM+-+5+November+%28guide+tag%29#:~:text=Tow%20test%20%E2%80%93%20The%20All-New%202021%20Isuzu%20MU-X

rvdaily.com.au/tow-test-the-all-new-2021-isuzu-mu-x/%24250&utm_campaign=RV+Daily+EDM+-+5+November+%28guide+tag%29

That is as good as I can get, just have to select above and say go to link I think. Ah it has come good once I submit post.

I think if you want tow to the GVM (2800kg) you will end up with a 3.1t van max. Average caravan payload is about the 500kg mark so thats not too bad, I believe. 2x80L water tank equates 160kg so that reduces your packable payload to 340kg. Tools, camping table, chairs, clothes, food and other bits and bobs would all be well under 340kg. So I believe the inflated 3.5t towing capacity is sales gimmick, but the MU-X still offers a good deal when coupled with a 3t van. The annoying part: I just bought a Fortuner less than a year ago..grrrrrr

On a side note:I finally figured out how to increase font size. I have been squinting all the timelong gone the days when I did see clearly

-- Edited by Hunglish on Friday 5th of November 2021 12:33:22 PM

Hunglish wrote:

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I think if you want tow to the GVM (2800kg) you will end up with a 3.1t van max. Average caravan payload is about the 500kg mark so thats not too bad, I believe. 2x80L water tank equates 160kg so that reduces your packable payload to 340kg. Tools, camping table, chairs, clothes, food and other bits and bobs would all be well under 340kg. So I believe the inflated 3.5t towing capacity is sales gimmick, but the MU-X still offers a good deal when coupled with a 3t van. The annoying part: I just bought a Fortuner less than a year ago..grrrrrr

On a side note:I finally figured out how to increase font size. I have been squinting all the timelong gone the days when I did see clearly

-- Edited by Hunglish on Friday 5th of November 2021 12:33:22 PM

-- Edited by Hunglish on Friday 5th of November 2021 12:33:44 PMleft.

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 Almost right Hunglish.  You can actually go to a van of 3450 kg fully loaded, assuming the tow ball weight is 350 kg.  That has already been added to the GVM of the car.  It's a common mistake that people make (including myself in the past).  Counting the TBW twice.  Question is , would you want to max everything out?  In most cases with the 4wd wagons (including my Jeep) the issues lies with the GVM of the car, after allowing for TBW & passengers tow bar, WDH if used and in some cases fuel and tougher tyres, there's no a lot of wriggle room left.  We only tow a 2600 ATM van, but with 2 dogs and their gear, a small fridge & some odds & sods, and 270kg ball weight we only have 34 kg spare load capacity.

Nevd wrote:

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Hunglish wrote:

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I think if you want tow to the GVM (2800kg) you will end up with a 3.1t van max. Average caravan payload is about the 500kg mark so thats not too bad, I believe. 2x80L water tank equates 160kg so that reduces your packable payload to 340kg. Tools, camping table, chairs, clothes, food and other bits and bobs would all be well under 340kg. So I believe the inflated 3.5t towing capacity is sales gimmick, but the MU-X still offers a good deal when coupled with a 3t van. The annoying part: I just bought a Fortuner less than a year ago..grrrrrr

On a side note:I finally figured out how to increase font size. I have been squinting all the timelong gone the days when I did see clearly

-- Edited by Hunglish on Friday 5th of November 2021 12:33:22 PM

-- Edited by Hunglish on Friday 5th of November 2021 12:33:44 PMleft.

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 Almost right Hunglish.  You can actually go to a van of 3450 kg fully loaded, assuming the tow ball weight is 350 kg.  That has already been added to the GVM of the car.  It's a common mistake that people make (including myself in the past).  Counting the TBW twice.  Question is , would you want to max everything out?  In most cases with the 4wd wagons (including my Jeep) the issues lies with the GVM of the car, after allowing for TBW & passengers tow bar, WDH if used and in some cases fuel and tougher tyres, there's no a lot of wriggle room left.  We only tow a 2600 ATM van, but with 2 dogs and their gear, a small fridge & some odds & sods, and 270kg ball weight we only have 34 kg spare load capacity.

-- Edited by Nevd on Friday 5th of November 2021 03:58:41 PM

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 There is no way known that an MUX can safely tow more than about 2800kg as a PIG trailer (caravan).If safety is of any concern,always the weight on the  wheels of the car should be at least 10% greater than the weight on the wheels of any PIG trailer it tows.With a GVM of 2800kg,this means that even with a 2800kg ATM van,you're borderline.The other major consideration is the lightweight rear axle,with a 280kg (10%) towball weight adding at least 400kg (don't have exact figure on me) to that rear axle."Ah ha. We'll use a WDH" you may well say,but that too is unlikely to work as it increases the weight on the van's axle group.Simply put,in my opinion,you're playing with fire if safety is of any concern,and you plan to tow more than about 2800kg ATM.If you were silly enough to tow 3500kg ATM as a PIG trailer,you would have a car with an absolute maximum 2700kg weight on wheels trying to tow a 3150kg GTM van.With the van being around 15% heavier than the car,this is an accident looking for a place to happen.Think "tail wagging the dog".Cheers

Craig1 wrote:

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According to Isuzu, the MU-X LS-T 4×4 we tested has a kerb weight of 2,175-kg and a GVM of 2,800-kg giving a load capacity of 625-kg. You could expect a 3.5-tonne van to exert a tow ball load of 350-kg leaving just 275-kg remaining cargo capacity. If you have two adults in the car weighing 90-kg each (180-kg total), youre left with 95-kg for all their luggage and any vehicle accessories. Its not a lot. Looking at the maths against GCM, the situation is even worse. The MU-Xs GCM is 5,900-kg. Take away 3,500-kg for the van and 2,175-kg kerb weight for the car and youre left with just 225-kg cargo capacity and just 45-kg remaining with two adults onboard. You might be able to remain legal with just two adults but, in reality, it would be impossible for the MU-X to be loaded with a 3,500-tonne van and a family of five to remain legal. In fairness to Isuzu, to a greater or lesser extent, this problem plagues just about all other 3.5-tonne towing capable 4×4 wagons on the market.

Now heres the thing. You dont need to tow a 3.5-tonne caravan in order to accommodate a family of five on an extended holiday. The Roadstar van we towed had a TARE weight of 2.5-tonnes and an ATM of 2.9-tonnes. With this fully loaded van attached, the MU-Xs GCM is no longer a problem and against GVM, you now have a 335-kg cargo capacity assuming a 290-kg tow ball load. This is a much more realistic proposition.

RV Daily Tow Test excerpt

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landy wrote:

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Craig1 wrote:

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According to Isuzu, the MU-X LS-T 4×4 we tested has a kerb weight of 2,175-kg and a GVM of 2,800-kg giving a load capacity of 625-kg. You could expect a 3.5-tonne van to exert a tow ball load of 350-kg leaving just 275-kg remaining cargo capacity. If you have two adults in the car weighing 90-kg each (180-kg total), youre left with 95-kg for all their luggage and any vehicle accessories. Its not a lot. Looking at the maths against GCM, the situation is even worse. The MU-Xs GCM is 5,900-kg. Take away 3,500-kg for the van and 2,175-kg kerb weight for the car and youre left with just 225-kg cargo capacity and just 45-kg remaining with two adults onboard. You might be able to remain legal with just two adults but, in reality, it would be impossible for the MU-X to be loaded with a 3,500-tonne van and a family of five to remain legal. In fairness to Isuzu, to a greater or lesser extent, this problem plagues just about all other 3.5-tonne towing capable 4×4 wagons on the market.

Now heres the thing. You dont need to tow a 3.5-tonne caravan in order to accommodate a family of five on an extended holiday. The Roadstar van we towed had a TARE weight of 2.5-tonnes and an ATM of 2.9-tonnes. With this fully loaded van attached, the MU-Xs GCM is no longer a problem and against GVM, you now have a 335-kg cargo capacity assuming a 290-kg tow ball load. This is a much more realistic proposition.

RV Daily Tow Test excerpt

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 Is the kerb weight stated with a full tank of fuel or has this weight still got to be taken into the equation.

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      Fuel capacity is 80 litres,or about 65kg,although tare usually includes 10 litres of fuel.(8kg+/-) No matter how much  ducking and weaving is done,there is no way known that a an MUX can safely tow 3500kg as a PIG trailer,in my opinion.Cheers

Craig1 wrote:

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That is as good as I can get, just have to select above and say go to link I think. Ah it has come good once I submit post.

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 Tks Craig. As you can see just copying the URL into a text page does not work well. to post links successfully you need the menu bar with the icons visible at the top of the window where you are posting links. This is not available in the Quick Reply window. If start the Quick reply window, click on the Advanced Editor button at the bottom.

First copy the heading in your page you're linking to and paste it into your message. Then highlight it. Tow test The All-New 2021 Isuzu MU-X, then click on the underline icon, this will activate the chain link icon. When you click on the link icon the insertion box will appear. Copy the link from the page being quoted and paste it into the "Link URL" line on the insertion box and click on the Insert button. You should end up with a link like the one I have posted here.

Kerb/tare mass can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - Isuzu state full tank of fuel, no passengers, Jeep say with just 10 litres of fuel and no passengers, and Land Rover use 75kg driver & 90% fuel. At first glance the Jeep looks better than the Isuzu, but in practice it's pretty much the same. Need to do your homework before making any decisions. Sometimes finding the actual figures can be a real challenge.

I took into account everything then had the car weighed - 20 kg more than I had calculated (on racecar scales accurate to 1kg). Then found out AT tyres each weigh up around 4-5 kg more than the original road tyres.

Nevd wrote:

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Kerb/tare mass can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - Isuzu state full tank of fuel, no passengers, Jeep say with just 10 litres of fuel and no passengers, and Land Rover use 75kg driver & 90% fuel.

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 Kerb and tare weight are two different things. For starters Tare Mass is defined in legislation whereas kerb mass is not. If someone is quoting kerb mass (or weight) in their specifications then the figure in meaningless as you say but tare weight should be accurate.

TARE MASS - mass of a vehicle other than a L-group vehicle ready for service,
unoccupied and unladen, with all fluid reservoirs filled to nominal capacity except
for fuel, which shall be 10 litres only, and with all standard equipment and any
options fitted.

Whilst kerb mass is not defined in legislation Unladen Mass is:

UNLADEN MASS - the mass of the vehicle in running order unoccupied and unladen
with all fluid reservoirs filled to nominal capacity including fuel, and with all
standard equipment. 

Different manufacturers are free to interpret  "filled to nominal capacity including fuel." after all what is normal capacity?

There is also a definition of Unladen Trailer Mass:

UNLADEN TRAILER MASS (UTM) - the mass transmitted to the ground by the
Axle or Axles of the trailer when coupled to a drawing vehicle and in its normal
unladen condition, and at which compliance with the appropriate Australian Design
Rules has been or can be established.

The definitions come from Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005 Amendment 11 23/01/2021