Any one using Nissan X-Trail as tow unit for caravan?

PeterH · Veteran Member

Any one using Nissan X-Trail as tow unit for caravan?

dave06 · Guru

gday pete, I dont tow so I dont know (hey look at that I'm a poet, but you wouldnt know it!!) but if the claim is 2,000 kilograms then one must assume it is up for the job,

however I am a big fan of the tim taylor aproach to towing (tool time fame, arrr!!! arrr!!! oh! oH ohhh!!!) more power the better, if it claims 125 killer wasps then that seems a little bit light to me, my magna (from memory which usually isnt to be trusted) runs at about the 200 killer stingy thingys, I would say that would be minimum required, I'm just a couple of years away as well and I can tell you here and now I CANT WAIT!!!

2 - 3 weeks isnt too bad at least it lets you see if you are "cut out" for it, you can go a long way in a couple of weeks especially on the east coast

Xtrail51 · Senior Member

I have a 2003 Nissan Xtrail auto, had a tranmission cooler fitted as a precaution. I tow a 14' Coromal pop top, without any problem. Van weighs 1400kilos loaded, she handles it without any problem.
Yes, you can tow 2000kilos legally, and I am sure she would tow it, but I would not like to. I think the car is too light to tow much more. Being front wheel drive. I have had lot of experience towing for a lot of years, firstly, a 1979 F250 dual wheel truck, towing an evernew 20' ft full van. Truck weighed in at 4 ton and van 2.6ton, and sometimes you could feel the van actually pushing the truck around. So you need to be careful with the van to vehicle ratio. Do your homework.
But I would not have a differant rig, I love it and hope to travel this wide open country of ours for a long time. All the best. Barb. smile

PeterH · Veteran Member

Barb,
Thanks for that info. My poptop is 1450, but loaded I expect is more like 1750. As I thought, this is maybe pushing the limits??????
Even now I have had the van pushing the current car aound when 'coasting' downhill (power off the van) and B double goes past.
I was looking at all alternatives, but now appears the Commodore way is the safest!

PeterH · Veteran Member

G'day Dave06,
It was a great ad..the one about the 200 killer wasps, problem is I can't remember which car they were touting at the time.
I can say you also have some advantages on the west coast, like seeing the sun set over water. Only seen that once in my life and was quite spectacular/different to what I am used to.
The better half, the corgi and I, note me last......have had a few excursions now and think we are cut out for it. At least we have enjoyed all so far.
The next big test is next Feb when we travel from Central Coast of NSW to the Great Ocean Road. We are taking three weeks to do this and come back through Bendigo etc.
Really looking forward to that trip.
I think I should add a comment to my email signature - such as.....all that beer to taste...and so little time.........

PeterH · Veteran Member

Barb,
Thanks for that info. My poptop is 1450, but loaded I expect is more like 1750. As I thought, this is maybe pushing the limits??????
Even now I have had the van pushing the current car aound when 'coasting' downhill (power off the van) and B double goes past.
I was looking at all alternatives, but now appears the Commodore way is the safest!

drongo & wendy · Senior Member

     G,day
    Gawd now ya got me running out to check the commodore and van ratio thingies.
    Never realised there.was so much to do and its sunday    o well il just miss church    any one for a stubbie   ok a bit early i guess wait a minute

PeterH · Veteran Member

Why is it too early for a stubbie? Just remember - it's 5 o'clock somewhere........ biggrin

dave06 · Guru

my sentiments exactly pete, it's always beer oclock somewhere!!

Roostertales · Senior Member

I nearly named a boat beer o'clock but my wife was unhappy said she wouldn't come on it ! so I named it Bar's open instead (only joking). I 'm still married !. Great boat though.

dave06 · Guru

I once had a mate who named his boat "Barb's open" Barbara was his ex very permiscuis wife, it was his little way of getting his own back after she took him for all he had, including the house, through no fault of his own, 1 month later he recieved a court order to remove the offending "signage" on the side of his vessel and ordered to pay court costs on top, a man in a divorce cannot win,

PeterH · Veteran Member

My wife prissed the keys of the boat out of my fingers when we sold it to buy the van. She was right in one respect, you can only tow one at a time.
Makes you wonder where boating/fishing will ed up as they are now advocating a marine park stretching from Sydney to well up towards Newcastle.
It seems you won't be able to fish any where in that area in a couple of years.

dave06 · Guru

I dont like the way all our coasts are going especially the east, I think the time will come when you have one super city starting at about mount gambier and finishing up at cape york, you will not be allowed near the water unless you buy a condo and have at least three luxury cruisers in the marina neverlone trying to catch a fish

Basil Faulty · Guru

dave06 wrote:

I dont like the way all our coasts are going especially the east, I think the time will come when you have one super city starting at about mount gambier and finishing up at cape york, you will not be allowed near the water unless you buy a condo and have at least three luxury cruisers in the marina neverlone trying to catch a fish

Meanwhile the Asians seem to fish illegaly for sharks with little effort being made to stop them.n Once again a zero tolerance approach is need here, when they are caught one round of HE into the hull, blow it to smithereens, take no survivors and see how long it takes them to get the message....

Basil Faulty · Guru

PeterH wrote:

Barb,
Thanks for that info. My poptop is 1450, but loaded I expect is more like 1750. As I thought, this is maybe pushing the limits??????
Even now I have had the van pushing the current car aound when 'coasting' downhill (power off the van) and B double goes past.
I was looking at all alternatives, but now appears the Commodore way is the safest!

I would suggest a CRDi Sorento, but then you could say I am biased....

PeterH · Veteran Member

Basil,
I saw your post recently in another section where you had purchased one. Sounds like its the 'bee's knees'/'best thing since sliced bread' and does all you require it to do..and more.
However, I think I will stick to the VZ Commodore now until we get real serious about the trip across and hopefully around part of this wide brown land.We are only tripping 3/4 weeks a year at the moment as holidays and the slave driver (?????) allows.
Will place the Sorento in the 'little black book' for consideration.

PeterH · Veteran Member

DaveO6,
We're doing the Great Ocean Road in mid Feb finishing at Port Fairy. I'm looking forward to wetting a line in that area then. biggrin

dave06 · Guru

pete you will love it, fantastic bit of scenery along there, great park at port fairy as well we stayed in a little cabin up there, absolutely fell in love with the place, we too will be charging back that way mid february but as usual time is our enemy and we must get home poste haste

PeterH · Veteran Member

DaveO6,
Both Jude (better half) and I are really looking forward to it. Because we travel with the corgi, we need to have dog friendly CP's so am currently investigating those now.
We will travel back to NSW via the goldfields, so should be a great trip.
I see your off to Tassie.
We did that 2 years ago with fly/drive (no van - just expensive motels etc) and covered most of it. Have some great memories.
Unfortunately the 'puter crashed last month and I lost about 80% of all the pics we had stored. I only have a few backed up on disc.

dave06 · Guru

pete dont quote me on this but I reckon I seen a doggy in the park at port fairy and the owners were a lovely couple who I'm sure would allow doggies if well behaved, perhaps a phone call or email??

we did tassie in a hired motorhome about ten years ago now and thats why we decided to take little blue this time, the cost of the first trip was astronomical and we werent allowed off bitumen so this time will be very different, the fellow at the car hire place said we had knocked up the most kilometres that he had seen in a week

now the goldfeilds in itself is a great trip, you are in for one hell of a time combining a couple of the best trips that victoria has to offer, throw in the great alpine road and you have picked the eyes out of victoria, make sure you allow at least two days at ballarat just for sovereign hill, fantastic, take a ride on the stagecoach its great, stay for the salute of the soldiers and do the mine tour (underground) dont worry too much about the eureka stockade lightshow??

Biodiesel Bob · Member

G,day to everyone, have been away to the US of A, its different but had a great trip. Hope PeterH is still about my mate has purchased a Nissan Pathfinder and will tow a 18ft., van with it he intends extensive touring as now retired, don't know their ratings though iimagine no probs.. I had a Jackaroo 3.2lt., had a 12.5 Jayco especially to do the Birdsville and other tracks, it was by far the worst vechile I have ever owned could not get past a fuel station. Sold it as soon as I got home now have a Nissan Patrol 3.0lt. turbo everything and it is agreat tow machine, we tow a 21ft Jayco with full ensuite and everything and it returns 16lt per 100, using 4th gear, overdrive is no advantage even though it pulls it fine, consumtion is in fact better in 4th.. I take the opportunity to wish you all a great and safe Christma and a better new year.

El Bastido nilus carborundum. [Don't let the Bastards grind you down]

Biodiesel Bob

PeterH · Veteran Member

G'day Bob, still about, and appreciate comments. The Patrol is most probably more than we want as we will not venture too far(at this stage) from the hard top.
May be a different story later when retired and may think of upgrading both the pop top and vehicle.
Fuel economy sounds great, I thought it would be more than that!!!!!
As above we are off to Great Ocean Road in Feb, so that will be the longest trip we have been on so far, so will see how the VZ and van goes then. One thing I did find was, I do need to have the water tank full to keep the centre of gravity down. The only time I travelled with it empty, really made a difference to the stability.

PeterH · Veteran Member

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