A motorhome or converted bus/panelvan? Then you tow a small 4WD for shopping and bush bashing out to the beach or special spot without destrying your caravan and scratching your big 4 X 4 that cost a small fortune
T1 Terry
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If this vehicle is your tow tug, ie you have a small buzz box to run around when at home, I would buy a second hand Turbo Diesel 100 Series Landcruiser, with the speedo less than 200,000Km and a good service record, rather than a 200 Series Landcruiser, dual cab, 3L Patrol, Jeep or or.
Is your 2600 kg van tare wt or GVM/ATM wt? What is the towball wt. If it is 2600 kg tare then at fully loaded it could be close to 3000 kg, with an increase in towball wt as well. All this could determine the type of vehicle required. Bear in mind a lot of the 4 cylinder diesel vehicles are rated to tow 3000 kg but would be struggling. My 4 cyl 2.5 ltr Challenger is rated to tow 3000 kg and has a 300 kg towball weight, but both are unrealistic.
The post is getting views but little comment/advice.
Cheers - John
I guess John that's because if people recommend any type of vehicle it will end up in the usual mine is better than yours argument. The only advise I can give (based on my own experience) is that if you are planning on pulling a van over 2.5T don't just rely on what the salesmen or glossy brochures tell you in order for them to get a sale. I would be reading the towing reviews for all the different vehicles very carefully - there are plenty of them on the net if you do a search.
Cheers
BB
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Saturday 16th of June 2018 02:10:33 PM
If your still considering Landcruisers here is some more info on 100 Vs 200 series. Prior to the purchase of either, I would look at the weight of gear/fuel/family you will put in the Tug along with the GVM and GCM of the tug/van Combo..
I was faced with the same dilemma 18 months ago. What to buy to pull a 2.5 tonne caravan. My solution was to read all possible reviews of likely vehicles, draw up a short list, test drive new versions and then after deciding the top one or two, look for a good second hand tug. My main criteria were 4WD go anywhere to match the off-road van, something heavier than the van, quiet, comfortable, powerful, economical, coloured white. I found the perfect vehicle, added a dual battery system and took off on our first caravaning trip around Australia. No regrets and a magnificent vehicle for the trip. May you also find the perfect vehicle.
My short list was Land Rover Discovery 4 and Landcruiser 200 series.