Tow vehicle for 3T boat on a budget

[simonpp82]

Just after some feedback from those of you out there with some experience towing a big rig. I'd like a landcruiser or a 4.2 patrol but these are hard to come by. My issue is, I've only got 10-12k at a stretch to spend. It will be purely used for towing as I have a work car to get around in. It seems I'll have to settle for a petrol or non turbo diesel with lots of k's. The dilemma is that the petrol may be a problem with the large amount of k's and I hear the diesels are a bit sluggish on the highway. I want to do the odd trip up north so this has put me off the diesel. What would you get and why?

[Floating Rib]

Turbo diesel Jackaroo, late models 2000-2002 available for that sort of money, they have an Isuzu 3 litre diesel engine , reasonable power and economy(650kms per 70 litre tank not towing), yes would be a bit sluggish towing a big rig but good allround truck for a fraction of what patrols and Cruiser cost. My 2 bobs anyway.

[finga]

A small truck.
Why?? Made to have loads and will tow a load.
If look hard enough you can find a latish model turbo diesel for reasonable money.
Same rego as a car for the right truck and people don't look for them as much as a Landcruiser or Patrol.
3T is a big load......

Woo....mumma http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-F250-Lariat-Crew-Cab-6-9-L-Diesel-Motor-/320765068664?pt=AU_Trucks_Commercial_Vehicles&hash=item4aaf168578#ht_672wt_1136

[PADDLES]

you will find a good late 80s into early 90s petrol 80 series cruiser or GQ patrol for anywhere between $5-10k. for instance i got rid of our 88 patrol on petrol/lpg (it was a bit of a beast) for $4k. it'll chug down fuel but be pretty reliable and very cheap/easy to fix.

like finga says, a light truck will probably tow a big boat better but they don't fit a family in and by the time you try and find something with a crew cab the price has risen considerably.

[Vromme]

Mate of mine had same issue, 3t boat needed cheapish car to tow it. 1st got a patrol 4cy petrol for cheap ($4k mark) , it did the job but only just. Now has a 6cyl petrol patrol ($15k mark). Thirsty sucker but only really uses it to tow boat. They are tough as, easy to fix dont be too put off by miles. Think they are a bit cheaper than cruisers, arguable as good. Then have 4wd when needed for slippery ramps.

[Lbudgie]

land rover discovery. rated to 4T .

[mal555]

I bought a 10K GQ petrol (4.2) patrol for the same reason. I beefed up the rear coils as the originals were a bit saggy with age, with some low cost ARB heavy duty models.
Sure they are heavy on fuel, 15 litres per hundred K's not towing and double that towing, but realistically means little given the amount of average miles towing over the year.
Still have it, even though a new diesel has replaced it for general use, just for occasional 4x4 work.

[Lbudgie]

rule #1 in dodge car sales. if numbers on spedo dont line up corectly , shes had a hair cut.
buyer beware

[MyWay]

get jeep 4l 95, 96 ,97, they tow 3.2t

[FishHunter]

Get a diesel and fit lpg injection for some gee up and improved economy.

[tunaticer]

Any number of small 2t traybacks or tippers around for those bucks that will tow it well plus have the option of doing other chores with that you just can't do effectively with a ute, like spring cleaning runs to the dump or top dressing the lawns 2t at a time instead of 900kgs.

[rosco1974]

mate make sure you look into what can legally tow 3t befor u outlay your hard earned.will give u a hint 100 series cruiser or later is the only cruiser to tow 3t or more 80 series tow legally 2.5t,most nissans only tow 2.5t in the partrol,landrover tow 3.5-4 t but most have very little towball downweight, 180 kg download on the towball yet to see a 3t boat with 180 kg on the towball most 250-280kg. a cruiser ute 98 or later tows 3.5t how do i know these figures.i been where you are now and left mine sittin on the hardstand till i can afford a new tow ute.new ford ranger or bt-50 might be on the cards soon.these tow 3.35t legally.but guess this is only an issue if you have an accident, and your insurance will wipe there hands of your claim
cheers rosco

[bugman]

Simon,
Went through / going through the same process.
Mine might be a tad bigger than yours - but all the answers pointed to light truck. Cheaper to buy and better on fuel. For that money you wont get turbo so expect to be a bit sluggish - but they will tow them well enough.
Brett

[terryc]

I agree with rosco, 80 series land cruiser would have to be late 97 model or later to be able to legally tow upto 3500kg, All good with the 100 series 3500kg 350kg tow ball download, 8 cyl petrol is more economical than the 6 cyl, have had both and checked every tank of fuel. had a 2003 jeep grand cherokee overland for couple of yrs and whilst a nice vehicle to drive i never felt as confident towing as i do with the Cruiser. drove the 1Hz cruiser 100 series naturally aspirated diesel for a while and whilst slow on take off still towed well, never looked into the light truck situation may be worth consideration.

[wirlybird]

second that

[wirlybird]

get jeep 4l 95, 96 ,97, they tow 3.2t
i second that

[smclaren]

Anything American ! Built to tow ... from the ground up.

F100, Chev, Jeep ! Whack it on LPG. Sorted !

Cheap to buy, easy to fix.

Anything else is a compromise ...

[simonpp82]

Thanks for the replies fellas, some good feedback in there. Although I can see the sense in a light truck I would like something with a few seats and the 4WD capabilities to do a Fraser trip etc.. I had done a bit of research on the cruisers regarding towing weight and yes it has to be at least 97 which means there's not alot within the budget. I had considered a Jeep but I heard they were a headache and expensive to fix.. apparently not? Heard the same thing about Land Rovers as well. Anyone got any experiences with them? Also can anyone confirm the tow capacity of the late 90's patrols 4.5L 6 cyl versions? Found a couple of autos with low k's but not sure how they'd go. Appreciate the help!

[rosco1974]

hey mate look at redbook.com.will give u all you need to know.tow weights, fuel usage.just put in make model and year and scroll through the info
cheers rosco

[simonpp82]

Yeah cheers rosco I'll check it out. Are you towing the cat? Looks like a weapon, A heavy one at that!

[propdinger]

i had a land rover v8 used about 22ltrs per 100km towing about 2.7tonne at a good speed (used 23-24ltrs if i was in a hurry) but it was a 97model 3.9ltr and tuned well cost me $10k 7 years ago i just got rid of it not long ago in the 6 odd years i had it it cost me about $1000 in repairs (not including oil changes ) could legally tow 4tonne not that i would. the only thing i could say i had a good one it was cheap to fix and went ok. and i used to tow to 1770 and gladstone a fair bit also good on sand with central diff lock standard on that model. best and cheapest car i have owned so far.

the main thing with a landrover dont get a dealer to fix it or you can kiss lots of dollars good bye.

[simonpp82]

Thanks propdinger, good to hear a tried and tested opinion. I often wonder if people just jump on the bandwagon cos thats what they heard off someone else. As far as purchase price they seem like good value, just been scared off by the haters.

[terryc]

i was probably unlucky with the 2003 grand cherokee overland that i had but all the extra bells & whistles may be great when new but they sure cost an arm & a leg when they pack up out of warranty, electric window mechanism fell to bits, side mirror packed up, all 6 oxygen sensors had to be replaced ( these i got in from USA at $200 odd for the full set as against almost $1000 each here if you can get them. Flaps in the air con ducting failed (common failure apparently) meaning no heater cost at dealers quoted $2500 plus, i did most repairs myself but parts were the problem rare & expensive. If going Jeep i would suggest as basic model as possible less to worry about. also check ground clearance if going to Fraser, basic models higher than luxury ones. I have wondered about the Landrover Discovery's, they would be great off road & the above towing consumption seems reasonable, good luck not an easy decision.

[tidemaster]

I have alsways had 80 series cruisers and reularly used to to other vehicles with them in and out of the bush. I used to tow a hilux on a heavy car trailer to and from competitions and often through bush tracks when the lux was broken and couldnt drive back out to a main track. I'd say trailer, spares, extra tyres etc and hilux weighed a bit over 3 tonne. I never once had an issue. I had (and still have) a 4.5 ltr petrol, and 4.2 ltr deisel and also a turbo deisel. I think that the petrol was by far the best for towing but thirsty. THe normally aspirated deisel was okay on the highway but slow on hills. The turbo was almost as good as the petrol but lack the punch of the petrol for overtaking. Off Road the turbo was by far the best particularly in the low range stuff.

Once we got wind that transport was targetting the comp and would be sitting on the access road to where we were travcalleing so I borrowed a discovery for the weekend so I wasnt over the legal tow limit. I must say that the cruisers handled the extra weight so much better than the discovery and I would prefer to tow the weight with a Cruiser over a discovery. Having said that, I was always worried about the cops and transport everytime I towed in the cruiser cause I knew that I was well over weight.


If I was doing it all over again and not leaving the black stuff I would go for a small truck. I used to tow a big cougar cat with an old V8 intenational truck and it was awesome. If going offroad, I would put up with the disco and not worry about the cops. Cruisers and patrols are tough offroad. Cruiser front diff is weaker than the nissans. Disco's have weaker axles than cruisers and patrols. So I personally think that a cruiser or patrol is more up to the task, but at the end of the day within your budget, and within the law, your choice in my opinion is a discovery.

[propdinger]

the only thing i would do if buying a disco is put air bags under the back end makes it much safer and can adjust the ride height and only cost around $150 (same as putting king springs in but much more advantage). i never ran my disco off road like a race machine just normal everyday driving and a fair bit of towing and alot of beach work never broke a axle or any major parts. i went to replace my 97 model disco with a cruiser ute but at the price they want i bought a 2004 disco td5 with a bells and whistles for half the price so i can spend alot on fixing things if i ever have to which i hope i dont lol . i would say see if you can find anyone who has what ever vehicle you are looking at and borrow it to see if it works for you.

[PADDLES]

what all up braked weight are you wanting to tow? i thought the older cruisers and patrols were good for 3t with newer ones going up to 3.5t. i've heard horrors stories about jeeps but have never owned one, i've owned both a petrol GQ patrol and now a n/a diesel 105 cruiser. the petrol engined patrol had some serious towing balls and i thought it was good for 3t braked towing capacity.

[simonpp82]

PADDLES, I haven't got the boat yet but I'm pretty sure it adds up to between 3-3.2 fully loaded. In any case I'd rather have the 3.5 capacity so I'm well within the limits. Right now it's looking like a toss up between a 97 petrol cruiser with lots of k's, a newer, good condition land rover disco with half the k's... Or an older Disco and a pocket full of change for more fishing gear! ; ) Decisions...