So you think you can tow 3.5t

[scottar]

With my LC200, I can tow 3.5tonne. I just can't take the wife or kids with me once I fill it up . Oh what a shame.

[Haji-Baba]

BGC You are so right,

I stand by what I said and can only agree with what Macka 17 has posted.

We can all tow it 3.5 tonnes, 350 kg on the draw bar and in all weather over all types of rough roads with out mishap if we have the right vehicle and in my opinion a light weight ute is not the right vehicle.

In my younger days we used to frequently drag 17 tons of sawn timber into the rail head on a 6 x 6 G.M.C. From memory they were rated to 3 tons.

220 bags of wheat on a single axel petrol Maple Leaf into the rail head.

Do that today and go to jail soon after.

Yes we can all extend any thing to the upper limits but at what cost.

Have fun Haji - Baba

[cormorant]

http://www.tradefarmmachinery.com.au...akes-a-splash/

[banksmister]

http://www.tradefarmmachinery.com.au...akes-a-splash/

Or this if you want some bling, but the price may put you off.

http://www.carsguide.com.au/cars-for...ampaign=Merged

[Andy56]

Really, are any of them suitable for towing 2-3 tons? Last I checked out the cab/tray market, all of the vehicles had rear drum brakes.
I would have thought that if towing heavy loads with the family on board had any safety issues, this would be one to ask. Is it just me? At the going prices, I am amazed rear disks are not even offered as an option. Am I wrong to think so?

[stevej]

google thailand rear drum brake on utes

gov gives a concession to manufacturers if they use local components and thailalnd is abig brake drum producer, its that simple
I found the gov legislation last year but can be buggered looing for it again took me days of reading

[GBC]

http://www.l2sfbc.com/rmp/blog/why-v...e-perfect-cars

A couple of years old Andy56, but still very relevant. They meet the relevant design standards with drums. The Thai tax concession scenario gets a nod in there too.

[Andy56]

what the article says basically is that consumers are not interested, the manufacturers are not willing to take the step and that the thai gov provides bonuses to keep making drum brakes. No doubt the gov subsidies were some kind of investment initiative. What consumers want is a bit misleading if its not even offered as an option. Keeping in mind we have been "safety" conscious for over twenty years. We have crash tests, seatbelts, ABS etc, yet a fundamental issue , ie, braking ability is a non issue? Strange world we live in, lol. What it suggests to me is that the cars are speced to Thai legal requirements and then sold o/s at a nice tidy margin, there we go conspiracy theory, lol.

[GBC]

It's a non issue because they pass all the tests with drum brakes on the back. Side by side in a braking test I don't think you'll find much difference until you started racing on a track or doing other ridiculous things in which case you should have bought a sedan with 4 wheel disks. My ute has excellent brakes, loaded, towing and empty. Per the article, utes are a compromise. As a long term commercial vehicle buyer I want to see a box ticked that states it conforms with whatever test was devised to make sure the thing stops. I could give a rats what style of brakes they are so long as they work and well. Mine do. That point would be about number 15 in my list of must haves, way down below abs, ebd, stability control, emergency brake assist, trailer sway control....... My ute has all of that and still has drum rear brakes. They do the job. The current base model rangers we put into fleet cost $54k to put on the road by the time they gets canopies, bars, 3.2 engine and auto boxes etc. I don't think we would want to pay much more for something that really gives nothing back. If you've hit the skids in the ranger hard enough that the emergency brake assist comes on (hazard lights flash automatically) you'd agree that they stop better than all right. I'm sure all the other brands with the same technology do just as well. It's tyres that let down commercial vehicles' stopping ability, not brakes, and as long as the brakes are better than the tyres (abs has to cut in), then ultimate performance of brakes is a moot point.

[Andy56]

[QUOTE=GBC;1598594]It's a non issue because they pass all the tests with drum brakes on the back.
This begged the question, what tests? I had a bit of a look around at the Australian design standards. They do specify averything we see now, ie, stability control, brake assist, warning lights etc. But those damn tests are still illusive!

[Andy56]

Ok found some info. The minimum requirement for a passenger car is 60m stop from 100km/hr. We know that cars with good brakes stop between 34 and 39m. For rigid trucks, its 102m. Now are utes classified as passenger cars or rigid trucks? Its so damn hard to get info. GBC, are you driving to a false sense of security? Just a thought.

[GBC]

Doubt it. A quick google says adr31 is passenger vehicle braking and adr35 is light commercial vehicle braking. Get back to me with what you find. Happy to be educated.

[Andy56]

I wasnt going to say anymore on this subject and then I get an email from Boatsales. The new monthly article talks about.......... towing 3.5t........lol.

[Reel Blue]

Just bought a new dual cab DMax. Last car was a Jeep cherokee and one before that a 100 series turbo Diesell I bought new in 2003 and had for ten years, All three cars have had to tow a 685 Cruisecraft Explorer on Steel Trailer which loaded up is not much less than 3 tonne. The DMax surprised me. Sat on 100 from brisbane to 1770 boat and ute were loaded up. Did 493 km and used 65.3 litres. These figures are legit and the boat did not push the ute around at all. Stopped fine; even with drum brakes; don't forget you need independent trailer brakes over 2 tonne.

[gofishin]

...
All three cars have had to tow a 685 Cruisecraft Explorer on Steel Trailer which loaded up is not much less than 3 tonne. The DMax surprised me. Sat on 100 from brisbane to 1770 boat and ute were loaded up. Did 493 km and used 65.3 litres...

Martin, WOW! Is that a typo/are you sure??

That is unbelievably fantastic at 13.2 L/100km!!!

For my 685 and 3 tow trucks (2.5TD Navara D40, 3.2 DiD NT Pajero, and LC200 TTD) I have averaged 84 - 92 odd litres for the same one way trip, same speed, same dist within a K or two over the last 7 yrs.

Least fuel and fastest trips have easily been the LC.

Cheers
Brendon