Should I buy the new LandCruiser 300 Series or Isuzu D-Max for heavy towing?

QUESTION #1

Hi John,

My wife and I are heading into Grey Nomad territory and are planning to do extended touring (from WA everything is extended touring) from 2022 onwards and think that the LandCruiser is the best tour vehicle if towing a reasonably heavy van as I am not mechanically minded and Toyota has a good service centre network.

We know the van we want and need to know:

A. Do you have any other suggestion for a very reliable, capable tow vehicle?
B. Would you buy a 200 series or wait for the 300 series to come out - supposedly in mid 2021.

We would like to have purchased both the vehicle and the van by mid 2021 to begin with short trips and then get into touring in 2022. Our other alternative is to purchase a 5 year old VX (I know of a person who wants to sell one) and then update in 3 - 5 years when the 300 series has been released and the 'bugs' have been ironed out.

Look forward to your valued advice.

Regards,

Les

QUESTION #2

Hi John,

Regarding my previous email about towing my upcoming caravan – I’m due to pick it up this August.

I have done some thinking since then and would love your insight.

The LandCruiser 300 does not look likely until well into 2021, and even then it may be 2022 before I am able to get one. So, I have been looking at either a 7 – 10 year old LandCruiser (still about $65K - 70K) or the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, which has a deal of around $60K going at the moment.

I would be looking to keep either car for approx. 5 years and then maybe look at the LC 300.

What, in your opinion, is the better purchase? Are you able to get good deals on the Isuzu even though they are heavily discounted already?

Another query, regarding towing capacity and payload, with the following limits:

Isuzu: towing capacity is 3500kg; kerb weight: 2130kg; gross vehicle mass: 3100kg; gross combined mass: 5950kg; max tow ball download: 350kg

Caravan: Tare weight: 2647kg, (but think it will be at least 100kg heavier with A/C, solar panel and grey water tank); loading weight: 475kg – is this the payload I can have after the tare weight?

Does this mean: kerb weight of car + tare weight of caravan = 4980 (with extra 100kg of extras), for a total GCM = 5950kg?

Does this mean I have approx. 1000kg of payload?

Should the Isuzu be able to handle the caravan with a decent payload?

Your guidance and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Les

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ANSWER #1

Les,

I have no concrete information about the launch timing of LC300.

Nissan Patrol is the other directly comparable option - and given the lower pricepoint it’s a compelling proposition. Also, reasonably reliable.

200 vs 300: Entirely a personal choice, as is buying the used one and then upgrading, but it seems to me you’re going to be sinking a bit of cash into the vehicle to get it set up for touring. Why do that twice?

JC

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ANSWER #2

Hello Les,

OK - so, about the towing: You need to avoid exceeding any of the following limits:

1. The ATM (aggregate trailer mass). This is specified by the van manufacturer, and it is the maximum permissible fully-loaded trailer weight.

2. Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of the vehicle.

3. Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of the vehicle.

4. Towball download limit of the vehicle.

Points 2-4 above are specified by the vehicle manufacturer.

GCM is the total combined weight of the fully loaded vehicle and fully loaded trailer.

GVM is the total loaded weight of the vehicle. Note that this includes the towball download. Because the vehicle is carrying the towball download.

In the case of both the GVM and GCM it includes everything you carry - including accessories fitted to the vehicle, passengers, and stuff you carry onboard and in the tray.

I think the van is very heavy for a ute. Essentially it’s a mistake in my view to tow a trailer that weighs more than the van, and if the van comes in at 3000kg (unlikely - it’ll probably be heavier when you load it and fill the tanks, but let’s say it’s 3000kg, then the X-Terrain can’t weigh more than 2950 without blowing the CGM.

It weighs 2130kg empty, so that gives you 820kg of payload in total for the ute, minus 300 kilos for the towball = 520kg, minus 200kg for two occupants and sundry personal crap = 320kg for all other onboard items including anything in the cabin or the tray and any accessories you fit.

And I wouldn’t drive faster than about 85km/h loaded that heavily, because things can come undone really fast with a van that heavy behind a heavily loaded vehicle.

Basically, trailers loaded to north of 3000kg place severe operational and loading constraints upon the vehicles towing them (including LandCruisers).

So, essentially you can do it with an X-Terrain or a used LandCruiser, but it’s going to involve compromises, unavoidably. Try to leave as much behind as you possibly can.

JC

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