Towing a 6m Lotus Trooper Caravan wit my 2001 GU 3litre turbo

[PhillipA]

Hi All,

Just bought a 6 m Caravan.

How much weight can I pull behind my 3.0 GU patrol.

I will have to fit electric brakes. If the caravan is balanced there should'nt be excessive downward weight on the tow bar/ back springs??

Just wondering for some ideas from fellow caravan owners towing behind their Patrol's

[PeeBee]

Suggest you simply do a Google search on GCM (gross combined mass)for your vehicle or get in touch with Nissan for the specs - probably in the owners manual or written on the placard either under the bonnet or in the front door frame? Alternately get in touch with your regulatory body in QLD or the likes of the QLD equivalent of RACV.

[MB]

The towing placard on that vintage wagon should be on the inside edge of your rear barn doors mate. From memory only the TD42 (manual) & TB48 are rated for a full 3.5T towing capacity. All others are much lesser and the placard also explains max legal ball weight too I think for different variants. As PeeBee kindly mentions GCM above your GVM and axle weights is the killer for most Patrols & Landcruisers bums too! Patrol rear spring coil towers absolutely must have aftermarket braces put on top too mate and kevlar bagged poly air bags will be needed for added ball weight ride leveling.

EDIT: Here’s our old girls placard picture.
(2001 TD42T)


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[mudski]

The towing placard on that vintage wagon should be on the inside edge of your rear barn doors mate. From memory only the TD42 (manual) & TB48 are rated for a full 3.5T towing capacity. All others are much lesser and the placard also explains max legal ball weight too I think for different variants. As PeeBee kindly mentions GCM above your GVM and axle weights is the killer for most Patrols & Landcruisers bums too! Patrol rear spring coil towers absolutely must have aftermarket braces put on top too mate and kevlar bagged poly air bags will be needed for added ball weight ride leveling.

EDIT: Here’s our old girls placard picture.
(2001 TD42T)


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I only just noticed that sticker on my 2001 GU yesterday morning. I've on had the Patrol since 2012...

[jff45]

Note that Nissan’s towball mass vs GVM info as shown on that sticker is not valid here in Australia. Any towball weight added by whatever you’re towing reduces the vehicle payload by that amount.
Nissan state, on the 1st line, that a 200 kg towball weight does not impact GVM but that’s incorrect. It gives you 200 kg less payload i.e GVM minus 200 kg.
Similarly, on the bottom line, the 350 kg ball weight doesn’t effect GVM by 290 kg. You must deduct the 350 kg from your payload.

[MB]

Must not exceed “at” GVM I’m lost :-(
Verging on interpretational these damn stickers :-(


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[Plasnart]

What's that code at the bottom of the sticker, ending with "AU"? ADR-related? Might be worth a confirm with a Nissan dealer.

[MB]

Got my head around it now I think JFF45 mate!
How ridiculous a sticker, worth arguing in court albeit who wants to go there!
Makes sense now why the father in law only carried a 40L Engel and nothing else in the back of his Landcruiser V8 around Australia too, all other weight was strategically positioned over 5.0m length tops caravan axle loads.


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[PhillipA]

Thanks for your input
It's a bit difficult. I'M dealing with GCM, GVM and then Tow ball weight. So I should check out how many kg's the patrol's GVM is and then load my car before attaching the van.
Then I could take it to the weigh bridge and confirm whether it is under or over the GVM and then I can calculate how much I can or cant load on the towbar.

If my GVM is say 250 kg under the GVM I assume I can have a towball weight of up to 250kg. All good

Then how do I work out whether the weight of the Van I am towing is too heavy or not (Is this when I look at GCM?? Do I add the GVM of my car and the GVM of the van and see if it is within the GCM tolerance??)

[MB]

How much does your 6.0m van weigh dry for starters Phillip mate?
There is a calculation for GCM calculated I believe via GVM + Towing legal weight (3.0L variant?) and rear axle weight is now under question with ADR’s ( Australian Design Rules)
Bloody confusing I agree mate!



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