Towing weights

[Pikey Dave]

The Disco4 was the finest towing vehicle I ever had. I regularly put 3t on the back & you hardly knew.

[Orwell boy]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Yep a lot of people don't realise there is a world of difference towing with a shogun style vehicle and a pickup even when they have the same engine and look similar

Yes ,have to agree with that one ,i had 3 consecutive nissan pathfinders ,but would,nt buy a Navara if it was the last vehicle on earth , makes me laugh ,first thing people do is put a pop top on them ,just to ensure you can,t put a ton in them ,put your dog in it and its in a different carriage ,cant get any grip with no weight in them ,and useless tow vehicles , what a useless recreational vehicle !,that tax dodge must be massive incentive for some !

[Bigo]

I have a Navara and have delivered many boats ranging from 350kg to 3 Ton and I think its a great tow vehicle. The key is having extra nose weight when towing with a pick up...

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

The Disco4 was the finest towing vehicle I ever had. I regularly put 3t on the back & you hardly knew.

[landrover joke]was that because it spent all its time in the garage?[/joke]

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Poly

[landrover joke]was that because it spent all its time in the garage?[/joke]

I was expecting that, it took longer than I thought [emoji6]

[Phil M]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

first thing people do is put a pop top on them ,just to ensure you can,t put a ton in them ,put your dog in it and its in a different carriage ,cant get any grip with no weight in them ,and useless tow vehicles , what a useless recreational vehicle !,that tax dodge must be massive incentive for some !

Each to their own but I have to disagree here. We're on our second pickup and it, like the previous one, tows very well indeed. It pulls the boat or a heavy horse box without issue or major impact on handling. The bed with top is massive and ideal for storing wet dive kit or filthy horsey stuff out of the main cabin and is still secure. We can also throw bikes in without dismantling them if we go away so to us it is the ideal recreational vehicle and capable of far more than something like a pathfinder or disco. I will agree about not getting a Navara though as our old one came very close to falling in half due to rust.

Phil M

[beerbelly]

Originally Posted by Phil M

Each to their own but I have to disagree here. We're on our second pickup and it, like the previous one, tows very well indeed. It pulls the boat or a heavy horse box without issue or major impact on handling. The bed with top is massive and ideal for storing wet dive kit or filthy horsey stuff out of the main cabin and is still secure. We can also throw bikes in without dismantling them if we go away so to us it is the ideal recreational vehicle and capable of far more than something like a pathfinder or disco. I will agree about not getting a Navara though as our old one came very close to falling in half due to rust.

Phil M

what pickup do you have that is far more capable than a disco

[willk]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

what pickup do you have that is far more capable than a disco

In no way dissing Discos (as I have no experience with) but I can say without doubt, that my 300TDi Defender was totally eclipsed by her successor, an Isuzu D-Max. Just generally better all round. Obviously not a comparable vehicle offroad, but having said that - the D-Max can manoeuvre the trailer on my lawn and not dig it up.

[GuyC]

I think this has turned into a debate about pick up vs err not a pick up. Pick up's before you put a top on it aren't restricted by height so much. You can carry chests of drawers, BBQ's and anything else that doesn't take kindly to lying down. Carrying petrol (not at the same time as a BBQ), diesel or other unpleasant substances is kept separate from the 'accommodation'. Once you put a top on it, you have an inside / outside space albeit with the loss of some of the benefits.

Con's - whatever you put in the back of a pickup is subject to the weather and thieving scum. When you put a top on it, the back becomes shower proof but in my limited experience the tail gate still lets water in.

The benefit of a non-pickup is that it keeps the contents dry and safe plus, with mine at least, has seating for eight.

I think if you compared Land Rover pick up with a Land Rover estate, the driving experience and capability is the same and the decision between the two comes down to personal choice.

[Ribtec1]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

what pickup do you have that is far more capable than a disco

How about this

[HDAV]

Originally Posted by Ribtec1

How about this

Not saying it should be done but the fourtrack was one hell of a tow vehicle

[willk]

Originally Posted by Ribtec1

How about this

That's just around the corner from me. There's a brisk social media trade going of yokels who get nicked right there by plod while hauling hay in unsuitable formats...

[willk]

Originally Posted by GuyC

When you put a top on it, the back becomes shower proof but in my limited experience the tail gate still lets water in.

Depends. Mine is a manufacturer fit and is bone dry. There are some airgaps under doors and so forth that preclude carrying passengers due to the potential for fume ingress.

[Phil M]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

what pickup do you have that is far more capable than a disco

It's an Amarok. So far, its more capable of taking a full pallet in the back, taking 6 large scout tents (with 6ft wooden pole sets) and dare I say it..........staying out of the repair shop

[Last Tango]

For me the switch to a pickup was driven by the staggering price and repair bills of the larger SUVs, and my experience of the "2 ton towing" smaller SUVs is, they really struggle hauling out and backing 1.5 tons up my drive.

I don't need the pickup's 2.7 ton towing capacity (I only tow around 1.5 tons) but I also don't need adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, 3D reversing camera, air suspension and that ultimate curse, an electric handbrake. A plain old lever does the job just fine.

My "non negotiables", four wheel drive, heated leather seats, proper hydro torque converter auto transmission, low-range transfer, and aircon came with the balance of five years unlimited-mileage manufacturers warranty (two years remaining) all for 12.5K.
Regards towing, it's on a par with my XC90 and better than both the Shogun and Range Rover I've used and owned previously.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by willk

Depends. Mine is a manufacturer fit and is bone dry. There are some airgaps under doors and so forth that preclude carrying passengers due to the potential for fume ingress.

I had an early Mk6 Hilux and there was no seal down the sides of the tailgate. The load liner was entirely watertight and it was surprising just how much water you could collect particularly as they tend to sit bow down.

[beerbelly]

Originally Posted by Phil M

It's an Amarok. So far, its more capable of taking a full pallet in the back, taking 6 large scout tents (with 6ft wooden pole sets) and dare I say it..........staying out of the repair shop

lol I meant more capable at towing but I know what you mean re regularly repairing them I am looking for a replacement for my RR sport. I had a ford ranger and although it was a great mile muncher towing it was terrible to use as an everyday in the winter very tail happy so had discounted pick ups might look at a d max

[beerbelly]

Originally Posted by willk

That's just around the corner from me. There's a brisk social media trade going of yokels who get nicked right there by plod while hauling hay in unsuitable formats...

a red neck trump car

[69cmw]

I’ve seen some newer pickups advertised with a 2l Diesel engine, surely they can’t be that good at towing?

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by 69cmw

I’ve seen some newer pickups advertised with a 2l Diesel engine, surely they can’t be that good at towing?

I've went from 3l to 2.4l to 2l and really, apart from the progressively poorer economy when towing, I can't say it's made a lot of difference.