The best SUV for towing, according to caravan experts
09/17/2024 01:06 AM
Which models do seasoned caravanners most commonly use to tow their beloved homes on wheels? We asked those in the know.
Australians who want to safely tow a caravan typically forego a medium SUV in favour of a large SUV or ute, according to one of the country’s leading caravan retailers.
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Victoria-based Crusader Caravans – the country's second-largest Australia-owned caravan manufacturer (based on units sold and revenue) – has over 14,000 customers on their third or fourth caravan.
Serge Valentino, who established Crusader Caravans in 2002, said the brand focuses on targeting a 2000kg braked towing capacity or more when designing its caravans, given that’s what most of its customers’ cars are rated for.
“Most vehicles are around the 2000kg mark, so we tend to stick around the two-tonne mark [with our caravans],” Valentino told Drive.
He added that many first-time caravan buyers don’t give enough consideration to the kind of car they’ll need to safely tow their caravan.
“If you’re someone buying a caravan with a price range around $60,000, you need a vehicle to tow that and an off-road vehicle can be anywhere from $60,000–$150,000 so it can become a very expensive hobby,” he explained.
“You get caught in the whole journey and think ‘Oh I can do it!’, but we want our customers to make the right decision.”
The best SUV and ute models for towing a caravan
In terms of the most prevalent models owned by Crusader customers, Valentino says large SUVs and dual-cab utes are king.
“We see a lot of Toyota Prados, and the Toyota LandCruiser is really good because it is [rated to tow] 3500kg [braked] so it caters to a lot, plus people can play with them to get a higher towing rate,” he said.
He added that Ford Rangers, particularly the Wildtrak variants, are popular, along with the latest-generation Ford Everest and the Volkswagen Touareg.
Other models with a braked towing capacity of 3500kg on certain variants include the Isuzu MU-X, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Patrol, Nissan Navara, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery, Ineos Grenadier, Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton, to name a few.
Naturally, it also depends on the kind of caravan you’re considering – with those looking to haul larger, more luxurious units likely better served by the American-sized pick-up trucks from the likes of Ram and Chevrolet.
For example, Crusader’s $150,000 XCountry off-road caravan caters to those who want to go “totally off-grid”, with solar panels on the roof, as well as onboard gas, electric and diesel power and batteries, extensive insulation, specialised airbag suspension, and both an indoor and outdoor kitchen.
“That sort of customer normally has the big Ram trucks or something like a Ford F-150 given they are side-by-side compatible. They’ll be more comfortable,” Valentino said, adding that once again, the Toyota LandCruiser is another popular choice in this segment.
While medium SUVs are a popular choice for Australian new-car buyers, not many can tow more than 2000kg. For example, the Toyota RAV4 is only rated to tow up to 1500kg braked, while the Kia Sportage can only tow 1900kg braked at most.
How to figure out how much your car can tow
Before you get overexcited and buy a car with a 3500kg braked towing capacity assuming you can tackle anything, it pays to understand the key figures involved in towing.
In reality, your car’s tow rating is only one part of the puzzle – you also need to consider the kerb weight, gross vehicle mass, tow ball mass, gross trailer mass and gross combination mass.
Kerb weight: The weight of your car with the driver and fuel on board.
Tow rating: The maximum trailer weight your car can tow. This is usually specified in terms of both a braked and unbraked rating, which refers to the limit based on whether your trailer has its own brakes or not. The braked limit will be higher than the unbraked limit.
Payload: How much your car can carry in terms of passengers and cargo.
Gross vehicle mass (GVM): The total permissible weight of your car when loaded.
Tow ball mass (TBM): The maximum load the trailer pushes onto your car, which is usually 10 per cent of the weight of the trailer itself.
Gross trailer mass (GTM): The total permissible weight of a fully loaded trailer on its own.
Gross combination mass (GCM): The total permissible weight of the car and trailer together.
In simple terms, you cannot exceed the GCM figure when towing – meaning that all your various loads, when added together, must be less than this figure.
For example, consider a vehicle rated to tow 3500kg, with a kerb weight of 2170kg and a GCM of 6000kg.
If you want to add a trailer with a GTM of 2800kg and a TBM of 280kg to this car, can you?
To figure it out, simply add 2800kg + 2170kg + 280kg = 5250kg.
Then consider that 6000kg – 5250kg = 750kg.
That means you can comfortably tow the trailer without exceeding the GCM, with 750kg left over to account for any additional cargo or passengers.
The post The best SUV for towing, according to caravan experts appeared first on Drive.
