Tow Vehicle

Talbot

Talbot

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Son has a 21 ft Cris Craft with V8 that he needs to get down to the med. He is considering a cheap 4x4 .

Boat + trailer is about 2 tons.

He only has 2000GBP to find an appropriate vehicle. I had suggested a Disco Diesel, but wondered if the panel would suggest something else.
 
How about a Jap pick-up? L200 tows 2700kg

I have a mate with a W reg 4x4 one, crew cab, grp rear canopy, which he is wanting to sell for about £2500.
I'm not trying to sell you it, he's away at the moment anyway, but that's the kind of price they get.
It's immaculate and won't have any mechanical maladies that you'd get on a £2K Disco.

I'd go Jap.
 
Disco is a good tow vehicle capable of pulling 3500kgs. If you want a cheap tow vehicle capable of towing 2000kgs with 4WD and low ratio how about a Frontera. Probably get change from a grand for a half decent one.
 
I'm also going to say a Frontera. I'd advise avoiding cars before 1996 and particularly the 2.3 diesel engine. The cars post 1996 have uprated springs as the previous were on a sprung leaf suspension. The 2.8 diesel or the 2.2 unit is the one to go for, the 2.8 is an isuzu unit. I'd have thought you'd be able to pick up a LWB for well within that budget.
 
Isuzu Trooper, practicaly bomb proof and very reliable, Frontera uses Isuzu chassis and running gear but is ruined by putting Vauxhall engines in it, get a later one with the Isuzi 2.8 diesel or V6 better still by the Trooper. I sold a perfectly good 3.2V6 last year for a grand that I'd had for 10 trouble free years, have regretted it ever since /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Nissan Terrano...also pretty bomb proof. Me, I use a 1996 Landy Defender but it is slightly OTT to tow 1200kg!

Best to make sure he has a bit extra in ability. Last thing he wants is an accident as the 4x4 is not up to it!

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
There's some good Disco's about at the moment, but beware there are some dogs as well.
We towed our Monterey 250 to Alicante with our Disco Diesel, which comes close to the 3.5 ton limit. Towed like a dream at 18 mpg.
 
[ QUOTE ]
How about a Jap pick-up? L200 tows 2700kg

I have a mate with a W reg 4x4 one, crew cab, grp rear canopy, which he is wanting to sell for about £2500.
I'm not trying to sell you it, he's away at the moment anyway, but that's the kind of price they get.
It's immaculate and won't have any mechanical maladies that you'd get on a £2K Disco.

I'd go Jap.

[/ QUOTE ]

good proposition,
Nissan Navaro is similar
 
I just bought a Mitsubishi Delica from eBay for £1200 - It's the most amazing beast I've ever owned....

Bodywork - immaculate
Interior also immaculate apart from needing a new centre dash panel (common fault - £90 to fix)
Seats 7 - 4 in captains chairs 3 across back.
Based on Pajero 4x4 with the 2800 diesel engine.
Tows 3300kg
Auto (which I prefer)
Turns into a van in 2 minutes - all the seats fold away - Can be made even bigger with half an hours work taking all the seats out.
Runs on Bio diesel and (I am reliably informed) as its an indirect injection "old style" diesel, many people even just pour filtered waste veg oil into them at around 50% mix with Diesel and they run perfectly....

There are a lot around with a sink and stove fitted in the back as the seats all fold down to make a double bed and people use them as mini campervans.

It really is amazing they never properly imported these to the UK but they are hundreds of them here in the UK and prices are very low at the moment - don't go to a dealer for them though - they are £4500 there - eBay or private sales are best.

Take a look on the net I really think they are a great van.

Here are a couple on eBay.....:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mitsubishi-DELICA-...A1%7C240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mitsubishi-DELICA-...A1%7C240%3A1318
 
I used to tow a Sealine S23 down to the Med with a Misubishi Pajero 2.8 TD (same as Shogun)
Gearing great for towing steady as a rock and cheap as chips (I know I still have it, 100,000 miles, completely reliable and worthless.)...not for sale by the way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Wait till you see the service/ parts cost though... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a few independent specialists out there now, and plenty of advice on the web if you can twirl the spanners.
Get a good 'un and it won't need much doing to it anyway.
Or get a cheap one and scrap it after it's done the job.

Having said that I have no idea if they will tow enough weight anyway /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Isuzu Trooper - one reviewer wrote : Looks like a truck, built like a truck, drives like one !
Land Rover older vers. with 2.25 diesel (ignore 3.5 Diesels and petrol jobs)
Range Rover older 2.5 diesel as well as Discoverys - but careful checking !!
Nissan Patrol - old box type

They are my picks.

I would not consider "pick-up" types as L200 / Navaras etc. or the "Market" 4x4's as Fronteras, Suzukis, Terranos etc. As having been a 4X4 owner and user for serious stuff out here - they are not really long-dtance workhorses for twoing or serious of-road. They are more show machines. The Navara and other trucks are a) too high set and b) too light at back-end unless you load them up.

All based on observation and use out here in severe winters etc.

The best machine of all would be a LR Defender with the 2.5 diesel in. Or an earlier series 2a / 3 LR with 2.25 diesel in. Not a luxury ride - but will tow better than anything else. Must have been reason friends I had who used to deliver various boats such as Westerly's had LR series 2a's ....

Last point - worth going for LHD as well, so orientated to road conditions unfamiliar with.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wait till you see the service/ parts cost though... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a few independent specialists out there now, and plenty of advice on the web if you can twirl the spanners.
Get a good 'un and it won't need much doing to it anyway.
Or get a cheap one and scrap it after it's done the job.

Having said that I have no idea if they will tow enough weight anyway /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Loads of Jeep Cherokees out here laying around scrapped incl. Grand's. Any still on the road - you can follow the oil trails on the road !!
Always amazed how a designer can create a large vehicle with such small space inside !!
 
Cherokees are not large vehicles. Their footprint was the same as the, then-current, Ford Orion. Hardly a large car.

Whilst you have experience of off-roading and deep snow etc, he only wants to tow a boat to the Med. A jap pick-up will do the job well.

I have a friend who has a classic motor boat which weighs over 3 tons on it's trailer. He had his LR County knicked and replaced it with a 3 litre diesel auto pick-up. As a long time Landy user he was amazed how civilised and capable, and frugal, the pick-up is.
 
I have used land rovers, discovery and later navara for towing boats.

Any would do the job more than adequately.

No doubt that the land rover and discovery are the better "tow" vehicles and will tow up to 3.5 tonnes but

pound for pound you are more likely to get a better car for your money getting something like the navara.

But just to sit on the fence, another vote for the older Nissan Patrol. And there are some good ones out there for very reasonable prices.
 
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