Towing and Weights of your D40

[FrootStik]

Hey guys
So been looking Into doing the trip around Oz with my 2014 D40 yd25 140kw. Curious to see if many of you tow with yours? We are looking at a 2500kg caravan. What type of fuel economy do you get, how does it tow? Easy or does it struggle?


Car is pretty loaded and heavy. With drawers, canopy, bar work, roof racks and the general stuff we take like fridge, dual battery, paddle boards, tent and so on. Tools in the back drawers also.
I weighed in at 2760kg with no boards, tent and a few other things onboard. So technically as soon as I sat in it, I was over the GVM of the vehicle. That’s with no ball weight of the van, and the extras onboard.
A GVM upgrade is not really an option as I just spent the coin on an outback armour 4” lift.

I’m worried about the chassis bending issue I keep reading about. Not sure if this is going to be an issue?

I estimate to be close to 3200kg loaded inc ball weight and a long range tank.
The GVM is 2745 when you have a 200kg ball weight. So roughly 450-500kg overweight.

Any ideas or thoughts on this issue would be great. Or have you had a similar problem with yours?

Cheers lads



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[fitzie]

I tow with my navara I love towing with it great tow vehicle
I tow a2.6t van looking at doing a gvm upgrade cause I will be able to carry more and still be under gcm, climax suspension gvm upgrade adds 400kg.

 

[LJG]

Just something to keep in mind, as soon as you go over your GVM and have a mishap your insurance is null and void if they find out. Also if you look heavy some Transport inspectors will pull you in to weigh you. Once they do that you don't move until you get it back to legal weights. There have been instances of caravanners getting weighed, grounded and fined.

 

[KevinE]

I'd hook it up to a van with similar ball weight to those that you're looking at buying. I think that you'll be shocked by how much the back of the Ute drops - no way I'd be comfortable with that much weight on the ball of a dual cab Ute.

I hooked my D22 up to a smaller van with 160kg on the ball & unhooked it very quickly! It looked like a bent chassis waiting to happen!

 

[Old.Tony]

We tow a 2.5T van quite a lot. 5-bolt-per-chassis-rail Hayman Reese tow hitch with a Hayman Reese weight distribution hitch. Rear leaf springs changed from the saggy factory springs to ARB Old Man Emu "Dakar" dual rate springs (changed years ago and still in top nick). Sag is not noticeable when everything is set up properly and the WDH restores control of the front end.

Performance - mine's the 126kW plant which is thirstier and less torquey than yours, so not an ideal comparison. Suffice to say that we're happy with it, drive to the conditions and have reached 300,000km with her so far.

 

[MANNING]

The d40 towbar has a 3.5t load rating with a ball weight at 350kg max.. very FAT chance I'd ever trust that. You'd think if you rolled over a small stone the car would wanna do a back flip from the pressure on the back