Towing

[4runna]

Morning guys,

Just after some feedback on those that tow a van.
I have recently purchased a Parkes13 hybrid van (2100) dry weight and curious on what mods people have done to enable a safe tow. EGT’s etc..
I’m getting mine retuned shortly

 

[Old.Tony]

We tow a 2550kg bunk van (they say 19' but I had to buy a 22' cover for it, go figure - and no, I hadn't washed it!). Only mods might* have been the EGR valve but that doesn't make a huge difference. I'm running a Tillix valve to control the turbocharger but only because the BCS kept failing and I didn't feel like forking $240 every time.

The biggest change that benefits towing is the removal of the automatic transmission cooling hoses from the radiator and the installation of an external unit in front of the air conditioning condensor at the front of the car.

 

[4runna]

We tow a 2550kg bunk van (they say 19' but I had to buy a 22' cover for it, go figure - and no, I hadn't washed it!). Only mods might* have been the EGR valve but that doesn't make a huge difference. I'm running a Tillix valve to control the turbocharger but only because the BCS kept failing and I didn't feel like forking $240 every time.

The biggest change that benefits towing is the removal of the automatic transmission cooling hoses from the radiator and the installation of an external unit in front of the air conditioning condensor at the front of the car.

Thanks Tony,
Mine is the ZD30, I’m getting a Unichip installed along with a boost controller very soon and of course having it run over the dyno for optimum results.
Currently I have a snorkel, 3” exhaust and have blocked the EGR c/w swirl mod.

We will be towing full time in a couple of months (going to do the big lap for a year or two hopefully) so just want to get a few more good years out of her. She has just ticked over 180k.

 

[Old.Tony]

We bought our 2009 D40 new and she's just ticked over 355,000km. I think the biggest thing that's saved it from major dramas is watching the coolant temps - I try to keep it below 105C (mostly succeed, but sometimes it's touched 106). I achieve this by using the gears on hills (up and down). Make sure your radiator is in good nick and the fan is also good with no cracks in the plastic particularly at the blade base.

A couple of tips:

1) A Go-Pro is a worthwhile investment but don't forget that a modern mobile phone has a camera that takes awesome pictures.

2) While we have Aldi mobile phone accounts, we also carry a Telstra sim around for those areas that don't have "normal" coverage. That said though, coverage across Australia isn't too bad and sometimes it's actually nice to be "out of reach".

3) A laptop with an external hard drive of at least 1Tb is a big help in transferring/backing up photos, some of which you'll never get again. Plus you can store the Go-Pro footage (and if you're going to get a lot of that, consider 2x 4Tb drives - one to store the data, the other to back up to).

4) Use a tool like WikiCamps to find a good place to stop. I don't always agree with some of the reviews in there - there are some places, for instance, where I really disagree (eg Bingara, Deepwater) but on the whole the app is pretty good to use.

5) Enjoy the trip. It's the sort of thing that you might never get to do again!

 

[4runna]

We bought our 2009 D40 new and she's just ticked over 355,000km. I think the biggest thing that's saved it from major dramas is watching the coolant temps - I try to keep it below 105C (mostly succeed, but sometimes it's touched 106). I achieve this by using the gears on hills (up and down). Make sure your radiator is in good nick and the fan is also good with no cracks in the plastic particularly at the blade base.

A couple of tips:

1) A Go-Pro is a worthwhile investment but don't forget that a modern mobile phone has a camera that takes awesome pictures.

2) While we have Aldi mobile phone accounts, we also carry a Telstra sim around for those areas that don't have "normal" coverage. That said though, coverage across Australia isn't too bad and sometimes it's actually nice to be "out of reach".

3) A laptop with an external hard drive of at least 1Tb is a big help in transferring/backing up photos, some of which you'll never get again. Plus you can store the Go-Pro footage (and if you're going to get a lot of that, consider 2x 4Tb drives - one to store the data, the other to back up to).

4) Use a tool like WikiCamps to find a good place to stop. I don't always agree with some of the reviews in there - there are some places, for instance, where I really disagree (eg Bingara, Deepwater) but on the whole the app is pretty good to use.

5) Enjoy the trip. It's the sort of thing that you might never get to do again!

Thanks Tony,
Will definitely keep those tips at hand. We have a cpl of GoPros, camera (SLR), drone etc and plan to document our trip as we progress through it. Will even fable with some YouTube clips.
Wiki camps will definitely be used daily.

Just really working on the Ute to ensure it gets us around and back in tip top condition.

In regards to the trip it’s been a plan in the making for 3 years now and finally it’s happening, have sold our house and all that went with it. Leave this April.

 

[tweak'e]

Mine is the ZD30, I’m getting a Unichip installed along with a boost controller very soon and of course having it run over the dyno for optimum results.
Currently I have a snorkel, 3” exhaust and have blocked the EGR c/w swirl mod.

intercool, intercool, intercool.

 

[4runna]

We bought our 2009 D40 new and she's just ticked over 355,000km. I think the biggest thing that's saved it from major dramas is watching the coolant temps - I try to keep it below 105C (mostly succeed, but sometimes it's touched 106). I achieve this by using the gears on hills (up and down). Make sure your radiator is in good nick and the fan is also good with no cracks in the plastic particularly at the blade base.

A couple of tips:

1) A Go-Pro is a worthwhile investment but don't forget that a modern mobile phone has a camera that takes awesome pictures.

2) While we have Aldi mobile phone accounts, we also carry a Telstra sim around for those areas that don't have "normal" coverage. That said though, coverage across Australia isn't too bad and sometimes it's actually nice to be "out of reach".

3) A laptop with an external hard drive of at least 1Tb is a big help in transferring/backing up photos, some of which you'll never get again. Plus you can store the Go-Pro footage (and if you're going to get a lot of that, consider 2x 4Tb drives - one to store the data, the other to back up to).

4) Use a tool like WikiCamps to find a good place to stop. I don't always agree with some of the reviews in there - there are some places, for instance, where I really disagree (eg Bingara, Deepwater) but on the whole the app is pretty good to use.

5) Enjoy the trip. It's the sort of thing that you might never get to do again!

What gauges are you running (EGT, Temp) etc out of interest?

 

[Old.Tony]

What gauges are you running (EGT, Temp) etc out of interest?

I have an Android-based stereo and a bluetooth ELM327 OBD2 adapter installed. Using the "Torque" app, I keep track of various things of interest, primarily coolant temp, but also boost pressure, actual GPS-based speed, instant LPHK and a few other things. I mostly concentrate on the coolant temps when climbing hills, the others are there for casual glances on occasion.

 

[4runna]

I have an Android-based stereo and a bluetooth ELM327 OBD2 adapter installed. Using the "Torque" app, I keep track of various things of interest, primarily coolant temp, but also boost pressure, actual GPS-based speed, instant LPHK and a few other things. I mostly concentrate on the coolant temps when climbing hills, the others are there for casual glances on occasion.

I have looked but can’t find anything like the OBD2 that will work with the ZD30DI.
Have you heard of anything like that the people on here are useing.
Certainly cheaper than buying gauges and pillar pods etc

 

[tweak'e]

I have looked but can’t find anything like the OBD2 that will work with the ZD30DI.
Have you heard of anything like that the people on here are useing.
Certainly cheaper than buying gauges and pillar pods etc

ecu-talk is one of the few that can read nissan consult system.
however zd30 doesn't have factory egt sensors. so a egt gauge is highly recommended.

 

[user 10312]

(2100) dry weight and curious on what mods people have done to enable a safe tow. EGT’s etc..
I’m getting mine retuned shortly

Don't want to be the fun police here but but above all else the towing vehicles weight should far exceed what is being towed rather than the power to pull it. You can't beat the laws of physics.

 

[4runna]

Don't want to be the fun police here but but above all else the towing vehicles weight should far exceed what is being towed rather than the power to pull it. You can't beat the laws of physics.

I agree and in that case 90% of those that are towing are fighting against the laws of motion