R31 wagon as a tow vehicle??

[NZM.031]

hey guys...

i am considering towing my 33 to the tracks from now on.

i need a suitable vehicle that has the right amount of power/torque and is able to tow the car and trailer. but has to be comfy and be able to have all the equipment and parts thrown in it, and be used as a daily driver.

i used to have a 00' liberty wagon, it was great for moving my toolboxes in, aswell as parts... but could barely tow a bike trailer. i now have a mazda b2200 diesel ute. it can tow, but its too light...and not comfy at all. i hate fords and holdens and will not drive one at all.

i have fond memories of my old 31, it used to drive well, quick as, and fairly comfy, and i loved the sound.

anyone had any experiences with the 31s and towing??

i realise the 31 may be under the weight limit of what im towing....but ive seen ppl do worse things.

cheers

Linton

[predator]

Yeah, the tow limit of an R31 wagon is not too large, I think around 1000kg..

I have thought about it a bit too, as I need something a bit more practical for carrying my bike and other stuff around next year or so, but an R31 Wagon is really not too viable when I really thought about it..

a) decent wagon (not gutless pinny) seem to be WAY overpriced for their age.. Around $3k at least, if not more. Many dreamers who think they are much newer than they really are, or somehow worth a lot more than they otherwise should be.

B) Not many around last time I looked up.. up here in QLD anyhow. never mind condition.

c) $3k will get you any number of commos, falcons, or likewise wagons with a pretty strong V6 that was built more with towing in mind. Prices on these are much more reasonable, around $3-4k for something 1990 onwards, even sometimes up to 1994, etc. Seems like people have trouble getting rid of them..

So unfortunately, while it might sound like a good idea.. I think the R31 is wagon is poor value for money these days.

But if you can find a well priced one, then you might be in luck

[dopefish]

You should get something like a cheap old 4x4.

maybe an old patrol / jeep / etc

[Sumo]

I agree with the old 4x4 comment, I hate towing with petrols....

Cheers

Sumo

[monkeykplunk]

The R31 would probably be really bad to tow with in opinion.

You've gotta remember that not only are you towing the weight of the R33 (around 1200-1300kg if I'm not mistaken), but you've also got the weight of the trailer to add to that as well.

Whilst the trailer might not look like much, most will still be around 200kg, and then you've got the physics of the whole thing, which would just make it near impossible to get a smooth ride once hitched to the R31.

Whilst the idea of a 4x4 might seem like a good one too, you've gotta remember that the majority of those around for a half decent price (around $3000 compared with the R31), are in quite bad disrepair, and may end up costing you more than it would really be worth. Especially if it's an older diesel engine.

Your best bet unfortunetly is probably a ute, or maybe even an early model Hilux van. Van's are actually fairly good for towing, as they ahve a much lower center of gravity. That and you've got a mile of space for parts, tyres and tools!

[predator]

utes are overpriced.. same problem.. if they're cheap they're stuffed..

best option is still like I said.. cheap early 90's commo or falcon, as much as they suck.. cheap, and plenty of parts around.

[Sumo]

Save someone elses life by not towing 1500 odd kgs with a falcodore.

Either way you look at it, you'll need the whole electric brake setup - Im not sure what the weight is before you need a electric break-away system.

Yes diesels do rake in top dollar, but they are better built to cope with the load that is being thrown at them. How many times do you see an overloaded falcodore sitting down in the arse end and think "thats just down right dangerous"

Cheers

Sumo

[Bass Junky]

V8 Holden Wagon.

I know you hate them, but they sure can tow.

[NZM.031]

i work at a Toyota dealership....i see cruisers everyday.....most tow horse floats. they are bumpy as all hell, noisy, and they dont handle well to begin with. an old 89' 75 series still sell for over $8000, any condition...these are due for diffs and gboxes too.

utes are too impractical for me, i like to move things and have them inside the car... so i dont have to worry about tying them down a certain way, or have to worry about tarps and things when it rains. a van maybe a good thing, but the 2.4L diesels in the hiace's arent much chop, for anything.

ive seen alot of commys and fords with their arses dragging... they would ride the same as a 31 loaded up id imagine. only thing is the different motors.... which id rather the rb30.

cheers guys, keep the posts coming, i wanna know more.

Linton

[Duncan]

I bought a d21 navara for towing the race car, about 2tonne between GTR and trailer....and a couple of hundred kg in the back.

Ute with crew cab and covered rear section is super practical.

$3k

The only small downside.....is it is way underpowered....2.4 petrol has some torque and no power.....in the tow down to Wakefield on the weekend we got as slow as 60 heading up some of the big hills

BTW you need brakes on any trailer over 500kg, so any towed car requires brakes....we have a great electric brake setup.

I know Neil bought a falcon wagon shitter for towing, just took it to qld and back for the drift nats....I think thats a better idea....but not a nissan

[OC]

I was about to suggest a Stag but it looks like we r on a budget. Well my suggestion would be a 1997 Pajero, good towing load without the need for electric brakes. Are you looking at haymens reece towing systems?

[NZM.031]

OC....my parents are not buying me this car. i only have limited $$ i can earn and play with, something around $3-5000 is about the max i can spend

[someonestolecc]

Find a grandma.

'69-'71' Ford Falcon.

Fords pre 1975 don't count as fords we know ... for $3000 you'd have a great tow vehicle imo .. everything else on it is lego so long as you have no rust one and insurance is cheap.

[NZM.031]

i gotta drive it everyday to work...aswell as be able to drive it around without to much of a worry.... i guess i shoulda posted "can an R31 wagon tow a car"...

it will be used max of twice a month, if that, to take the 33 to drift events in sydney, which is 3hrs away. i can go down via freeway...so its just a straight run once it gets moving. usually i go down via the putty road, but i cant see a trailer going through there.

and OC, ive fitted man hayman reece towbars, and i wouldnt trust them for the life of me. their mounting systems are weak and in weird places...so many things could have been done better.

cheers

Linton

[slow13dude]

What about the Maxima? VG30DE goodness.

[blind_elk]

Stick with the Mazda. Sick a couple of Recaros in it for the comfort factor.

[Count Grantleyish]

Hey,

Suitable car for you is Nissan Patrol, 1988-1990 they can be picked up cheaply for around 6-8k, advantage of these car is, good torque for towing, 2,500kg towing capicity, RB30 option, strong gearbox and diffs, coil suspenion for comfort and road handling, 7 seater (great for bring a couple of mates...), parts aren't that hard to find because they has been around for 17 years and can be driven daily.

But it's your money and choice, they are cheap to insure

Hope it helps

Cheers

Grant

[NZM.031]

the mazda is too light, ive got some bucket seats in it, im putting the 33 seats in it when i get some brides for it, but yeh, its just too light, it bounces and skips around. plus it is noisy and doesnt sit on 100 too well, let alone with a car behind it.

nissan patrol eh?? hmm....might be able to bling it up a bit. put some 20's on it. haha

[Sumo]

Get a Kenworth.

will tow 12 cars at one time.

Cheers

Sumo

[hrd-hr30]

"can an R31 wagon tow a car"...

no. The factory rate them at 1100kg towing capacity, but you cannot get a towbar rated to more than 850kg for them. Either way it isn't going to tow a 1400kg+ car and trailer. A light car trailer is around 550kg. If you are hiring trailers, they will probably be more like 7-800kg.

My old R31 auto used to struggle just towing my trailer unladen.

The only real option for towing cars around safely are 4WDs. You can get cheap GQ Patrols as was suggested, but stay away from the RB30 powered ones. They don't have the grunt for towing, and have lighter duty gearboxes - it will cause dramas. The options are gas guzzling petrol 4.2 (these have a habi of cracking heads on LPG) or diesel 4.2, which is what I have. Around town I get 11l/100k and towing is around 14-15l/100k depending on how many hills are in your way. The petrol won't even get figures as good as that by itself! I think they use about 18l/100k on the highway!

Before the GQ, I had an earlier MQ Patrol SWB. The MQ/MK Patrols fit into your budget easily, and a good petrol L28 6cyl tows well and is economical for a petrol 4WD. I'd give these early diesels a miss. Try and find a later MK with the 5spd, otherwise they are a bit buzzy on the higway, and if you want comfort the LWB is the only option. Rust is the only real problem these things have, but there are still some around in good nick, and top dollar is about $3000. My MQ 4spd used about 14l/100k normal driving and about 19l/100k towing. Didn't matter if you sat on 100kph or 130kph with the air on - it used the same amount of fuel...