Can someone please advise whether a Nissan X trail or a Nissan Murano would be the best tow vehicle for a small caravan.
thunderbolt,
Apr 5, 11:20am
Pretty narrow choice, but X trail would be more suitable if the engine is big enough.
xs1100,
Apr 5, 4:49pm
what size caravan and what size motor in the xtrail the 2.5 should have no problem on something up to 18ft.i towed a 22ft all over coromandel in a old pathfinder 2.4
ecostyle,
Apr 5, 7:53pm
Thanks for the answers. Caravan is less than 18ft, Murano is 2.5, not sure about the X Trail.
monaro17,
Apr 5, 10:00pm
Neither is even close to ideal. But the Xtrail is more suited to towing
depends on if your talking new model or not. 4x4 model recommended i think the murano is the heavier vehicle which helps with towing. a big question mark is the gearing and tire size. i would look for something with lower gearing. towing rating for both is only 750kg unbraked and 1500kg braked. so it will depend on if the caravan is braked or not. while technically the towing rating is not legally binding, its a good guide.
notice i havn't mentioned engines, its not that important.
nzmax,
Apr 6, 10:57am
Would depend on the year. My parents had a 2005 NZ new Xtrail 2.5 which had standard 4spd auto box. Think the NZ new ones went CVT round 2006, the same time as the Maximas did. Not sure about the Muranos though.
kiwisparky,
Apr 7, 5:00am
if your going to tow a caravan dont be a wanker and drive 70 and not pull over when u got 30cars behind you.
monaro17,
Apr 7, 7:03am
Not legally binding as such. but if a vehicle with a maximum tow rating of say 1200kg has a crash whilst towing a load weighing say 1500kg the insurance company does have the right to refuse to pay out on either the two vehicles. I have heard of this exact scenario happening where the family was left with no car or caravan due to them being written off and receiving no pay-out.
tweake,
Apr 7, 10:07am
what did they do weigh everything? they would have had to been massively overweight. consider that probably 50% of boats on trailers are towed double the vehicles tow rating (as a lot of boat trailers don't have brakes).
certainly there is unsafe loading, police can still do you on that as well as the stopping in 7m @ 30kmh rule. (rusty on the numbers).
why they just don't make it that you have to abide by the manufactures rating i don't know.
p2robbo,
Oct 11, 2:54am
If you tow a boat on a trailer and the boat and trailer are insured but it does not cover while on the road is the trailer covered by your car insurance when on the road? example might be towing boats for a school or scouts. Or does your contents 3rd party cover it?
tamarillo,
Oct 11, 3:55am
Policy dependant, ask insurance company.
bwg11,
Oct 11, 4:12am
Because manufacturers play silly competitive games with their towing capacities (as well as service intervals). 10 years back most 2000 kg utes and 4x4's had 2500 kg braked towing capacities, suddenly they are mostly 3500 kg. Haven't tested, but I would expect not many braked or un-brakeds combo could meet the 7 meter rule at 30 kph using the manufacturers stated tow capacities unless conditions were perfect.
xs1100,
Oct 11, 7:41am
beware of comments like these because they are VERY LEGALLY binding did you notice in yr insurance policy the statement "so long as you think its ok it ll be fine". no because it aint there and they love people exceeding the recommended towing limits easy out for them
xs1100,
Oct 11, 7:44am
ok rule are up to 2000kg not required to have brakes,2000-2500kg can have indirect brakes.2500-3500 must have direct brakes eg driver operated.3500kg + falls under COF
gpg58,
Oct 11, 8:13am
This aa site has the tow ratings for various years/engines
yes when I re read what I wrote back then it was wrong to say not legally binding because in fact it is.
monaro17,
Oct 11, 6:47pm
but if the caravan has brakes they must be operational. So if the brakes aren't working on say an older caravan you can't just leave them inoperable because it weighs under 2000kg. If that makes sense.
xs1100,
Oct 11, 7:42pm
no like a car if its fitted it must work to the manufacturers specs
martin11,
Oct 11, 9:39pm
Nothing in the standard car/4wd can tow 2000kg without brakes according to the makers tow ratings and most likely you would not be able to stop in the required distance by the road rules . But most importantly if you have a accident towing over the maufacturers rating or the tow bar rating insurance can be declined for all vehicle involved . Check your tow bar rating a lot of vehicle haves tow bars fitted well below what the vehicles rating is .
captaink,
Oct 12, 4:32am
[]if your going to tow a caravan dont be a wanker and drive 70 and not pull over when u got 30cars behind you.
And don't you be the wanker that slowly catches me up and then won't pass even when I am halfway up the bank on the left making room thus causing the queue behind
xs1100,
Feb 21, 2:21am
only half way up that's the problem we want at least 3/4 if not right on the tipping point
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