Wagon Advice

Going “off-road” or “off-roading” are oft-repeated terms nowadays, but what exactly does off-road mean? 

Based on our experience, the best towing vehicle is either a full-size 4x4 ute or wagon with a turbo-diesel engine and automatic transmission.

If you’ve ever been around a group of caravanners, the term WDH will probably have cropped up. But what is a WDH and do you need one?WDH stands for Weight Distribution Hitch, but they’re also known as caravan ride levellers, a load distribution hitch, weight distribution bars, caravan levelling devices, and more, but they’re all more or less the same thing and operate on the same principles.So, how do weight distribution hitches work? Fundamentally, a WDH is used to make a tow-car and its load (trailer, caravan, whatever) more stable by improving the weight distribution of the whole combination.It does that by shifting some of the weight from the rear axle of the towing vehicle to the front axle, and some of the weight back on to the trailer’s axle(s).In the process, this means the car will steer better and have more grip at the front wheels for braking. The safety implications of that are obvious.Standard towing hitches for caravans do not have these features, so a WDH is something you need to specify when buying a van or purchase later.The actual mechanics of the WDH are pretty straightforward. Fundamentally, you’re reducing the effect of the towball downweight applied by the trailer.The WDH achieves this by providing a levering effect that raises the rear of the tow-car and lowers the front.It does that via couplings and sprung torsion bars that link the car to the trailer yet still allow articulation at the tow-ball.Most WDHs consist of a tow-ball tongue with the necessary attachment points, the torsion bars that run between the vehicle and trailer, adjustable chains to allow for different torsional loads, and a set of heavy-duty clamps that attach to the trailer’s A frame to accept the chains.The mistake a lot of users make is to assume that a WDH hitch will also act as a sway control or caravan sway bars as they’re also known.Certainly, by making the weight distribution of a towing combination better, a WDH makes every aspect of towing safer, but a specific cure for trailer sway they are not.Some WDHs incorporate a sway controller into their design, but not all, so make sure you know what you’re buying.There are no hard and fast rules about using a WDH or not, but there’s reasonable consensus out there that for caravan towing under about 2000kg or for a van less than five metres, there’s not really as much benefit from a WDH.The average camper trailer should not really need a WDH. Also, the rule of thumb goes, if the tow-car’s front suspension doesn’t rise by more than about 20mm with the trailer hooked up, and the rear suspension doesn’t fall by at least the same 20mm, you don’t really need a WDH.On a 4WD with heavy suspension, you might find very little deflection of the suspension. Even then, repacking the caravan to better distribute the weight is your first step, rather than rushing out and buying a WDH.Clearly, in a lot of cases, towing without weight distribution hitch is not the end of the world.Some carmakers don’t recommend WDHs either, and, in fact, some go as far as to void your warranty if you use one and damage results.Typically, some cars with air suspension aren’t recommended for a WDH, as the device messes up the car’s factory self-levelling function.Even with a good WDH towing is not always hassle free, and the WDH itself imposes some considerations. One of these is noise, and the levers under tension can produce all sort of nasty creaks and groans.A WDH is also not as good off-road where the greater articulation required at the towball generally rules them out.That said, when it comes to the off-road oriented pin-type DO35 hitch problems off-road can be avoided by ensuring the towball maximum weight of 350kg is not exceeded and that full articulation is maintained.The DO35 can be configured to work with at least two Hayman Reese WDHs.It’s for the same articulation reasons that most WDH manufacturers recommend that you disconnect the WDH when crossing spoon drains or deep gutters and driveways. This is probably the single greatest bug-bear of the whole WDH experience.You’ll often see online forums posing questions about Andersen weight distribution hitch problems, Alko hitch problems, McHitch problems and general questions about all brands including well-known gear such as Hayman Reese.In many cases, the root causes of these problems lie in incorrect use and fitment of the hitch rather than any design or manufacturing flaw, and it’s an absolute fact that correctly and safely using a WDH hitch requires some familiarisation.Which means, of course, that the best weight distribution hitch Australia wide is the one that suits your car and trailer and is the one you know how to use effectively and safely.All the different types and brands use the same basic engineering principles, but a quality brand is crucial in something with the potential to completely change a vehicle’s dynamics. Don’t be afraid to ask question when shopping for a WDH and don’t be surprised if you get a lot of different opinions on the value of such a thing.

Q: What is braked towing capacity, and what does braked towing capacity mean in the real world?A: Braked towing capacity is the upper limit that your vehicle can tow without breaching safety, mechanical, legal or insurance boundaries.As the name suggests, it relies on the towed load (trailer, caravan, boat-trailer) having its own brakes so that the combination is not reliant solely on the tow-vehicle’s brakes to slow or stop.This figure is the absolute upper limit of what a particular make and model can legally tow.Braked vs unbraked towing is an important distinction as the limits for either are very different. Unbraked towing capacity which – again as the name suggests – is how heavy a load you can tow on a trailer without its own brakes (therefore relying on the towing vehicle for all slowing and stopping duties). It’s nearly always a lot lower than the braked limit.It’s important to understand braked towing capacity and not exceed it, for a variety of reasons, starting with staying within the law.If you exceed the towing vehicle’s braked towing limit, you’ll be unroadworthy and you could be fined even if there’s no incident.This also has insurance ramifications, and your insurer might walk away from you in the case of a crash involving a car that was towing too heavy a load.You’ll also void your car’s warranty by exceeding this limit as well as placing stresses and strains on the vehicle it was never designed to cope with. Brakes, clutches, tyres, transmissions and engines can all suffer from too much load on them.The crucial measurement in any assessment of braked towing limit is the mass of the trailer and whatever is loaded on it. This mass is what the police will measure if they think you’re over the limit. You can measure this mass yourself with a public weighbridge.Many councils now have weighbridges at recycling stations and, for a small fee, you can weigh your trailer either empty or loaded. By weighing the trailer empty, you’ll then have a reference number for how much you can load on to it before it exceeds the car’s towing limit.The other option is to use a set of towball scales that measure the amount of weight you’re putting on the car’s towbar, and there are now wireless, Bluetooth trailer scales that are placed under the wheels and the total mass added up for you.There are also plenty of online caravan weight calculator pages where you input all your known data and the website works out if your car is big enough for the job or whether you’re overloaded in any department.Just be sure to search for something like 'vehicle towing capacity calculator Australia' to ensure you find one that’s relevant to our local laws and limits.Terms you’ll find handy to know for this are Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) which is the total mass of the trailer when carrying the maximum load that the manufacturer recommends for that trailer or caravan.This is measured with the trailer disconnected from the towing vehicle and resting on its jockey wheel. This figure is determined by the trailer’s manufacturer and should never be exceeded.The other term you need to know is Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) which is the mass of the trailer when it’s hitched to your tow vehicle (and some of the mass is distributed through the tow-ball into the tow-car).Both these numbers are calculated by the trailer maker and are non-negotiable. There’s also a big difference between the allowable gross trailer weight braked and unbraked. That’s true of the tow-car, too, manufacturers have very different limits on towing not braked and with brakes.The empty trailer’s mass is what’s known as its tare mass. The difference between this number and the ATM for your trailer is the trailer’s payload capacity.At the moment in most Australian states and territories, there’s no simple, legal method of increasing a car’s towing capacity or a trailer’s loaded capacity.The trailer manufacturer will have their own method of how to measure capacity, just as carmakers have their own formulas for calculating maximum towing capacity.The towing vehicle’s braked towing limit, then, is not something you need to measure or calculate yourself. The number has already been determined by the vehicle’s manufacturer based on engineering and is not negotiable.You’ll find this info in the owner’s handbook. Neither is there an aftermarket package that can lift your braked towing limit. If you need to tow heavier loads, you need a bigger, heavier car that can do so. What is towing capacity in the handbook is the only number the authorities will be concerned with.Trailer brakes themselves come in two main forms. The simplest is the mechanical brake which uses the weight of the trailer to actuate the brakes via a mechanical or hydraulic link.As the tow-vehicle slows, the trailer tries to maintain its speed (basic physics at work) and the mechanical linkages are brought into play by the resulting force.Electric brakes are more complex but a more refined, sophisticated and efficient solution. The tow car is fitted with a sensor that, when it detects the brake pedal is pushed, sends an electrical signal back to the trailer which then applies the trailer’s brakes. You can fine-tune the amount of braking the trailer contributes on the run, making this a better system.To help put all this into context, here’s a quick run down of the typical braked and unbraked towing limits of popular types of vehicle:Dual-cab ute (Toyota HiLux 4X4): 3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked.4X4 wagon (Nissan Patrol): 3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked.Large SUV (Hyundai Palisade): 2200kg braked, 750kg unbrakedMedium SUV (Mazda CX5): 1800kg braked, 750kg unbrakedBe aware, however, that even within specific model ranges, details such as whether a vehicle is two- or four-wheel drive, and whether it’s petrol or diesel powered can also have an effect on those mandatory limits.Electric and hybrid cars often have much lower towing limits, too. So check each car out individually before making any decisions.

Towing capacity, as the name suggests is the maximum mass of a trailer and its load that can be legally towed on the road by a particular make and model.In Australia, there will usually be two towing limits listed for a car or ute, and those will be the braked and unbraked towing limit. The braked limit will usually be a lot higher than the unbraked limit, as a braked trailer contributes to the braking performance of the combination (the tow vehicle and the trailer).These days, many dual-cab utes are capable of legally towing 3500kg on a braked trailer, and that figure has become some kind of default setting for those buying tow-vehicles.This figure is much higher than in previous generations of cars and reflects the fact that cars are stronger and heavier than ever before (particularly the kinds of vehicles people choose to tow with) and that many vehicles have more powerful engines than ever before.Knowing your car’s towing limit is important because it means you can stay on the right side of the law when towing a load. Attempting to tow more than the manufacturer’s limit means you are technically unroadworthy.There are also insurance ramifications here should the worst happen and you’re involved in a crash. Even going beyond the towing limit off-road (say, on a farm) can mean that your car’s warranty will be affected.And beyond all those things is the fact that attempting to tow too heavy a load can easily damage your vehicle and will also make it unsafe in terms of its braking and handling.Unfortunately, the towing limit is a bit misleading as it’s not the only number you need to consider to stay legal and safe. The other important number is the vehicle’s GCM or Gross Combination Mass.This is the total weight of the car and its towed load, including all passengers, fuel and luggage on board.The catch is that some dual-cab utes (for example) might have a GCM of 5800kg and a towing limit of 3500kg, but once you hook that full amount to the tow-bar of the 2000kg ute, you discover that you have only 300kg of weight left for you, your passengers and your luggage. Exceeding the GCM is just as dangerous and illegal as exceeding the towing limit.The other trap for the unwary is exceeding the towball downweight limit. This is set by the manufacturer and is usually a maximum of 10 per cent of the total mass being trailered. Exceed this figure and you’ll be illegal and unroadworthy.The first consideration in choosing a tow vehicle is that it has the legal capacity to tow what you need to move. And that’s where the 3500kg thing has become a baseline number as it allows most people plenty of headroom.Beyond that, you need to choose a vehicle that will do everything else you’ll ask of it, as well as making the towing tasks as relaxed and safe as possible.While it’s true that many dual-cab utes have this theoretical 3.5-tonne towing ability, some definitely do it better than others. A turbo-diesel engine is a big plus (and petrol powerplants are almost history in this market segment, but they do crop up).Such an engine will give you the torque and flexibility you need, and it’s worth mentioning that some turbo-diesels are beefier than others.Some are okay up to about half that 3.5-tonne limit, but beyond they some of them can struggle, particularly on hills and in terms of their fuel consumption (not that fuel use is anywhere near the top of mind for most towing-rig owners).We’d also plump for an automatic transmission for towing. That is, a conventional automatic, not a dual-clutch or a CVT unit, as a traditional auto is simply stronger for longer when you use them hard.An auto makes manoeuvring easier and the auto gives a smoother take-up of the load and less wear and tear.The third consideration is the actual construction of the vehicle. While more modern, monocoque body designs can be lighter and handle better, for towing, the traditional body-on-frame construction is still hard to beat.The vast majority of dual-cab utes feature this, as do the big-hitters of the off-road wagon world such as the Nissan Patrol and Toyota's LandCruiser and Prado.Having established that it’s utes and four-wheel drives that are your best bet of a realistic 3500kg towing performance, what cars can tow 3500kg that we would recommend?It’s not a simple question, because there are plenty that theoretically can, including unlikely candidates such as the Bentley Bentayga and the Porsche Cayenne GTS and Turbo in wagon form. Clearly, we’re not talking tow-vehicles for the masses at that point.So let’s stick with the attainable tow-trucks.By far the best bet for the serious tower will be a dual-cab ute or off-road SUV. Those vehicles all tend to have the turbo-diesel engines, conventional automatic transmissions and ladder-chassis construction we were talking about.Beyond that, they also have all-wheel drive which can be a real holiday-saver in the case of a muddy campground or greasy boat-ramp.And why aren’t there any vans on this list? Because, when it comes to towing 3.5 tonne, vans of that capacity are not really available with most closer to 2000kg towing, or even less.Same goes for the SUV wagon versions of the dual-cab utes (Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and others). The switch form leaf to coil rear springs and an independent rear suspension system (for passenger comfort) means most of these lose a few hundred kilos of outright towing limit.That said, the Isuzu MU-X has a full 3.5kg limit as do V6 turbo-diesel versions of the newest Ford Everest.Neither have we listed the real big hitters, the US-market utes that have arrived here to cheers lately. Some of these have amazing towing capacities, but they’re too big and too expensive to be on the radar of most people.There are also plenty of other cars with 3.5-tonne towing capacity, but these ones below are the 3500kg towing capacity vehicles available for sensible money.A bit long in the tooth, the rugged old Toyota 70 Series is available as a ute or a wagon and also features the much-loved 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel. Impressive off-road, too. Priced from $69,000 (if you can find one).The Y62 Patrol bucks the trend by being a petrol-engined vehicle. But the V8 is smooth and powerful and tows beautifully. Another great off-roader into the bargain. Priced from $95,115.Known for their toughness and reliability, the Isuzu twins aren’t the last word in refinement or dynamics, but they are good tow-trucks. Full towing capacity restricted to 3.0-litre versions. Priced from: $36,200.The first choice in dual-cab utes for refinement and dynamics. Lots of options including cab-chassis, two and four-wheel-drive and all able to cope with 3.5 tonnes. V6 turbo-diesel dual-cab is the plum buy, but the Everest SUV is compelling, too. Priced from $35,930.Great reputation even if DPF woes have hurt that a little lately. Classic dual-cab, four-wheel drive ute layout is proof of concept. Four-wheel drive models carry the big 3.5-tonne towing limit. Priced from $40,155.All Defender models can tow 3500kg, including the 2.0-litre version. The bigger engined versions are best for the job, however. Not a cheap car any more, either. Priced from $82,960.The new off-roader everybody’s talking about, the Grenadier uses old-school packaging with BMW drivelines. Petrol or diesel will tow 3500kg. Priced from $85,500.The much anticipated new Cruiser gets a powerful driveline and superb off-roading ability. But it’s also a tow-master thanks to its sheer size and heft. Priced from $89,181.More upmarket variants of the Navara have a coil-spring rear-end which has been questioned by some who tow big loads. A process of continual improvement at Nissan has improved things. Huge spread of spec and prices. Priced from $32,300.By comparison with some of the Japanese makes, the South Korean Musso is a wallet-friendly way into 3500kg towing. Be aware, though, that engine performance in the Musso will be stretched at this limit. Priced from $34,990.

When a Ford six-cylinder engine earns a greater performance reputation than the V8s it sold alongside, and is also embraced by the aftermarket to the point where it’s being fitted to Holdens (not to mention everything in between) you know you’re looking at a landmark powerplant. And the engine in question is Ford’s in-line DOHC six-cylinder code-named Barra (short for Barramundi, a prized indigeno

Although the Holden brand is gone now (manufacturing stopped at the end of 2017, and the brand closed down totally right at the end of 2020) the company is still regarded as the most Australian car company ever to operate here. It’s also the one with the longest history of local manufacturing with a history of building complete cars here that goes back to 1948.

Suzuki offers a capped-price servicing program for all of its current models, with the company’s Australian arm labelling it Suzuki Genuine Servicing.

Subaru offers a capped-price servicing plan for all of its current models, and it falls under the company’s ownership program known as the Subaru Capped Price Servicing Program.

Mazda offers a capped-price servicing program for all of its current models, and it falls under the company’s ownership program known as Mazda Service Select.