PRADO 250 TOWING TEST left me TWO MINDS

I can see the smirks of all the MUX and Everest owners.... "we can tow 3.5T".

Should we mention they as well suffer from the same paradox?

Something to note about trans temps. If you’re in drive, it’s going to try to use all the gears to help fuel economy. But if you select the non overdrive gears (likely 1-6 in the 8spd) then the torque converter is locked up and it’s not shearing that oil off and thus keeping your trans temps cooler. I can watch both trans temps in my 100 and it’s easily 20° F difference between oil temp 1 sensor and sensor 2 when lockup is off. Pretty awesome to watch real time

What is the ball weight? The max vertical weight down on the ball? This will show if the trailer is loaded correctly and the vehicle isn’t overloaded on the rear axle!

You need to use a weight distribution bars and a different hitch, that would have lifted the back and dropped the front and it stops the bounces
Just lifting the back of the car doesn't solve the problem
I speak from a lot of experience and so next time try with the proper accessories
Cheers, love your show

By my experience , being a lifetime in heavy transport , l think too much is expected from this vehicle . The older terms were a vehicle cannot tow more than it's own weight . We all need to hit the road with safety in mind and be totally responsible , therefore we need to carry or tow less . Stay safe out there .

Chevy 1500 with 4.5t rated towing capacity is fine for me towing up to 3800kg with 10% ball weight. Above this you need to be careful as you start maxing out axle capacity and payload. Over 4.2t is not possible without taking the piss like lightening the ball weight and not filling the fuel tank. All the brands are sneaky like this. The calculation sheet I wrote up when researching my setup was more detailed than most of the engineering I do for work.

The modification to safely tow a 3+ Tonne caravan is actually very simple. Trade the Prado in for something appropriate like a RAM 3500.
P.S. keep your foot flat to the floor trying to maintain highway speed up steep long hills in summer, but don't complain when the engine craps itself. If you want it to last maintain around the 2000 rpm mark and let the car decide the appropriate gear for the load.

I'd expect the rear axle load to be the determining factor before payload. A 300kg ball weight with no WDH is actually about 400kg load on the rear axle. So then add to that rear passengers and all the stuff people shove in the back.

Get a Patrol or a V6 Everest.. tonnes more power and a better drive and for less money. Driven all of these, wouldn’t buy a Prado.

Thanks for a great video. I drive a 2022 Gen4 Jimny.
I see a similar weight issues with it as you do with the 250.

Adding large 235 wheels, roof rack with a tent, a rear door kitchen, dual battery system, a jerry-can or two, rear ladder, fresh water. It all adds up and before you know it you’re way past the GVM.

This is why I go minimalistic. No extra weight, and I sleep at hotels with breakfast included. 😁

Toyota had a good, solid and reliable vehicle to tow 3.5T. It was called the 79 series V8. Everyone can thank the ALP for that disappearing in Australia.

Ronny good one reviewing Prado towing, can you please compare with Isuzu Mux .. Mux is lighter vehicle should perform better than Prado ..

This is all very well if you believe the tare mass figures that the manufacturer provides. I'm skeptical of anything in the data sheet and would strongly recommend putting the vehicle on a weighbridge before making any judgements about what internal load and towball download are possible.

Just a just a correction the kerb weight includes all fluids.

The sound effects are getting unbearable in your videos.

Let’s face it, 95% of these prado’s are going to be driven like a Corolla, never see dirt or tow anything. So that’s the market they are made for.

Do Australians get weighed by the police a lot or something? I never see reviews from other countries mention this stuff.

In Ireland people have been towing 3-4 tonnes with 150 Landcruiser’s for years with no problems. A 200 or 300 series is crazy expensive and unavailable here anyway.

Kerb weight is spelled with a K.
Curb is to curtail/refrain etc. As in curb (hold back) your enthusiasm.

Levelling bars

If you're going to tow over 3 tonne i. A wagon just buy a y62, 200 or 300

have folks realised the grenadier short 1st gear is so you dont have to change diff/gearbox ratios with big tyres?

Why would you even bother buy a Prado to tow anywhere 3T +. Its a mid size SUV with a small 2.8L 4 cylinder (which a doesn't have the best reliability record).

i would never tow a trailer that is heavier then the car itself.

I'd never buy one Ronnie

Heck, just for fun include a 1HD-FTE 100 series and make it a landcruiser generations comparison test.

He drooled over tbese heaps of shit at first. Rabbiting on how good turbo smaller shit engines were. Obviously paid by Toyota.

Jeez-us!, the production value is dialed up to 12 in this video! Please chill on the effects. It feels like your editor, video and sound people are high on coke. I would rather have a single GoPro stuck to a dashboard for live commentary and a bloke asking you questions by the fireside afterward.

Hey kids come and see the new Prado...sorry you cant come with us. See u in 3 months.

What is this huge towpoint weight you have down under? We in Europe have about 60-80 kg max towpoint capacity on a sedan or van, and about 100-120 kg on a full size SUV like Audi Q7 or Mercedes GLE. The sedan can tow about 1500kg, the van 2000 kg and the SUV 3500 kg. Max Speed in Germany: 100 km/h, in France even 130 km/h (not for all towing combinations).

Our 7-seater van (VW Sharan 7N) is 2050 kg empty, 2650 kg max and has a towing capacity of 2000 kg at 12% gradient and 2200kg at 8% gradient and a ballpoint limit of 80kg.

It's easier to buy a different vehicle more capable of towing, than to modify this one

How people know or understand GVM on 4wds? How many do you see on the roads with a caravan, roof racks fully loaded, bikes hanging off the back of the caravan and the car fully loaded up… is this an insurance nightmare if something happens and also a warranty possibly being voided?.

No 4x4 stock can safely tow 3.5t. if you really want to tow 3.5 get an upgrade or an american pickup truck.

This is how Toyota rolls. They have hefty tow capacity but the GVM doesn’t have the capacity to have more than 1 or 2 people. Why hasn’t the ACCC picked up on this misleading communication.

ACCC are not looking after the Australian consumer here with what the car claims being made. Everyone who wants to be legal is spending a fortune to be legal. If it should be legal to do what they claim when driving out of the dealership.

In Germany the empty weight of an vehicle is always with all liquids full (gasoline, adblue...) and with an 75kg driver.
Here the 250 prados empty weight is 2415-2590 kg depending on equipment and the maximum weight 3100kg.
This are 685 - 510 kg payload.
I think this is enaught. 4 headed Family = 1x 75kg, 1x 95kg, 2x 50kg = 270kg. So we got 240 - 415kg for additional stuff.

You absolutely cannot upgrade the GCM. No aftermarket builder will do it, it can't go over manufacturers specifications

I tow a 3600lbs travel trailer fully loaded with gear and people and my Land Cruiser 250 does great. Feel like I can add 1000lbs easy.

In reality I think towing anything in a wagon/ute that weighs more than the tow vehicle is a bad idea. And before you say “But, but, but what about a truck and trailer” do some research on the difference between dog trailers and pig trailers.

This editing is so over the top its fucking annoying

USE LBS IN ADDTION TO KILOS FOR THOSE OF US IN THE U.S. TIRED OF RECALCULATING ALL YOUR NUMBERS BRO

In general, people should knock off at least 20% of advertised towing capacity to be safe! My Jeep Gladiator has a towing capacity of 7600lbs and I only tow 5000lbs and it does great.

Different Van different weight distribution and ball weight..and yes no passengers for sure..nothing on the roof or very little

I have a 2015 150 and 2.5t van. The bouncing can be just 10 to 20kg too much weight in front of the wheels on the van and also if the towball is too low. Last time I towed it was bouncy. I drained the front water tank that was near empty, so didn't have much in it (~10l) and put a couple items to back of van, which stopped the bouncing.

Need a Y62

You shouldn't tow more than the weight of the vehicle itself in most cases.

Hi Ronny, love your reviews. I’m waiting for a gxl but been reading the manual and wonder if you can help with a question. When you hook up the van, does choosing the tow hail mode disable all the stuff that needs to be turned off when towing or do you have to manually turn them off. Cheers

You should never tow in automatic “D”.

Put the voice effects down Ronny