Fantastic content guys its about time someone drove the new 250 Prado properly and has given it a fair run without trying to rip the side steps off or jump it in the sand as we all know you defy the law of physics good job guys cant wait to see your next adventure
Great analysis thanks H&M. I applaud your un-hyped towing cruise along the beach, the hills and your horses for courses approach. Tow cars that operate within the 20 - 80 band of the curve will (generally) always be reliable and get you to where you want to go. Unfortunately, there's a few too many 'hero shots" finding their way onto UA-cam where people push everything (including their new Prado) to the limit for clicks. I hope you're enjoying the comfort that comes with a (not over-the-top) caravan set up.
Prado GCM of 6,600Kg is not much below the 300 GCM of 6,750Kg. I thought the 300 might be quite a bit higher than the 250 given its huge increase in power/Nm than the little 2.8. We tow 2,800Kg with a 300 GXL and I wouldn't be liking to go much higher than that. I reckon towing 3,500Kg with either would be scary.
Toyota want to separate the LC 300 from the Prado, which is over $20k cheaper. Toyota sell a Hilux with the 2.4 litre GD diesel, and it does not have an electric motor. Toyota could have made a towing Prado, which did not have the electric motor or battery. That would have saved 70 kg. Without the battery etc in the back, it would be legal to remove the rear seats and save more weight - say 40 kg. And also use the GR Hilux's 550 Nm motor version with its 165 Kw output, adding 10% in performance, and that would also save fuel. Put in paddle shifters like the GR Hilux for being able to manually control the gears and get better fuel economy. That Prado GXL "tow" version would then have 10kg more carrying capacity than the LC300. And drop the Ad-blue and another 18 kg would be saved, making it better the LC300 by 28 kg. Ot then again, replace the Ad Blue tank with a 20 litre diesel 2nd tank ... if only ... But that would cost a lot of profit to Toyota, and a lot of luxury car taxes going to the Federal Government, because a big reason LC 300s are so expensive is the taxes are much higher when over $100k.
All similar standard vehicles have no payload left when towing the maximum 3500kg. You can tow 3500kg, but you'll be scared very quickly. Doesn't matter which make and model you choose it's the desire to carry more stuff, which is the problem.
Guys the production of this video was epic! The camera angle are tv quality. I guessing you brought a camera man/ woman along? Definitely keep this going if it doesn't cost to much, very engaging.
Love your work. Very professional and excellent coverage of real world towing conditions. Best video I have seen with a new Prado in it. We tow a 2.3T hybrid van with the Prado 150 (Y2022). Its trans temp was going up to 105+ today towing in 28˚C outside temp over hilly country (not mountains) in Victoria. And I have seen it go as high as 115. Do we have case for a transmission cooler?
Love how neutral an open minded this vid was. I reckon you're spot on, in that it is what its is. Not designed to tow 3.5 tonne despite Toyota claiming as such...
I noticed that u only had ur trans temp 1 on the scangauge which should be the pan temp and there’s trans temp 2 which is the torque converter temp and that one is always way higher than the pan temp. Would be a good idea if u could have both on the screen.
Thank you for talking about weights. The payload was the issue as to why we didn’t purchase the new Prado. Our ball weight is 260 to 280kg, so add that and fuel and 160kg or so for us 2 and really would like a bullbar, better tyres, fridge and 2 draws with tools in that back, I honestly don’t think we could do it, and that doesn’t even include the beer and wine 😂. We bought a 76 instead, with 1200kg payload. Get it early next month cos it’s on the ship atm. Really wanted the Prado tho but the low payload just destroyed it for us. Van is 2.8T.
I recently completed the Darling River Run from Wentworth to Bourke. Camping on the Menindee lakes is wonderful and a visit to Kinchega National Park is a must. Paroo- Darling National Park is just out of Wilcannia on the river run and has a wonderful campground "Coach and Horse Campground" right on the river. After overnight at Tilpa stay at Trilby Station as the owners, facilities and river camping is great. The self drive tours are also very interesting. Don't miss a tour of Dunlop Station just next door to Trilby, so much interesting history. A great idea for a trip with the van.😀
Hey mate thanks for the comment and tips! This sounds like a really good trip and one I have wanted to do for a while now. The stations stays sound great.
I do not know much about towing but I think it's common sense that we should not tow anything heavier than the vehicle. It's too risky, I have seen a lot of caravan accidents because the vehicle tows a heavy caravan. We researched and considered carefully and decided to buy Patrol Y62 to tow triple bunks and a 21ft caravan for our family. 3 adults, 1 teenager and 2 under 5 kids. So that we could legally tow we did have a bull bar, roof rack and snorkel too. Thank you for showing us the towing capacity of the new Prado.
Very nice review. EGTs over 600 for any length of time would worry me, and surprising given the relatively light GCM and modern diesel tech. I wonder what Toyota say is max EGTs?
I'm considering the Everest, especially the new Tremor variant. I currently have a 2018 Prado 150 with 130kW, a 3T towing capacity, and a 6T GCM, which I initially bought with no plans to tow. Now that I’m looking at caravans for a 12-18 month trip, I’m unsure whether to invest in the Prado with a tow bar, brake controller, engine remap, and suspension upgrades, knowing I’d still have to settle for a smaller van or one that’s less suited for off-road or off-grid travel. If I stick with the 150, I’d aim to keep the GCM between 5.5 and 5.8T, only pushing closer to 5.8T when carrying full water and fuel for the more remote parts of our journey. I do like the reliability of the 150 and less expense means less work whilst travelling. Decisions decisions
We are selling our 2022 vx prado. Fully kitted out inc gvm/gcm upgrade. Only selling as we purchased a new van and stuffed up on our weights and the new van is just over our btc 🤦♂️😢
Choose a smaller van, but i guess if money is no issue, whatever. I have a 120 prado, and a 1.6T Van my theory is to keep it simple, keep it as light as possible and enjoy the journey rather than stressing about huge combination weights no matter how capable a vehicle.
@@b3nz0r12 That’s what I’m thinking, I found a van kokoda scout seems to be a good compromise between space for the family, off road toughness and ability to get off grid. 2.2T with either 2.8T or 3T ATM I reckon I could keep it around the 2.6 mark.
Around 600 -620 deg. C is when my newish DMax is doing a DPF burn otherwise towing it sits around 380 - 420 deg. C, much lower when not towing. Towing my van I flick the auto trans across to manual mode and hammer up the hills in 4th gear around 2400 - 2500 rpm for 100 kph. I only pull fifth gear going down hill or flick back over to auto mode. I think I'm towing around 2060 - 2200 kg ATM. The trans temps get a bit high in auto but keep quite low in manual mode, before turbo ATF 1 around 89 - 90 deg. C and after the turbo ATF2 around the same. The coolant temp will be around 89 - 90 on a hottish day (29 - 33 deg. C) towing. If I leave it in auto the ATF2 temp climbs quite high to 115 in hilly terrain or stop start city traffic. I also use the SGIII, not sure how you would tow without it.
Great video. We have a Isuzu Dmax so a very different car, but we learn so much for our future travels and towing experience from channels like yours. Please keep it up
Yes you can open the rear door while hitched. Lots of reasons for not getting a hilux, we needed a wagon to transport clients for work, we needed something a bit nicer for clients to sit in, we needed a daily, we wanted to get a new vehicle with lots of hype for the channel, much cheaper to set up as we don't need to purchase a canopy and the things to go inside it the list goes on and on.
I was advised when driving on sand to put the auto in sport mode, never in drive, as the auto will get too hot otherwise and the engine will be straining its guts out. Sport mode on soft sand on Moreton in high range and the older ones go great. In drive mode even a 200 overheats the transmission. I’d imagine the same advice goes to towing, and tow haul mode sounds like its having the same effect with a few other bells and whistles.
thanks for posting. have you considered testing towing a full height van instead of a pop top? eg: more wind drag, particularly above about 80kms. We tow a 2.5t full height van with the previous model Prado, with the auto in S4 , as per the owners manual. our auto temps, on the scan gauge generally stay low, but creep up with lots of stop start city traffic, more than highway driving
A loop around kozi from tumut would be good, across to cooma and back via thredbo. Would love to hear your thoughts of the different vans as well, if you are getting a larger one. Setup packup and how it may or may not impact your travels. With the weights it would be better to get the axle weights and hitch weight so you can understand the ball weights and rear axle weight as this will be the main limiting factor with the prado (same as the 300 and the 200)
@@Col.B1 yes need to do this if in 4 hi lock and want to turn both off, but if in low range stability goes off automatically so only need to push it once to turn off TC as well
@@peterballas2816 Because we wanted to test how the Prado goes. Also the troopy is setup specifically so you don’t have to tow, it’s a bit counter intuitive towing a small hybrid when the troopy has similar features.
Great video guys. With standard rear suspension and light towball van, it looked like in some shots the rear was down and front was up, or was I seeing it wrong
Interesting, still not warming to that styling, and driveline is weak, compared to the much grunting 6 cyl diesel packages about. While my v6 towed my 2.7t van well on a lap. I prefer to tow with my troopy, with all the mods, for outback touring. Spent porche money on it, so may aswell use hey, but I do drop the tune to a more sensible 800Nm tune, from the crazy 1000Nm tune for safer EGT (but leave the big injectors in it coz I'm too lazy to change them just for towing). It's clearly a farm truck, but Troopy Life, hey. Am thinking of getting the misso the Lexus version of that Prado but am waiting to see if toyotas sorted that grenade 3.4v6 TT petrol engine out. 21:01
Interested to know if you had 8 gears on low 4x4. Did you try manual gear selection in low 4x4 New 70 series 79 restricted to 4 out of 6 gears in low 4x4
200series only gives the first 4 years from the 6 speed in Low Range - becomes a pain in the desert if low range is best for the dunes and you are revving its guts out in the swales.
Like nearly all Toyota’s 100’s, 200’s, 300’s and now the 250. None of them have an adequate payload. Owners need to spend big $’s with GVM upgrades. As for the 250, looks sort of nice is about the only good thing I can say about it. Finally transmission temp, most Toyota autos go into limp mode at 120C, so being at 110C there isn’t much headroom left. But to be accurate drop the oil and have it analysed for wear.
Did you sell the Troopy? It will do a much better job, can you compare both ? I went from Prado 150 to Troopy for the payload and overall stronger 4wd build. GCM isnt your issue, gvm is the Prado achilles heel, 2024 Troopy gvm is 3510 from factory.
Nah mate it’s in the shed ready for the next adventure this year. I could compare it’s just hard to go on a trip and tow with the troopy as it’s so well setup specifically to not have to tow. But I’d say it would do as well if not better even with the weight.
It’s a Scangauge 3 which connects to your OBD2 port. I believe they cost around $600 and can be programmed for various screen readouts. I have an Ultragauge which does the same thing but the screen is a bit clunky and nowhere near as nice as the Scangauge 3 screen. Apart from all that, a digital gauge that connects to your OBD2 port that tells you exactly what your engine is doing is in my opinion a must especially if towing.
Toyota spec has kerb weight 2495kg; your 100kg plus caravan 2400kg (signature site) so does your girlfriend weigh 280kg, your out a little on your weights in GCM. You must have more gear than stated. Any water, food and gear in caravan? But you’re correct, the weight of new cars is getting extreme, old Prado was around 2250kg mark with full tank. Also the GVM was 3000kg which left 750kg of payload which was enough.
I suppose this is the future they trying to make little engines that can do the job off the bigger boys , interesting 🤔 but then theres no substitute for qubic inches 😊
My big question is how the water ingress into the 48v battery system through the cooling fan under the car is going to be sorted, apparently this is what stopped the cars that were being tested by journalists. I wouldn’t want to go into water too much but no need for a snorkel till this is sorted 😁 Great episode, good to hear your thoughts on the vehicle Safe travels for 2025 👨🏻🌾👍
As an owner of an 80 and a 105, both with 1HZ's, I couldn't agree more....except you need a sun dial to time a 0 to 100km/hr test, a 25 min episode would actually take 60 mins, and to get to the top of that range to catch the sunset you'd need to leave at sunrise 🤣 Love my 1HZ (going downhill)
better talk to autotrans specialists. last time they explained unless you have temp gauge direct on tranny , those temp indicators are average temps of oils input/output from transmission, so real life temps might be lot higher. tranny oil starts burning after 110degrees, fitting cooler drops temps by 20-30%,
@@OverlandTravellers yes thats what i was told. i saw my tranny temps go up to 110 on scangauge on stock car, without towing just from driving up the mountain road keeping up with traffic, after i saw that i went to get a cooler, and in normal driving it stays around 85degrees, and towing max 95 uphill, and then settles around 90 or below.
@@OverlandTravellers you can probably tow 3.5t boat to a local boat ramp if its within 15-30mins, i wouldnt tow 3.5 for the whole day. seen many people tow close to 3t on P150 without issues though
@@OverlandTravellers also i have noticed your car front pitching up a little and rear feels lower than the front from the video. if you want to tow heavier van, you might want to put heavier springs and airbags to level it. i got P150 Kakadu with airsprings, big difference when towing the same load on normal springs and airsprings. when car is level it handles a lot better and almost dont feel that you towing . when front pitching up on normal springs, on bumps it feels less stable , steering feels lighter , feels like car is bouncing around more
For the extra 12k, horrible box in the boot you need to pay to remove and LCT, if I was going to spend that money on a GXL I’d spend a bit more and get a 300.
Good and fair real-world review. No sensationalism. Well put together and pleasant to watch. Well done. GX looks sweet. I'm torn between the GX and the Altitude. On the one hand, ATrac and crawl control is so good that I reckon It will be fine for 98-99% of what you need if it's an overlanding / touring setup. But a locker is just the extra security you need if heading out bush on your own. +- 10-12k for ARB locker and compressor I reckon but then you're dealing with 3rd party reliability, so I'm leaning towards Altitude at this stage.
I think the altitude is a very nice car. It’s definitely a huge step up in features. I’d also consider the GX 300 as it’s similar money to the Altitude. Better engine, stronger components but it won’t have the flash altitude features.
@@OverlandTravellers I prefer the 250 over the 300. The 2.8 in the 250 is one of the best things about it. Sure it doesn't have the best sound and it's a bit less refined at lower speeds, but it has proven durability known to reach > 500k. It runs African infrastructure as all minibus taxis throughout africa run this engine, and in Africa recommended oil changes and maintenance is generally not adhered to. The 3.3 is a more sensitive engine whereas the 2.8 can take a beating. The 3.3 V6 has had a few failures, is more sensitive to oil, and with the hot-v design bringing more heat to the engine, the 3.3 is generally considered to be a more sensitive engine. With the 300 you're getting the LC badge and the V6, but in practical terms you are: - paying a significant premium over 250 - worse fuel consumption and touring range (12l/100-14l/100 on 300 vs 9.5l-10.5l on 250) - same tank size on both re: durability: The Prados have proven durability and reliability in Africa and AUS. They have strong components - in many cases better than 300 due to it being a lighter vehicle and less overall stress on components. The Prado has the Land Cruiser badge so does the FJ Cruiser, 70 series, 300 etc. My money is on the 250.
You'll need to go back to a Troopy. Payload for the 250 Prado GX is pitiful at 605kgs. New Troopy GXL auto payload 1115kgs. Massive difference. Both are 2.8L autos. Troopy lacks the 48V which is good. And a GVM upgrade is not the answer considering reports where Toyota are refusing to cover major engine failures where the GVM and GCM have been upgraded.
Given the drive train in this vehicle I really don’t understand why people are surprised it behaves like an old Hilux. Given that average economy included some time unhitched that is appalling
Sorry but 18.9L/100km is horrendous fuel economy for towing that small hybrid. Looking forward to the next vid with a bigger van and pushing 20L/100km😂
Yeah not great, but as I said we were driving in the soft stuff on purpose and finding steep hills. My troopy gets around 20L in sand towing nothing 😂 keen to hear what other people get with similar sized setups
It seems like the Prado loves to rev. My 3.2L five cylinder ford ranger manual gets 18L/100 towing our 2.7tonne jayco caravan however I never rev it above 2500rpm. The whole setup is 5.6tonnes with family and fully loaded.
I think it would be very interesting to see how the new Prado tows compares to the previous model hard to pull off I know, but would like to know if the new one is definitely better. It certainly sags in the arse this one.
With the way things are going with caravans etc. You can see why ppl are opting for yank tanks or small trucks that have at least 7 ton gvm or more. Theses vehicles are no more than toys for the week end
We just use loan sharks for our money at 21% interest. It harder for the debt collectors to find us if we are in the desert hence why we go there often.
@@OverlandTravellers I didn´t know Patreons charged you interest. So you are paying 5 landcruisers for the price of one, yeah better go off grid, or back to sugar mommy and daddy
@@Timetrends-n5t We also own and run a small business ourselves completely independent of UA-cam. So if it looks like we have achieved a bit it’s through hard work. Cheers champ.
Come on guys ….. time to review the channel direction and type of trips you do to excite subscribers . Soccer mums car with a little family van on Teewah …. 🥱 Half a dozen Aussie tubers have done the same type of vid on the 250 and let’s face it …. It is a city car to take the family camping and fishing on hols but lives in the burbs and on black top 90% of the time - Shane and Karen, 2 kids and a dog who are mortgaged to their eye balls who have missionary once a week .. no thanks -
Fantastic content guys its about time someone drove the new 250 Prado properly and has given it a fair run without trying to rip the side steps off or jump it in the sand as we all know you defy the law of physics good job guys cant wait to see your next adventure
Thanks so much mate, really appreciate the feedback!
Great analysis thanks H&M.
I applaud your un-hyped towing cruise along the beach, the hills and your horses for courses approach. Tow cars that operate within the 20 - 80 band of the curve will (generally) always be reliable and get you to where you want to go. Unfortunately, there's a few too many 'hero shots" finding their way onto UA-cam where people push everything (including their new Prado) to the limit for clicks.
I hope you're enjoying the comfort that comes with a (not over-the-top) caravan set up.
Thanks mate! Glad you liked it.
Prado GCM of 6,600Kg is not much below the 300 GCM of 6,750Kg. I thought the 300 might be quite a bit higher than the 250 given its huge increase in power/Nm than the little 2.8.
We tow 2,800Kg with a 300 GXL and I wouldn't be liking to go much higher than that. I reckon towing 3,500Kg with either would be scary.
You are right, the GCM on the two isn’t a huge difference!
Toyota want to separate the LC 300 from the Prado, which is over $20k cheaper. Toyota sell a Hilux with the 2.4 litre GD diesel, and it does not have an electric motor. Toyota could have made a towing Prado, which did not have the electric motor or battery. That would have saved 70 kg. Without the battery etc in the back, it would be legal to remove the rear seats and save more weight - say 40 kg. And also use the GR Hilux's 550 Nm motor version with its 165 Kw output, adding 10% in performance, and that would also save fuel. Put in paddle shifters like the GR Hilux for being able to manually control the gears and get better fuel economy. That Prado GXL "tow" version would then have 10kg more carrying capacity than the LC300. And drop the Ad-blue and another 18 kg would be saved, making it better the LC300 by 28 kg. Ot then again, replace the Ad Blue tank with a 20 litre diesel 2nd tank ... if only ... But that would cost a lot of profit to Toyota, and a lot of luxury car taxes going to the Federal Government, because a big reason LC 300s are so expensive is the taxes are much higher when over $100k.
All similar standard vehicles have no payload left when towing the maximum 3500kg. You can tow 3500kg, but you'll be scared very quickly. Doesn't matter which make and model you choose it's the desire to carry more stuff, which is the problem.
Guys the production of this video was epic! The camera angle are tv quality.
I guessing you brought a camera man/ woman along? Definitely keep this going if it doesn't cost to much, very engaging.
Love your work. Very professional and excellent coverage of real world towing conditions. Best video I have seen with a new Prado in it. We tow a 2.3T hybrid van with the Prado 150 (Y2022). Its trans temp was going up to 105+ today towing in 28˚C outside temp over hilly country (not mountains) in Victoria. And I have seen it go as high as 115. Do we have case for a transmission cooler?
Fantastic episode and review, I'm with you no way would I feel safe towing a trailer that weighs as much as my vehicle
Thanks mate. It’s good to see others feel the same.
Great informative video. I totally agree about towing something weighing more than your tow vehicle it just doesn't make sense.
Love how neutral an open minded this vid was. I reckon you're spot on, in that it is what its is. Not designed to tow 3.5 tonne despite Toyota claiming as such...
You guys added fabulous informative content to this topic without bs, big thx
Thanks so much for watching and we appreciate the kind words!
You're spot on. A van should never be heavier than the tow vehicle.
You should tow with troopy IMO as you'll have all bases covered.
Liked you guys from your start on YT. Genuine and interesting content, so thank you.
Cheers Marg & Steve
@@gibbosroadtripadventures thanks for the kind comment mate!
@ Mrs Mate … Marg
@@gibbosroadtripadventures cheers marg!
Good no nonsense video. Great work!
I noticed that u only had ur trans temp 1 on the scangauge which should be the pan temp and there’s trans temp 2 which is the torque converter temp and that one is always way higher than the pan temp. Would be a good idea if u could have both on the screen.
Thank you for talking about weights. The payload was the issue as to why we didn’t purchase the new Prado. Our ball weight is 260 to 280kg, so add that and fuel and 160kg or so for us 2 and really would like a bullbar, better tyres, fridge and 2 draws with tools in that back, I honestly don’t think we could do it, and that doesn’t even include the beer and wine 😂. We bought a 76 instead, with 1200kg payload. Get it early next month cos it’s on the ship atm. Really wanted the Prado tho but the low payload just destroyed it for us. Van is 2.8T.
I recently completed the Darling River Run from Wentworth to Bourke. Camping on the Menindee lakes is wonderful and a visit to Kinchega National Park is a must. Paroo- Darling National Park is just out of Wilcannia on the river run and has a wonderful campground "Coach and Horse Campground" right on the river. After overnight at Tilpa stay at Trilby Station as the owners, facilities and river camping is great. The self drive tours are also very interesting. Don't miss a tour of Dunlop Station just next door to Trilby, so much interesting history. A great idea for a trip with the van.😀
Hey mate thanks for the comment and tips! This sounds like a really good trip and one I have wanted to do for a while now. The stations stays sound great.
I do not know much about towing but I think it's common sense that we should not tow anything heavier than the vehicle. It's too risky, I have seen a lot of caravan accidents because the vehicle tows a heavy caravan. We researched and considered carefully and decided to buy Patrol Y62 to tow triple bunks and a 21ft caravan for our family. 3 adults, 1 teenager and 2 under 5 kids. So that we could legally tow we did have a bull bar, roof rack and snorkel too. Thank you for showing us the towing capacity of the new Prado.
The Y62 is a great vehicle
@@OverlandTravellers Yes. We missed our Patrol hehehe
It doesn't matter what vehicle you have towing you should always fit a automatic transmission cooler. High temperatures will kill your auto fast..
Yeah when there are some options on the market we will look into it for sure.
Great video for the new model and the 48v engine incorporated. See how it goes.
Yeah we'll see how it goes in the long run, only time will tell!
Very nice review. EGTs over 600 for any length of time would worry me, and surprising given the relatively light GCM and modern diesel tech. I wonder what Toyota say is max EGTs?
Are you happy with the 285 x 65 tyres on the standard rims? Any rubbing issues?
I'm considering the Everest, especially the new Tremor variant. I currently have a 2018 Prado 150 with 130kW, a 3T towing capacity, and a 6T GCM, which I initially bought with no plans to tow. Now that I’m looking at caravans for a 12-18 month trip, I’m unsure whether to invest in the Prado with a tow bar, brake controller, engine remap, and suspension upgrades, knowing I’d still have to settle for a smaller van or one that’s less suited for off-road or off-grid travel. If I stick with the 150, I’d aim to keep the GCM between 5.5 and 5.8T, only pushing closer to 5.8T when carrying full water and fuel for the more remote parts of our journey. I do like the reliability of the 150 and less expense means less work whilst travelling. Decisions decisions
We are selling our 2022 vx prado. Fully kitted out inc gvm/gcm upgrade. Only selling as we purchased a new van and stuffed up on our weights and the new van is just over our btc 🤦♂️😢
Choose a smaller van, but i guess if money is no issue, whatever.
I have a 120 prado, and a 1.6T Van my theory is to keep it simple, keep it as light as possible and enjoy the journey rather than stressing about huge combination weights no matter how capable a vehicle.
go v6 ford
The V6 Everest is a great towing vehicle. We have Jayco Silverline 2.8 tonnes.
@@b3nz0r12 That’s what I’m thinking, I found a van kokoda scout seems to be a good compromise between space for the family, off road toughness and ability to get off grid. 2.2T with either 2.8T or 3T ATM I reckon I could keep it around the 2.6 mark.
Around 600 -620 deg. C is when my newish DMax is doing a DPF burn otherwise towing it sits around 380 - 420 deg. C, much lower when not towing. Towing my van I flick the auto trans across to manual mode and hammer up the hills in 4th gear around 2400 - 2500 rpm for 100 kph. I only pull fifth gear going down hill or flick back over to auto mode. I think I'm towing around 2060 - 2200 kg ATM. The trans temps get a bit high in auto but keep quite low in manual mode, before turbo ATF 1 around 89 - 90 deg. C and after the turbo ATF2 around the same. The coolant temp will be around 89 - 90 on a hottish day (29 - 33 deg. C) towing. If I leave it in auto the ATF2 temp climbs quite high to 115 in hilly terrain or stop start city traffic. I also use the SGIII, not sure how you would tow without it.
Great video. We have a Isuzu Dmax so a very different car, but we learn so much for our future travels and towing experience from channels like yours. Please keep it up
Cheers, we appreciate the support!
Great vid, really liked the production on this one
@@toms286 thanks mate we definitely stepped it up for this one so appreciate the comment :)
I wasnt aware that a 285 x 65 x 18 tyre will fit on a standard 7.5inch rim. I htought you needed a minimum of 8.0inch rim for that size tyre?
Specs from most tyre manufacturers say 285 is good for 7.5-9.0" rims
You should have filled up your fuel before going on the weigh bridge.
Be interesting to see how it goes with dual axle and about 3.2t
Yeah I should have but could safely assume it would be 40kg more
Just wondering what towball you got? There’s two options offered by Toyota (off-road and onroad)
Can you open the rear cargo door with the caravan still hitched? Any reason why you didn’t just buy a Hilux and put an aluminium canopy on it?
Yes you can open the rear door while hitched. Lots of reasons for not getting a hilux, we needed a wagon to transport clients for work, we needed something a bit nicer for clients to sit in, we needed a daily, we wanted to get a new vehicle with lots of hype for the channel, much cheaper to set up as we don't need to purchase a canopy and the things to go inside it the list goes on and on.
I was advised when driving on sand to put the auto in sport mode, never in drive, as the auto will get too hot otherwise and the engine will be straining its guts out. Sport mode on soft sand on Moreton in high range and the older ones go great. In drive mode even a 200 overheats the transmission.
I’d imagine the same advice goes to towing, and tow haul mode sounds like its having the same effect with a few other bells and whistles.
PS If you want a soft sand test then try Bribie.
I’ve done this before with my jayco expanda it sqwatted a bit
thanks for posting. have you considered testing towing a full height van instead of a pop top? eg: more wind drag, particularly above about 80kms. We tow a 2.5t full height van with the previous model Prado, with the auto in S4 , as per the owners manual. our auto temps, on the scan gauge generally stay low, but creep up with lots of stop start city traffic, more than highway driving
Yes it is something we would like to do is tow something a bit larger
That was a good review, very informative and factual.
Cheers! Glad you found it helpful.
The tow haul mode doesn't shut off any sensors though. If it was a tow vehicle all those would shut off automatically.
Yeah definitely annoying it doesn’t turn them off automatically
A loop around kozi from tumut would be good, across to cooma and back via thredbo.
Would love to hear your thoughts of the different vans as well, if you are getting a larger one. Setup packup and how it may or may not impact your travels.
With the weights it would be better to get the axle weights and hitch weight so you can understand the ball weights and rear axle weight as this will be the main limiting factor with the prado (same as the 300 and the 200)
Yeah we are really keen to do the local loop! Definitely going to get a bigger van for a better test
Traction control doesn’t turn off automatically in 4 low, it’s the stability control. To turn off TC you need to push the TC button
@@Stevegrande1 thanks for clarifying mate! I’ll have to check up on that and have a play with it. Cheers
Don't just push it once, hold until the traction control light off warning comes up on dash f@@OverlandTravellers
@@Col.B1 yes need to do this if in 4 hi lock and want to turn both off, but if in low range stability goes off automatically so only need to push it once to turn off TC as well
I may have missed the reason in an earlier video. Why didn’t you tow the van with the Troopy set up?
@@peterballas2816 Because we wanted to test how the Prado goes. Also the troopy is setup specifically so you don’t have to tow, it’s a bit counter intuitive towing a small hybrid when the troopy has similar features.
Great video guys. With standard rear suspension and light towball van, it looked like in some shots the rear was down and front was up, or was I seeing it wrong
@@stevenward5928 no definitely a small sag. We will upgrade the suspension at some point soon.
We’re towing a 16’ hybrid with our Altitude and found like yours the back has sagged a little, are you considering airbags?
We are going to upgrade the suspension completely. Might get some airbags but we really done want to rely on them.
What width of the trailer ?
Interesting, still not warming to that styling, and driveline is weak, compared to the much grunting 6 cyl diesel packages about. While my v6 towed my 2.7t van well on a lap. I prefer to tow with my troopy, with all the mods, for outback touring. Spent porche money on it, so may aswell use hey, but I do drop the tune to a more sensible 800Nm tune, from the crazy 1000Nm tune for safer EGT (but leave the big injectors in it coz I'm too lazy to change them just for towing). It's clearly a farm truck, but Troopy Life, hey. Am thinking of getting the misso the Lexus version of that Prado but am waiting to see if toyotas sorted that grenade 3.4v6 TT petrol engine out. 21:01
Cool ep and setup guys , In my backyard,
Were the EGITs elevated due to DPF burn? Also no mention of the add blue.
Yep the car has Adblue. If towing it needs refilling every 2000-3000km. No that was the temps no DPF burn :)
For towing, I will stivk to my Hilux 2,8 Gd6 auto 4x4 with Ironman suspension. And engine remapping, abou 190 kw and 650 nm.
Great review. No bias unlike Carsales who are paid by ford for advertising.
Interested to know if you had 8 gears on low 4x4. Did you try manual gear selection in low 4x4 New 70 series 79 restricted to 4 out of 6 gears in low 4x4
Good question and something I should have tried. My guess is that it would be similar maybe only using the first 6
Good question and something I should have tried. My guess is that it would be similar maybe only using the first 6
200series only gives the first 4 years from the 6 speed in Low Range - becomes a pain in the desert if low range is best for the dunes and you are revving its guts out in the swales.
can you fit a 285/65/18 spare underneath the car?
@@85timng yes it fits no worries. Wouldn’t want any bigger though
Can I please ask what seat covers you have used and if you are happy with them?
@@DanFinlayson-n9d hey mate no seat covers yet. We have the GX which comes with cloth seats
@ my mistake. I have the gx too and it looked like you had something on them. Cheers for the reply
Have you looked at bullbars ? I’ve just taken delivery of the gx as well. Arb vs tjm ?
How are you liking the GX? It seems the pick of the bunch for me.
Personally I prefer the look of the ARB
@@AJ93HD for a base model it’s packed with features so we are enjoying it
@ Anything you aren't happy with at all? Going to see a GX in person later this week.
@@AJ93HD We are literally editing a 10 000km review right now! It will be out tomorrow.
Apart from the saggy suspension it looked….ummm…..ok. Great video as usual guys,well presented 👍🍻
It would have been good to get you vehicle weight while the van was connected. Only run your cars wheels on the weigh bridge
Will it cruise all day at 100 kph on the highway?
Where I live everything towing a van seems to not be able to get over 80.
@@AnyoneSeenMikeHunt yeah I was going 110 on the highway for 5 hours no worries
@@OverlandTravellers Excellent. I hope that catches on.
Not sure how your getting away with YT name😅😅
@@YoosYawBrayn Old movie skit. Google it. 🙂
What’s the device you are using to monitor the sensors. I like that
@@umbrollo it’s a scan gauge 3. Very good OBD reader much more accurate
Adblue?
With the bigger Tyres is your Speedo reading out.
Like nearly all Toyota’s 100’s, 200’s, 300’s and now the 250. None of them have an adequate payload. Owners need to spend big $’s with GVM upgrades. As for the 250, looks sort of nice is about the only good thing I can say about it. Finally transmission temp, most Toyota autos go into limp mode at 120C, so being at 110C there isn’t much headroom left. But to be accurate drop the oil and have it analysed for wear.
Did you sell the Troopy? It will do a much better job, can you compare both ? I went from Prado 150 to Troopy for the payload and overall stronger 4wd build. GCM isnt your issue, gvm is the Prado achilles heel, 2024 Troopy gvm is 3510 from factory.
Nah mate it’s in the shed ready for the next adventure this year. I could compare it’s just hard to go on a trip and tow with the troopy as it’s so well setup specifically to not have to tow. But I’d say it would do as well if not better even with the weight.
What’s that gauge system you use cheers
It’s a Scangauge 3 which connects to your OBD2 port. I believe they cost around $600 and can be programmed for various screen readouts.
I have an Ultragauge which does the same thing but the screen is a bit clunky and nowhere near as nice as the Scangauge 3 screen.
Apart from all that, a digital gauge that connects to your OBD2 port that tells you exactly what your engine is doing is in my opinion a must especially if towing.
Mate you have a new prado on the outside but under the bonnet is the same old 4cylinder motor with lipstick on
@@mervdavis8985 correct
Toyota spec has kerb weight 2495kg; your 100kg plus caravan 2400kg (signature site) so does your girlfriend weigh 280kg, your out a little on your weights in GCM. You must have more gear than stated. Any water, food and gear in caravan?
But you’re correct, the weight of new cars is getting extreme, old Prado was around 2250kg mark with full tank. Also the GVM was 3000kg which left 750kg of payload which was enough.
@@bushmagpie3312 yeah mate we were loaded up for a trip.
I suppose this is the future they trying to make little engines that can do the job off the bigger boys , interesting 🤔 but then theres no substitute for qubic inches 😊
If only we could find the genius who first thought towing on sand would be a good idea!
How heavy is your caravan?
I reckon loaded up 2.4 so pretty small
My big question is how the water ingress into the 48v battery system through the cooling fan under the car is going to be sorted, apparently this is what stopped the cars that were being tested by journalists. I wouldn’t want to go into water too much but no need for a snorkel till this is sorted 😁
Great episode, good to hear your thoughts on the vehicle
Safe travels for 2025 👨🏻🌾👍
Yes I am watching that with interest as well!
1HZ for the win
As an owner of an 80 and a 105, both with 1HZ's, I couldn't agree more....except you need a sun dial to time a 0 to 100km/hr test, a 25 min episode would actually take 60 mins, and to get to the top of that range to catch the sunset you'd need to leave at sunrise 🤣
Love my 1HZ (going downhill)
Yeah the 1HZ is an awesome donk
Not sure why you want to get the temps up, even going for a bigger van , I thought it was not ideal
Trying to see if we can replicate some issues other people are having
let me no when you got 500,000km like my patrol the new playdos are comfy but they are a shopping trolley
Let me know when the patrol gets to 800,000km like my 47 ;)
better talk to autotrans specialists. last time they explained unless you have temp gauge direct on tranny , those temp indicators are average temps of oils input/output from transmission, so real life temps might be lot higher. tranny oil starts burning after 110degrees, fitting cooler drops temps by 20-30%,
Thats interesting to know thanks mate! So even a scan gauge wouldn't necessarily be accurate?
@@OverlandTravellers yes thats what i was told. i saw my tranny temps go up to 110 on scangauge on stock car, without towing just from driving up the mountain road keeping up with traffic, after i saw that i went to get a cooler, and in normal driving it stays around 85degrees, and towing max 95 uphill, and then settles around 90 or below.
@@marcianmoon6143 ok good to know. It is seeming like these aren’t up to it in any situation. Crazy it’s rated to 3.5
@@OverlandTravellers you can probably tow 3.5t boat to a local boat ramp if its within 15-30mins, i wouldnt tow 3.5 for the whole day. seen many people tow close to 3t on P150 without issues though
@@OverlandTravellers also i have noticed your car front pitching up a little and rear feels lower than the front from the video. if you want to tow heavier van, you might want to put heavier springs and airbags to level it.
i got P150 Kakadu with airsprings, big difference when towing the same load on normal springs and airsprings. when car is level it handles a lot better and almost dont feel that you towing . when front pitching up on normal springs, on bumps it feels less stable , steering feels lighter , feels like car is bouncing around more
You guys should have got at least gxl with Aircon’s seats.
For the extra 12k, horrible box in the boot you need to pay to remove and LCT, if I was going to spend that money on a GXL I’d spend a bit more and get a 300.
@ sure but 300 don’t have digital dash or premium feel like 250. Boot issues fixed for 900. Aircon seat must for long Aussie travel in my view.
Epic content thanks for the review 😂
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it!
Good and fair real-world review. No sensationalism. Well put together and pleasant to watch. Well done.
GX looks sweet. I'm torn between the GX and the Altitude.
On the one hand, ATrac and crawl control is so good that I reckon It will be fine for 98-99% of what you need if it's an overlanding / touring setup.
But a locker is just the extra security you need if heading out bush on your own.
+- 10-12k for ARB locker and compressor I reckon but then you're dealing with 3rd party reliability, so I'm leaning towards Altitude at this stage.
I think the altitude is a very nice car. It’s definitely a huge step up in features. I’d also consider the GX 300 as it’s similar money to the Altitude. Better engine, stronger components but it won’t have the flash altitude features.
@@OverlandTravellers I prefer the 250 over the 300.
The 2.8 in the 250 is one of the best things about it. Sure it doesn't have the best sound and it's a bit less refined at lower speeds, but it has proven durability known to reach > 500k. It runs African infrastructure as all minibus taxis throughout africa run this engine, and in Africa recommended oil changes and maintenance is generally not adhered to.
The 3.3 is a more sensitive engine whereas the 2.8 can take a beating. The 3.3 V6 has had a few failures, is more sensitive to oil, and with the hot-v design bringing more heat to the engine, the 3.3 is generally considered to be a more sensitive engine.
With the 300 you're getting the LC badge and the V6, but in practical terms you are:
- paying a significant premium over 250
- worse fuel consumption and touring range (12l/100-14l/100 on 300 vs 9.5l-10.5l on 250)
- same tank size on both
re: durability: The Prados have proven durability and reliability in Africa and AUS. They have strong components - in many cases better than 300 due to it being a lighter vehicle and less overall stress on components. The Prado has the Land Cruiser badge so does the FJ Cruiser, 70 series, 300 etc.
My money is on the 250.
You'll need to go back to a Troopy.
Payload for the 250 Prado GX is pitiful at 605kgs. New Troopy GXL auto payload 1115kgs. Massive difference. Both are 2.8L autos. Troopy lacks the 48V which is good.
And a GVM upgrade is not the answer considering reports where Toyota are refusing to cover major engine failures where the GVM and GCM have been upgraded.
Well, I reckon it tows better than Elsie would.
My spine feels very nice after driving the 250
So I agree 😂
Given the drive train in this vehicle I really don’t understand why people are surprised it behaves like an old Hilux. Given that average economy included some time unhitched that is appalling
Don’t go through high water with it 😢
Sorry but 18.9L/100km is horrendous fuel economy for towing that small hybrid. Looking forward to the next vid with a bigger van and pushing 20L/100km😂
Yeah not great, but as I said we were driving in the soft stuff on purpose and finding steep hills. My troopy gets around 20L in sand towing nothing 😂 keen to hear what other people get with similar sized setups
It seems like the Prado loves to rev. My 3.2L five cylinder ford ranger manual gets 18L/100 towing our 2.7tonne jayco caravan however I never rev it above 2500rpm. The whole setup is 5.6tonnes with family and fully loaded.
Not sure what you expect towing on sand. Pretty good result for the conditions
Just towed our 2.5 t van from Newcastle to the South Coast of NSW, did it easily and got 13.4l/100kms.
@@Stephcott2523 that’s awesome what were you driving?
I think it would be very interesting to see how the new Prado tows compares to the previous model hard to pull off I know, but would like to know if the new one is definitely better. It certainly sags in the arse this one.
Yeah we need to sort suspension out. I’m sure we could find someone with a 150 :)
With the way things are going with caravans etc. You can see why ppl are opting for yank tanks or small trucks that have at least 7 ton gvm or more. Theses vehicles are no more than toys for the week end
Yeah everything is getting bigger that’s for sure
If your going to test its towing capacity, there is no point getting a 16'.
You've gotta go to 18 or 20' weighing more like 3000kgs.
Get around it!
CarExpert also did a good video on the Prado with a decent tow test.
Yeah they have a bit more flash gear than us 😂
Heavier and slower than the previous model failed the tow test on car expert could not make the 100kph benchmark = 💩box
ua-cam.com/video/Db4tHsQcRVg/v-deo.htmlsi=nozHZMaOclycX_zO
This says it all , dud 😂😂😂
Yep there is some odd decisions from Toyota for this car
I would take the Troopy. In fact... I *do* take our Troopy.
my 150 does it better, and i tow 3t.
Up dateted my ass, downdated.
You have a point there 😂
Tow a trailer that’s lighter than the tow vehicle
Always!
Are you rich? Or in debt?
We just use loan sharks for our money at 21% interest. It harder for the debt collectors to find us if we are in the desert hence why we go there often.
@@OverlandTravellers I didn´t know Patreons charged you interest. So you are paying 5 landcruisers for the price of one, yeah better go off grid, or back to sugar mommy and daddy
@@Timetrends-n5t we don’t have Patreon champion
@@OverlandTravellers I envy you, what a luxury
@@Timetrends-n5t We also own and run a small business ourselves completely independent of UA-cam. So if it looks like we have achieved a bit it’s through hard work. Cheers champ.
Come on guys ….. time to review the channel direction and type of trips you do to excite subscribers . Soccer mums car with a little family van on Teewah …. 🥱
Half a dozen Aussie tubers have done the same type of vid on the 250 and let’s face it …. It is a city car to take the family camping and fishing on hols but lives in the burbs and on black top 90% of the time - Shane and Karen, 2 kids and a dog who are mortgaged to their eye balls who have missionary once a week ..
no thanks -
Once a week, Shane is livin the dream!
@ - yep like many on the merry go round of life … 😔
This is an oddly detailed account of someone else’s life Tony…….
@@OverlandTravellers - go to a van park and you will see what I mean - you know what I’m saying - 😏
@@tonyf7997 I’m all good thanks I might stick to the bush 😂