Understanding the Toyota Prado Towing Capacity: A Comprehensive Guide

The Toyota Prado, a favourite among Australian families, has carved out a niche for itself by seamlessly blending off-road capabilities with urban driving comfort. Despite being overshadowed by its larger counterparts, the Prado stands out due to its popularity and longevity. Its robust engine ensures reliability, albeit at a slower pace compared to some competitors.

In this article, we delve into the specifics of the Prado’s towing capacity, providing a detailed analysis of its capabilities. We also discuss key considerations for owners and offer practical advice.

Given the overwhelming response to our previous article on the Toyota Prado’s Towing Capacity, we’ve updated our content for 2024. This update includes the 150 Series with a pre-2017 braked towing capacity of 2,500kg, and the renowned 120 Series, encompassing both petrol and diesel models.

For those intrigued by the upcoming 250 Series, which is rumoured to have a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg, rest assured we will expand our coverage to include the 250 Series as soon as the full specifications are released.

The Headliners - Braked Towing Capacity

In 2017, Toyota gave their 150 Series of the Prado a significant upgrade, increasing the braked towing capacity to 3,000kg, a 500kg improvement from the previous limit of 2,500kg.

Before you start planning your cross-country caravan adventure, it’s important to remember that the 3,000kg towing capacity is just the beginning. There’s much more to consider, especially when it comes to our beloved Prado.

The More Critical but Lesser-Known Limits - Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM), and Gross Axle Weight Limits (GAWL)

The Prado’s Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) for the 150 Series (2017 onwards) is 2,990kg. Earlier models ranged between 2,850kg to 2,990kg. This range becomes less critical when compared with the older 2,500kg braked towing capacity.

The GVM represents the total allowable weight of the vehicle, including passengers, accessories, and cargo. On the other hand, the Gross Combination Mass (GCM) provides the maximum weight limit of your entire rig, accounting for both the vehicle and any towed trailer.

The Prado’s GCM has varied significantly over the years:

• 5,350kg for the 120 Series 4L Petrol variant
• 5,490kg for the early 150 Series Diesel (up until 2017)
• The 2017 to current GCM is set at 5,990kg, aligning with the 500kg increase in braked towing capacity.

However, before we get carried away, it’s crucial to consider the Prado’s Gross Axle Weight Limits (GAWL). This refers to the maximum weight each axle can support. The 120 Series had limits of 1,290kg for the Front and 1,800kg for the Rear. In 2009, the 150 Series increased the Front limit to 1,450kg while maintaining the Rear limit at 1,800kg.

The current 150 Series axle limits are set at 1,450kg for the Front and 1,730kg for the Rear when 19" tires are fitted (1,800kg with 17" tires).

These axle limits are critically important due to the lever and fulcrum effect of the tow ball mass that is applied from our trailer onto our rear axles. In essence, the mass on our tow hitch can increase by up to 140% when it rests on our axles.

This is particularly important when connecting a caravan or trailer weighing 3,000kg. For safe towing, it’s crucial to maintain approximately 10% of the trailer’s mass as tow ball load, which contributes to your Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) limit. The Prado owner’s manual emphasises this point:

"The trailer cargo load should be distributed so that the tongue load is 9 to 11% of the total trailer weight, with limits specified at 300kg."

It’s worth noting that the pre-updated 2017 variants had a limit of 250kg, aligning with 10% of 2,500kg.

‍Vehicle Dynamics in Play: Wheelbase, Overhang, and Tow Ball Dynamics

The Prado’s wheelbase, which measures at 2,790mm, plays a crucial role in its towing stability. JD Gallant from the RV Consumer Group suggests that a wheelbase of 2,800mm can comfortably handle a 20-foot trailer, based on extensive research on trailer-related incidents. This makes the Prado an ideal match for trailers of around this size. Its rear overhang, at 1,250mm, aligns with the average for Australian vehicles.

In the world of towing, the rear hitch overhang is a key player. The further this hitch is from the rear axles, the more the leverage effect from the tow ball mass is magnified. To illustrate, 1kg on the tow ball roughly translates to 1.5kgs of load on the rear axles—a relationship that diminishes as the hitch moves closer to the vehicle. Another subtle detail is the yawing effect a caravan can exert on the vehicle; a longer hitch overhang makes the vehicle more prone to external disturbances.

For a more in-depth understanding of these dynamics, we recommend checking out our detailed article on the intricacies of braked towing capacities. This will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the factors at play when towing with your Prado.

Understanding Payload Capacities: Balancing Vehicle and Trailer Weights

Why do we delve so deeply into what might seem like straightforward towing tasks?

The reality is that towing involves a complex interplay of factors and limits that must be adhered to.

These are not just technical specifications but are essential for maintaining your vehicle’s warranty, avoiding damage, staying within legal limits to prevent fines, and ensuring your insurance coverage remains valid.

Above all, they are critical for your safety—the last thing anyone wants is an incident with a 3,000kg trailer attached to their vehicle.

Key Payload Capacities and Towing Guidelines from the Toyota Owner’s Manual:

• Trailer Cargo Load: Should be distributed so the tongue load is 9 to 11% of the total trailer weight, capped at 300kg.
• Total Trailer Weight: Must not exceed 3,000kg.
• Gross Combined Weight: The sum of your vehicle’s weight plus its load and the total trailer weight must not surpass 5,990kg.
• Vehicle Limits: Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle weight, and trailer tongue load capacities.
• Weight Distribution: Never load more weight in the back than in the front of the trailer; about 60% should be towards the front half.
• Use of Sway Control: Necessary when the total trailer weight is greater than the vehicle weight.

Practical Payload Calculation for the Toyota Prado:

Let’s explore the Gross Combination Mass (GCM) with an example:

• Starting Weight: Prado’s kerb weight is typically 2,325kg (varies from 2,140kg to 2,425kg).
• Adding Trailer Tow Ball Mass: 300kg for a 3,000kg trailer, 250kg for a 2,500kg trailer.

For a 2017+ model 150 Series:

• Running Total Weight: 2,625kg.
• Available Payload Capacity: With a GVM limit of 2,990kg, subtracting the running weight leaves 365kg for payload.

For 2009 – 2017 models, this figure is slightly lower due to a heavier kerb weight, leaving about 305-315kg.

Our 120 Series on the other hand has a significantly higher buffer with 460kg payload available when the 250kg tow ball mass is accounted for.

Addressing Practical Limitations:

Despite this setup appearing manageable, the significant practical limitation is the Rear Axle Limits. Due to the tow ball mass and its leverage effect, the available payload capacity is effectively reduced to just 209kg before exceeding the vehicle’s limits.

Given these conditions, an average family might find themselves surpassing the rear axle weight limit before they’ve even packed their bags.

For those particularly interested in older models like the 120 Series or the pre-2017 150 Series, with a 2,500kg trailer, the Prado offers a more generous payload capacity ranging from 309kg to 440kg based on the Rear Axle Limits—ample for most needs.

For a comprehensive understanding of all these terms and how they interconnect, consider visiting our high-level guide to Caravan Weights. This resource will help you grasp the nuances of payload capacities and ensure you are fully prepared for safe and compliant towing.

Exploring Your Options for Increased Payload Capacity

Understanding the nuances of the Prado’s towing capacity can indeed be complex, particularly for owners looking to maximize their vehicle's utility. Given the Rear Axle Weight Limit can be restrictive for many when towing a 3,000kg trailer or caravan, lets adopt a practical approach to explore viable options for leveraging the 3,000kg braked towing capacity effectively.

Enhancing Your Toyota Prado’s Towing Capabilities with GVM and GCM Upgrades

For Toyota Prado owners seeking to maximise their vehicle’s towing and payload capacities, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) and GCM (Gross Combination Mass) upgrades present a viable solution. These upgrades, offered by Second Stage Manufacturers like Lovells, can significantly enhance your vehicle’s capabilities. They offer a GVM upgrade to 3,500kg and a GCM upgrade to 6,550kg, applicable before the initial registration in states such as NSW and VIC, and elevate the Rear Axle Limits to 2,050kg.

It’s important to note that while these upgrades increase the vehicle’s available payload, they do not alter the braked towing limits. This approach allows for a more forgiving payload, enabling the towing of heavier loads without risking insurance voidance or incurring infringements.

Understanding the Implications of GVM and GCM Upgrades

However, the decision to upgrade isn't without its complexities, especially concerning the vehicle’s warranty. Here are some key considerations:

• Safe Towing Ratios: A GVM upgrade can significantly benefit towing, particularly by allowing you to load more weight into the tow vehicle itself, thereby achieving a higher vehicle-to-trailer weight ratio. This can enhance stability and safety while towing.
• Extra Capacity: The GVM upgrade enables more comfortable and legal payloads, allowing you to make the most of your travels with the Prado.
• Warranty Concerns: Non-genuine modifications may affect the vehicle’s warranty. Toyota’s warranty documentation explicitly states that damage or performance issues resulting from modifications with non-genuine products will not be covered.
• Increased wear and tear: Operating your vehicle at its maximum capacity, and beyond with a GVM upgrade, places a significant load on the vehicle itself. This extra burden inevitably accelerates the wear and tear on the vehicle, especially on critical driveline components.

For those considering these modifications, thorough research is advisable. Our definitive guide on Gross Vehicle Mass offers a comprehensive review of GVM upgrades, including detailed insights into the process and critical considerations you need to be aware of.

By enhancing your Prado's GVM and GCM, you can fully utilise its towing capacity without exceeding official limits, but it's essential to carefully weigh these benefits against potential warranty implications.

The Role of a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) in Towing

While we're considering all options, it's important to look at one of the most common solutions people use, the Weight Distribution Hitch.

A WDH is designed to evenly distribute the load across the towing vehicle and trailer, improving stability and handling.

Toyota recommends the use of a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) for towing with the Prado, as stated in the owner's manual:

"When towing a caravan, trailer, etc., use a distribution hitch."

But let's dive a little deeper first,

Understanding the Function of a WDH

For those unfamiliar with the principles of a WDH, they employ a set of spring bar tensioners to adjust the distribution of weight across the vehicle's axles. Despite a common misconception, a WDH does not reduce the tow ball mass.

Instead, it leverages the weight from the vehicle's rear axle and redistributes it primarily to the front axle(approximately 2/3 of the redistributed weight) and the trailer's axle group(the remaining 1/3).

Consider an 600lb rated WDH for a 270kg tow ball mass. When fully tensioned, it shifts around 253kg from the vehicle's rear axle, adding approximately 171kg to the front axle and 82kg to the caravan's axles. This is achieved by applying significant torsion stress on the vehicle's chassis, the A-frame of the trailer, and the tow ball interface.

Benefits and Considerations

By using a WDH, you can redistribute weight from the rear axle to the front axle and the caravan, helping you utilise the vehicle's towing capacity more effectively. This allows for more balanced towing dynamics and a reasonable payload for your occupants and belongings.

However, it's important to keep in mind the front axle limits. This redistribution of weight might simply move the problem to another area, potentially one with less capacity to begin with. In practice, this could push most standard Prado models over their Front Axle Limits without accounting for any other loads.

Cautions and Contextual Use

A WDH can be highly beneficial, but it requires meticulous management of the tension applied and a deep understanding of your overall towing setup.

Toyota advises caution when using a WDH, particularly noting that it is not suitable for off-road driving, incompatible with non-Toyota-OEM tow hitches, and should be disconnected on many common driving surfaces.

The reason for these cautions is the significant stress a WDH places on the vehicle’s chassis, which could introduce risks under certain conditions.

Deciding whether a WDH fits your towing needs requires a thorough understanding of its operation and the appropriate contexts for its use. Many people mistakenly view it as a universal fix, not recognising the nuanced considerations involved.

Educating yourself on how and when a WDH should be employed is crucial to avoid over-reliance on it as a catch-all solution.

Making Sense of It All Without an Engineering Degree

While some towing limits are straightforward to define, others require intricate calculations specific to your rig setup. For instance, factors such as your caravan's tow ball load not only reduce your vehicle's payload capacity but also significantly impact your rear axle loads. This effect is magnified by the fulcrum effect, which is determined by the distance between your tow hitch and your axles. It’s easy to assume everything is in order, but even the most seasoned experts can face challenges in understanding overall compliance.

Introducing LoadMate: Your Towing Calculation Partner

This is where LoadMate steps in. LoadMate conducts thousands of complex calculations, tailored to your specific rig, vehicle, caravan, and situation. This ensures you receive precise advice and a detailed towing profile outlining your limits and available payloads across various compliances.

LoadMate isn’t just about providing you with a customised towing profile; it also integrates with weighbridges or mobile weigh stations to offer real-time, accurate reports. It's important to remember that these weigh checks are just a snapshot in time—the moment you move, add, or remove anything from your vehicle or caravan, your weights and compliance can change. Without LoadMate's assistance, keeping on top of these changes can be a daunting task.

We leverage this sophisticated engine for our analyses in these articles, but we encourage you to experience it for yourself. Investing in LoadMate is like purchasing peace of mind—it’s arguably the most affordable insurance and confidence booster you can find.

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Now, let's dive back into our detailed exploration of the Toyota Prado Towing Capacity.

Recommendation for Standard Prado Specifications

If you own a standard Prado, aiming for trailer weights around the 2,500kg mark is sensible. This approach allows for a total vehicle payload of 415kg, allocating 285kg to the rear axle. It's tight but more feasible.

When addressing caravan towing safety, experts often suggest keeping the caravan weight to about 85-90% of the vehicle's maximum weight. Conveniently, this advice aligns with our 2,500kg recommendation.

By limiting your caravan to 20 feet and keeping its weight near 2,500kg, you optimise your chances for a successful and safe journey. This setup ensures stability and adaptability, especially when faced with unforeseen conditions on the road.

For a deeper understanding understanding of this recommendation, delve into our in-depth article on towing limits and what makes a good tow vehicle, which is packed with evidence-based findings and insights.

Considering 3,000kg Only with Upgrades

Considering towing at the maximum limit of 3,000kg? It’s most appropriate for vehicles that have undergone GVM and GCM upgrades. By enhancing the GVM & GCM, the Prado’s payload significantly increases, resulting in a more balanced towing experience. When opting for this upgrade, it’s crucial to also increase the rear axle limits to 2,050kg.

For perspective, with a GVM of 3,500kg and a GCM of 6,500kg, the payload would be ample when towing a 3,000kg trailer. Specifically, a GVM/GCM enhanced Prado would offer an available payload of 875kg based on GVM and 530kg for the rear axles. If the laden vehicle weight post-GVM upgrade approaches 3,500kg, towing a 3,000kg trailer would still maintain a safe 85/90% ratio to the laden vehicle weight.

For Prado's that have undergone a GVM upgrade post-registration, it's important to stay within your original Gross Combination Mass of 5,990kg. Here your increased payload will be around 665kg and 530kg respectively.

However, a note of caution: even with these adjustments, frequent towing at this weight can strain the vehicle. Furthermore, while a GVM/GCM upgrade might be official on compliance plates, it might raise flags for vehicle warranties, with manufacturers potentially looking for reasons to decline claims.

If you do intend on towing upwards of 2,500kg, remember the Prado's 2.8L turbocharged diesel engine, while reliable, may face limitations when towing substantial trailers. Unlike vehicles designed for heavy-duty towing, the Prado's engine could experience increased strain, necessitating higher maintenance and potentially leading to premature component failures. Consideration for aftermarket upgrades, such as transmission coolers and torque converter lock-up kits, might be necessary for sustained heavy towing demands.

Conclusion: The Prado and Modern Towing Solutions

This article has explored the Toyota Prado's towing capacities using a numerical lens to understand its capabilities and limitations. While these figures provide valuable insights, real-world performance is also influenced by factors like engine power, torque, and vehicle dynamics.

Understanding these numbers and technicalities is crucial, but real-world tests and hands-on experience are equally important. Leveraging modern tools like LoadMate can simplify the complexities of weight management and compliance, enhancing safety and confidence for any trip.

For those considering the Prado as their towing companion, the recommendation is clear: look at the complete picture. Understand the vehicle's capabilities, use technology to your advantage, and adopt a holistic approach to towing. This comprehensive strategy ensures decisions are not only informed but perfectly tailored to individual needs and preferences.