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Vehicle Tests > Tow Test - Best In Tow?
Tow Test - Best In Tow?
Issue: September 2009
Words and photos by Mark Allen
It's a hairy-chested V8 turbo diesel with huge power outputs, but can it handle a large caravan? Mark Allen is disappointed.
Plenty of people have given the big thumbs up to the stump pulling 151kW and 430Nm V8-engined 76 Series (along with the 78 and 79 Series Troopy and ute) and fair enough it deserves it... to some degree. Driving this hairy chested, brutish V8 utilitarian truck around the tracks empty or with a load in the cargo area would serve most blokey blokes well. It roars load to tell all and sundry of what lurks under the bonnet (which is quite an intrusive noise in the cabin). It returns a solid, kidney-shaking ride when empty and has a long notchy gear stick that would do a 1960s Bedford truck proud and has very few safety features - all great if that's what you want in this day and age!
With the two-tonne Jayco Outback van hitched up and crawling around in peak hour traffic, the 76 could launch from first, quickly work its way through second and third gears to easily reach and maintain traffic speed. Fourth and fifth could also be used to lope around at lower speeds until the next red light or clown who decided to pull out in front of the in-excess-of four-tonne (empty 76 plus Jayco) test rig. Stopping was easy with the front and rear disc brakes, especially with the van electric brakes helping out.
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On flat and slightly undulating open roads the 76 could again easily maintain maximum speed limits, but boy what a shock when just a mild hill came into play. The poor, gutless... yes, this is the mighty 4.5-litre turbo V8 diesel we're talking about... Cruiser quickly dropped back to fourth in a struggle to maintain 100km/h. Medium to steep hills saw the suffocating brute drop into third gear at high revs (for this engine) of 3100rpm to keep just 80km/h. A quick change back up to fourth gear... ha, that's a laugh - don't expect to make any quick changes in this notchy gearbox - saw revs and road speed drop again; those long steep hills required patience in third until things levelled out a little.
This lack of 'go-power' with a large van was extremely surprising and most disappointing to the point that the only reason you'd consider purchasing a 76 would be as a tough tourer, not a tow truck. Combined with the extremely noisy cabin from the engine roar, the slow gearbox and bone-jarring ride, you'd really need to be an enthusiastic 4WDer to want this truck over others on the market. The only saving grace is that the ride would be much smoother with a load in the cargo area.
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Words and photos by Mark Allen
It's a hairy-chested V8 turbo diesel with huge power outputs, but can it handle a large caravan? Mark Allen is disappointed.
Plenty of people have given the big thumbs up to the stump pulling 151kW and 430Nm V8-engined 76 Series (along with the 78 and 79 Series Troopy and ute) and fair enough it deserves it... to some degree. Driving this hairy chested, brutish V8 utilitarian truck around the tracks empty or with a load in the cargo area would serve most blokey blokes well. It roars load to tell all and sundry of what lurks under the bonnet (which is quite an intrusive noise in the cabin). It returns a solid, kidney-shaking ride when empty and has a long notchy gear stick that would do a 1960s Bedford truck proud and has very few safety features - all great if that's what you want in this day and age!
With the two-tonne Jayco Outback van hitched up and crawling around in peak hour traffic, the 76 could launch from first, quickly work its way through second and third gears to easily reach and maintain traffic speed. Fourth and fifth could also be used to lope around at lower speeds until the next red light or clown who decided to pull out in front of the in-excess-of four-tonne (empty 76 plus Jayco) test rig. Stopping was easy with the front and rear disc brakes, especially with the van electric brakes helping out.
read on below advertisement
On flat and slightly undulating open roads the 76 could again easily maintain maximum speed limits, but boy what a shock when just a mild hill came into play. The poor, gutless... yes, this is the mighty 4.5-litre turbo V8 diesel we're talking about... Cruiser quickly dropped back to fourth in a struggle to maintain 100km/h. Medium to steep hills saw the suffocating brute drop into third gear at high revs (for this engine) of 3100rpm to keep just 80km/h. A quick change back up to fourth gear... ha, that's a laugh - don't expect to make any quick changes in this notchy gearbox - saw revs and road speed drop again; those long steep hills required patience in third until things levelled out a little.
This lack of 'go-power' with a large van was extremely surprising and most disappointing to the point that the only reason you'd consider purchasing a 76 would be as a tough tourer, not a tow truck. Combined with the extremely noisy cabin from the engine roar, the slow gearbox and bone-jarring ride, you'd really need to be an enthusiastic 4WDer to want this truck over others on the market. The only saving grace is that the ride would be much smoother with a load in the cargo area.
next page »
