2019 Pajero Sport Tow Bar

[Evie]

Hi all, I am a newbie, Have just purchased a new 2019 Pajero Sport yesterday to use with my new caravan which is on order. I am working with my dealer having the add ons done, the electrical work required on the Sport for my van is being outsourced by the dealer to a 4wd company. I am stuck on my choice of tow ball, the Pajero Sport Manufacturers towball kit comes with the very unattractive black bar. I have been given the choice to have a Reece Haymans towball fitted with a lesser warranty than the manufacturers set up but I need to know why the Sport is their only vehicle with this bar set up and if I go with a conventional towball set up what I am negating by not having the original bar set up, Mitsubishi are not able to tell me what purpose this different set up serves and why it is different to their other models?? Can anyone please give me some advice so that I can make the best choice for my vehicle and caravan, dont know if it will weaken the strength of the 3100 towing capacity by not having the bar tow ball set up, any guidance would be very welcome, thank you in advance, Yvonne

[old Jack]

Hi Evie,


MMAL towbar is a factory approved accessory but it does hang down low and it will drag on creek exits if you are into 4wding. It does provide a level of protection if you reverse into something. Aesthetically it is better than the towbar that is fitted to most dual cab utes!

Aftermarket towbar, HR or similar, these are hidden behind the rear bumper cover and give you an integrated look, they do not compromise the exit angle but they do not offer any protection from minor rear end accidents. These towbars are better if you are towing an off road camper trailer or off road van as they normally have a higher hitch receiver/socket.

By Australia Law both towbars have to be compliant and correctly rated.


OJ.

[Evie]

Pajero Sport Towball

Thanks Jack for your reply. Gee thats still a hard choice, I just dont like the aesthetics of the bar, downside I suppose is that it sits permanently lower which could cause some issues, plus side is it will be the first stop for any minor dings at the back. I am also a little cautious with fitting an aftermarket towbar if it will negate my warranty when towing?? What I am finding hard to understand is why is the towbar fit out for the sport is not like every other factory fit with the integrated look, what was their reason to fit this lowball differently, does it have anything to do with strength ?? Thats probably my biggest question and Mitsubishi are not able to answer it for me!!!

[old Jack]

Thanks Jack for your reply. Gee thats still a hard choice, I just dont like the aesthetics of the bar, downside I suppose is that it sits permanently lower which could cause some issues, plus side is it will be the first stop for any minor dings at the back. I am also a little cautious with fitting an aftermarket towbar if it will negate my warranty when towing?? What I am finding hard to understand is why is the towbar fit out for the sport is not like every other factory fit with the integrated look, what was their reason to fit this lowball differently, does it have anything to do with strength ?? Thats probably my biggest question and Mitsubishi are not able to answer it for me!!!

Hi Evie,

The only reason an aftermarket towbar or any other accessory voids the warranty is if it causes or contributes to a failure that results in a warranty claim. Do not believe the BS spun by new car sales people. The genuine accessory towbar is not made by Mitsubishi but is made by an aftermarket supplier for MMAL. All towbars sold in Australia must meet the required standards including strength so no issues with fitting these. The PS towbar is a carry over from the PB/PC Challenger as both vehicles share the same chassis. If you choose to fit an aftermarket towbar then make sure you get the plug and play electrical wiring loom with ECU. Hayman Reece have a new design anti rattle system which is wedge wings on the hitch pin and this systems works really well compared to the convential anti rattle bolt that can not be used when the trailer is attached, the HR anti rattle system works all the time also it is a quieter hitch when in use.
OJ.

[BruceandBobbi]

Non genuine towbar will not affect your warranty.

My guess is there are more non genuine fitted here than genuine.

[Evie]

Thanks Jack, if it is only a design issue and doesn't affect the strength of the tow bar then I am inclined to go with the HR after market, I have printed off your info on the new design anti rattle system and will chat to the 4wd installer and educate myself around this issue, so much to learn. I have the list from my caravan co in regards to the 12pt pin and the red/grey Anderson plugs, electric brakes, esc etc, always willing to learn, think I can also add an isolator switch (probably not the correct technical name!!) so that if I am stopped for a while and hitched up it will not drain my vehicle battery, I have 2 van batteries with solar. thanks for your help, Yvonne

[Evie]

Thanks Bruce and Bobbi for your input, am now leaning towards non genuine HR, looks a lot neater and will be installed by a reputable co with a guarantee, pleased to hear that there are probably more non genuine fitted than genuine, I think it is the sales pitch that sews the seed of doubt about installing anything non genuine, its all new to me, so much to learn, have a small 16foot van atm so upgrading both so lots to take in at once, Ill get there, thanks again, Yvonne

[old Jack]

Hi Evie,

You stated that you are upgrading both car and caravan.
What size and weight caravan are you looking at?
Selecting the best caravan for your needs vs your wants vs your budget is not easy. Many caravans give the perception of great value with all the luxury mod cons that your old 16 footer will not have. If you are planning on buying and towing a big, long, heavy caravan then the Pajero Sport is not the vehicle to tow these "apartment on wheels" for extended periods.
The 3,100kg rated towing capacity is not realistic, as are most of the rated towing capacities of almost every other recreational 4wd on the market. Sure these vehicles will haul a 3,000kg to 3,500kg boat to the local boat ramp or a tradie trailer with a bobcat on the back around the city and suburbs at sub 80kph but towing these sorts of weights at highway speeds is a very different matter.

The biggest problem is not the total weight but where the weight is distributed over such a long, wide and high load.
Most large caravans are not truely dynamically stable as most of the weight is at the front and rear of these long vans so you have serious inertial moments causing instability once over 80kph.
You will not have to search too far online to see the consequences of what can happen when towing a large heavy van with a mid size 4wd when things go pear shaped.

OJ.

[Evie]

Jack, my van is 18.7 length tare is 1940 tow ball 180 atm 2500-2600
I will be the sole passenger in the vehicle, 2x95l tanks, solar, 2 batteries but then not adding a lot more to the van, I have done my sums on both weights of vehicle and van and gross combined weight and on paper to me it looks good and I dont believe I will be pushing the Pajero to its limit, am happy for you to give me your opinion. thanks Yvonne

[nj swb]

Jack, my van is 18.7 length tare is 1940 tow ball 180 atm 2500-2600
I will be the sole passenger in the vehicle, 2x95l tanks, solar, 2 batteries but then not adding a lot more to the van, I have done my sums on both weights of vehicle and van and gross combined weight and on paper to me it looks good and I dont believe I will be pushing the Pajero to its limit, am happy for you to give me your opinion. thanks Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,

Having previously done sums on PS GVM / GCM I believe your ATM of 2500 / 2600 is about the largest van anybody should aim to tow long distance.

If you avoid overloading (and more importantly, improperly loading) the van I think the PS will be comfortably within its capabilities, and you'll have a very nice touring setup.

[Evie]

Thanks Jack for your opinion, always good to have someone with background and history go over the set up as well, I am a google queen and love forums such as this with people that have so much knowledge and willingly pass it on to newcomers, I really appreciate all the help I can get along the way to improve my knowledge, kindest regards Yvonne

[denisp]

Thanks Jack for your reply. Gee thats still a hard choice, I just dont like the aesthetics of the bar, downside I suppose is that it sits permanently lower which could cause some issues, plus side is it will be the first stop for any minor dings at the back. I am also a little cautious with fitting an aftermarket towbar if it will negate my warranty when towing?? What I am finding hard to understand is why is the towbar fit out for the sport is not like every other factory fit with the integrated look, what was their reason to fit this tow ball differently, does it have anything to do with strength ?? That is probably my biggest question and Mitsubishi are not able to answer it for me!!!

We got the genuine one and happy with it. I never have to look at it driving the roads but happy with the additional protection if offers. No damaged plastic fender when hitching up.

You need to be careful how heavy your caravan is as the 3100kg is just not practical when ready for the road. Look at the GCM at 5400Kg, the GVM at 2710kg and what a normal condition for you when towing the caravan is. The ball load adds to the load on the PS.

Make sure you read the comments on suspension in this forum, as the initial suspension is for ride comfort not load carrying.
Approach and departure angles are no problem to us, never go bush bashing.

We have added 120kg to the itare with what we have fitted, that reduced load carrying. Our combination works well, just two of us when caravaning, it has been a process requiring a bit of thought on what goes where and how much though.

Denis

[old Jack]

Thanks Jack for your opinion, always good to have someone with background and history go over the set up as well, I am a google queen and love forums such as this with people that have so much knowledge and willingly pass it on to newcomers, I really appreciate all the help I can get along the way to improve my knowledge, kindest regards Yvonne

No problems, with the advice.
What are you thinking about a WDH?
The PS rear coils are very soft and do not carry weight well. If you are maintaining the factory front suspension then a rear coil upgrade to King KCRS-23 is advisable, this is a comfortable progressive rate spring when lightly loaded but carries weight much better. For the sake of an extra $125 and whilst changing the rear coils I would strongly recommend replacing the factory rubber cone assistance springs with Peddars 5899 rubber cone springs, these activated earlier in the suspension compression and have a much higher assist force than the factory cone springs. This is a tried and proven rear suspension upgrade on both the Pajero Sport and PB/PC Challenger.

OJ.

[denisp]

Evie,
No problem with the MM tow bar. It was not developed for looks but will save you damaging the plastic bits at the back of the vehicle when hitching up.


I mentioned in the previous post, what you have now said, watch your weights.
We have a 2500kg max load caravan we tow behind our PS and also have the standard tow bar from MM. It is close to the ssuspension limits and PS GVM when loaded and hitched.


You might find the 180kg ball load is for caravan tare, not loaded. It is likely to be about 240kg when you fill the water tanks and load the caravan.
You will need to get your suspension sorted, the PS rear is for comfort not towing. Look in the posts and you will be guided well.
We do not use a WDH but the caravan sit level with our suspension change.

All the best,

Denis

[old Jack]

Hi Denis,

What did you change on the suspensions?
Do you have ride height measurements and coil part numbers?

OJ.