Towing Interstate With My Fg Xr50 Turbo – Beware Super Long Post

[SmokinXR6]

Hi All,

Sorry it’s been a while since I have posted.

I can't believe this post is still a sticky. That is very humbling, thank you.

Since I wrote this post I have completed two more long distance towing trips and racked up a total of 36,000km +. Thought I would take the time to update my experience towing with my FG XR50 Turbo and at the same time take a closer look at its fuel efficiency whilst towing.

My car has performed brilliantly with next to bugger all issues. The only one that comes to mind is my tires. After 36,000 km my rears were well and truly shot (yes I have been gentle on the throttle for most of the time) however after several wheel alignments I have now been informed my fronts have worn abnormally (on the outer side) and will also need to be replaced.

Now getting back to my last two big trips. I have been using an iPhone app called "Road Trip". After using "Gas Cubby" for a while I gave Road Trip a go and found its additional features quite handy.

September 2011

Took off with the boat in tow heading for Adelaide. On the way over I averaged between 17.9 and 19.58L/100km. A few days later I towed the boat over to Port Vincent achieving a similar economy rate.

During this trip I also drove from Adelaide to Whyalla (without my boat). The drive from Adelaide to Whyalla is very mundane, sitting on 110km for most of the trip.

I do recall running into loads of traffic including heaps of B Double Semis. Despite having to execute a ton of overtaking manoeuvres (not that I am complaining as the FG Turbo is insanely quick when it comes to overtaking) I still managed a fuel average of 9.2L/100km.

Heading home with my boat in tow my fuel burn improved slightly starting out with an average of 18.96L/100km tearing up the Adelaide Hills and rounding out the trip with the final tank hitting 17.05L/100km. Overall another impressive towing performance

April 2012

This time we planned to drive from Melbourne to Whyalla, stopping for only a short while in Adelaide to pick up supplies. This trip was also different in that I didn't have my family with me; hence I was not as heavily loaded. The difference weight wise would be approx 300kg (1 adult, 2 kids and the additional luggage / toys to boot).

From a fuel consumption point of view the change was noticeable. From Melbourne to Adelaide I averaged 16.11 - 17.84L/100km. Heading out of Adelaide and across to Whyalla my fuel consumption improved further reaching 15.84L/100km.

Three days later the weather caved in preventing us from going fishing. So we used the downtime to pop into Port Lincoln (approx 250km away). This cruise saw my FG sip along at 9.65L/100km, not bad given the driving conditions etc...

Heading home a week later we encountered strong head winds at the beginning of the drive and a heap of traffic once we crossed the border into Victoria.

Having said this, my fuel consumption range was between 17.33 to 18.54L/100km.

So after 3 major trips I can now confirm that my beloved FG XR50 Turbo is not only the most powerful towing platform but also the most fuel efficient I have EVER owned (I have averaged two major trips towing my boat interstate over the last 10 years).

Whilst big 4WD will always provide a more stable towing platform I have grown to appreciate just how versatile a big sedan like the FG Falcon can be. It has proven itself as a very competent towing platform, performing flawlessly and at the same time it’s one heck of a daily driver.

That’s it for now. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Cheers,

Chris

[yeah ha]

Great read. For various reasons I bought the manual. What I was not told at the time was the limit of 1200 kg on the manuals even with HD tow pack. Bugger. At least its a lot of fun the rest of the time and 1200 covers most tow jobs, cant even feel the weight behind at most times.

[harryh]

I towed a big trailer full of a stack of rubble with my G6e turbo - over a tonne - and I could barely feel that I had a load on the back compared to my uncles Nissan patrol diesel with which I towed a similar load the week before and was constantly aware of the load.

The biggest danger is forgetting you have a load out back and having an accident as a result. Love this engine!

[FPV TRANNY]

I tow a 1750kg boat with mine and it knows its there.Sorry guys but my tuned D40 navara does it so much easier its not funny.Sure they can tow but there in no league to a tuned 4wd diesel...

[oldtimer]

I initially started towing our new caravan with a new Toyota Prado 3 Lt. Diesel in 2005. The Prado was the top of the range Grande and towed very comfortably, however, power wise it was a dog. The slightest rise and it struggled, to overtake a slower vehicle (80-90) you would need a ten klm straight, down hill run. Fuel economy wise also terrible, simply because it had to work so hard.

Traded it in for the BA XR6T after going for a test run in the standard Falcon and the standard XR6. We actually went in to buy the standard falcon and I saw the XR6T and thought it would be a buzz to take it for a run. The salesman said yer, you can take it for a run and off we went. Now remember, I am in my 60's, the wife and I took the damn thing for a run, returning over an hour later. We had zoomed all around the bottom of Mt Wellington on the twistiest roads and then back via the freeway.

My comment to the wife was "At last, Ford have actually made a vehicle that is balanced in all departments, it goes, it handles, and it looks the real deal, but I am not paying this for a tow car."

We got back to the dealership and asked could we take an ordinary XR6 for a drive as we liked the seats and handling of the Turbo. The salesman smiled and siaid "no problem" Off we went again, after 5 minutes the wife said "You can take this heap of junk back" which I did, the salesman saw us coming back so soon and laughed. he knew he had just sold a Turbo.

With that said, we then went about towing our caravan with it, it did not disappoint. Apart from having to be aware of the road clearance problem (lack of) the thing is simply brilliant. Power to burn and fuel consumption figures that do compare with the Prado.

We planned on doing a trip from Hobart to Adelaide and up the centre to Queensland with the caravan in tow and I was concerned about the ground clearance. So I purchased a Mercedes Benz ML270 AWD. Once again, comparing it wwith the Prado and XR6T, the Benz was up to the task, not quite as powerful, but certainly OK. Fuel economy was great 14.1L/100 ride, comfort, handling, etc very good.

I had planned on getting rid of the Benz or the Falcon when we got back, all I had to do was choose the best, between the two of them. I couldn't. When I told the wife I couldn't decide which one was the best, she said "Well, why not keep the Falcon as you do like it"

This year I have finally made the decision and we have traded the MB back in on a smaller car for the wife and we are back to towing with the XR6T.

Leaving in three weeks time for the annual trip from Hobart to Queensland, only thing I now have to decide is do I fit Polyair bags to the rear of the Falcon for that extra insurance of ground clearance?

The van weighs in at 1700kg and the car is fully loaded with junk.

Over the years I have towed boats, racing cars, etc with a lot of different type of vehicles, the three best in my opinion, Falcon GT, Mercedes Benz ML270 and the XR6T.

I do believe that the later model XR's are even better.

Oldtimer

[EF-MattyB]

I have a black XR50 turbo same as OP (but in ute) and I must admit they tow brilliantly. When moving back from mackay to the Sunshine Coast (860klms) I had the tray full (to the point I couldnt close the hardcover) and a 7x5 trailer full to the brim (probably too full) and the ute responded! I think it averaged just over 16.5l/100.

I was able to overtake with ease (must admit you do realise once there is a fair bit of weight being dragged).

Good to see there are many more happy XR50 and XR6t owners out there!!!

[Bellato]

Leaving in three weeks time for the annual trip from Hobart to Queensland, only thing I now have to decide is do I fit Polyair bags to the rear of the Falcon for that extra insurance of ground clearance?

Supposedly the polybags arent suited to our cars, maybe a higher hd spring that'll compress to stock height so its still gives clearance n you wont get bad tyre wear? A 20 min job to change the rear springs in n out

Edited 24/04/13 03:47 PM by Dagabond

[SmokinXR6]

I tow a 1750kg boat with mine and it knows its there.Sorry guys but my tuned D40 navara does it so much easier its not funny.Sure they can tow but there in no league to a tuned 4wd diesel...

Hi FPV Tranny and all,

I can’t believe one of my first posts on this forum is still pinned many years later, this is very humbling, thank you all

Interesting feedback FPV Tranny. I am 3 months way from the end of my lease and I am seriously considering an FPV. The only thing I hate is that they are de-rated to 1,600 kg I believe.

I never tuned my Navara but after many long trips towing my boat I was glad to see it go.

Whilst there is no perfect towing car, they are all about compromises; the Navara certainly commands the boat better due to its physical size and presence.

When it comes to power, torque, fuel economy and braking power the XR50 Turbo leaves the Navara for dead.

The other thing long distance towing has taught me is that many of the drawbacks of towing with a sedan can be addressed by other means.

My boat trailer finally gave up the dust late last year. I had planned to upgrade it this year so I knew what I wanted to do.

This time around I have up-specced my trailer, some say it is overkill but the difference was absolutely stunning.

Long story short my new trailer is rated to 3,000kg (my old trailer was rated to 2,000kg). Therefore apart from the heavier duty axles and springs it also has 14" mags and electric / hydraulic braking with full break away.

Chuck in my Hayman Reece Load Levellers and I now have a super stable towing platform with a braking setup that makes it a joy to tow with, I love being able to adjust my braking from within the cabin. The 14” wheels make a huge difference as well. If you want to improve your trailer going larger diameter wheels makes a huge difference.

I would have never believed it myself if I hadn’t done it, but the trailers ability to ride the bumps improves dramatically with just a 1 inch increase in diameter.

The only way I will go back to a 4x4 of crew cab is if I need to da allot more towing etc.. Considering that 85% of the time my car is just a daily driver I still feel a well setup sedan and well setup trailer makes a great compromise.

Please feel free to ask ma nay questions, happy to help out where I can.

All the best.

Chris

[SmokinXR6]

I have a black XR50 turbo same as OP (but in ute) and I must admit they tow brilliantly. When moving back from mackay to the Sunshine Coast (860klms) I had the tray full (to the point I couldnt close the hardcover) and a 7x5 trailer full to the brim (probably too full) and the ute responded! I think it averaged just over 16.5l/100.

I was able to overtake with ease (must admit you do realise once there is a fair bit of weight being dragged).

Good to see there are many more happy XR50 and XR6t owners out there!!!

Could not agree more.

I have kept track of my mileage from every fill up since the second tank using an iPhone App so I can tell how she performed on every long distance towing journey.

Long story short, from an economy perspective my XR50 Turbo kills everything else I have ever towed with, hands down. Of all the other cars I have owned (around 6 cars) none of them come even close to the XR50 Turbos’ fuel economy.

It all has to do with the massive amount of power and torque down low; you just can't beat that combination

With 3 months left on my lease I am finding it hard to let my car go.

It has been faultless and an absolute joy to drive every day.

I seriously lost count of the number of days I have taken the long way home

I am also waiting to find out more about the 2014 Falcon, I am hoping there is something there that will grab my attention.

Cheers,

Chris

[XRLENTFG]

Had everyone talking me out of a turbo for towing, but this has been extremely helpful thank you for sharing!