Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Just wondering if anyone has tried to tow a Delica behind a RV? I note there is a neutral between 4H and 2H and the vehicler rolls ahead while in park. I would hope this is true as I would love to take my van down south with me as a tow vehicle so I can enjoy it in the winter down south. Please help me out here.

Thanks Chuck

I would disconnect the rear drive shaft. Towing automatics is usually bad news, and having the transfer case slip out of "neutral" could ruin your whole day.

...laura

there is no true neutral on this transfer case so I wouldn't recommend towing it with the wheels down for very far with out adding a special pump to keep the tranny fluid moving (I have heard this is something RV people do to tow autos in neutral)

I note there is a neutral between 4H and 2H

not on my Delica there isn't...

The usual advice on these vehicles is never to tow them unless all 4 wheels are off the ground. So I'd say you're best to put it on a trailer.
There's a reason every RV you see has the same type of vehicle behind it, there are actually very few vehicles out there that can be flat-towed for any real distance.

Another thing that occurred to me this afternoon: do you have enough towing capacity to even consider this? Delicas are heavy. They weigh 2 tonnes. This is a lot more than most of the cars I see towed behind RVs.

...laura

All depends on the RV... I saw a F350 pickup, crew cab, long box, with duallies being towed behind one a couple months back... (when it's that big... why don't you skip the extra vehicle, and just drive the RV around at your destination!)

I'm not sure I want to know what that RV had under the hood!

...laura

marsgal42 wrote:I'm not sure I want to know what that RV had under the hood!

...laura

Retired C class ferry powerplant?

Hi Folks;

I am seriously interested in doing this. Can anyone recommend a mechanic who could determine what is necessary to safely tow an L400? My motorhome (ex Greyhound) would have no problem with the tow weight and I will add "trailer brakes" if I have to. I have posted on the UK and Ozzie site but they seem to think I'm crazy...

Maybe I am, but I still want to do it

john

No, I also don't think the Delica is a good towed vehicle. I will attest to it being a good towING vehicle, as I do tow various boats (using the rear tow hitch from E&H in Burnaby, mentioned in other posts). Not being a mechanic, here's my tuppence of concerns:

To be towed, You MUST have a vehicle that self lubricates drivetrain parts when the engine is not running, ie self lubricating by its own motion. Sidekick does this, which is why so many are towed.

As mentioned, heavy sturdy metal parts not plastic parts, thus breaking is a concern. The delica brakes are engine vacuum assisted, so won't give you full braking power even if you wired up an actuator from your greyhound to the delica' brakes.

Tow Points: NO extended front frame undercarriage beyond the front axle, thus you would be towing from the front "bumper" which is the "bambi Bars", not strong enuf IMHO to take highway speeds and centrifical force of going round bends at speed. When we tow delica out of mud, we attach to the tie-down points far underneath, not part of structural frame. We tug in a straight line of force, or for really stuck vehicles we wrap a strap around the axle. Neither of these points are a proper place to put a fixed towing bar to.

You could email to Glen of ccautos, Coombs Auto on Vancouver Island, who is The Delica Mechanic, and do please respect his opinion: if Glen won't do it then just don't attempt it.

Most of us would say, chuck the RV, use the deli instead. People kit these out as Expedition vehicles. We camp year round, we have a porta-potty, 1000 watt inverter, microwave, electric kettle, portable 12 v cooler, all situated on or near the firewall engine hump behind the front seats. Marinco plug outside, attached to inverter, for when we are in campsites with electricity. Jay is 6'3, we use a queen size foam or the airmattress over the folding captains chairs for "sleeping Mode". We have a boat table that fits into a hole in the floor between the captains seats for "Dining Mode" . We have a pop up folding shower tent (see cabelas website) if we dont visit a public pool for a shower. The DVD player, tV in laptop attach to a cable connection. In winter we have the electric blanket to heat the bed, or an small electric heater when plugged into mains power. Folding camp chairs, and a full campfire cooking set up of cast iron dutch oven and griddle and kettle hanging from a tripod for our outdoor dining. Yes, even the kitchen sink, a plastic dishpan. For extended trips, we put the basket on the rear hitch, holds 500 pounds of spare food, spare clothes, bikes, fuel, gear. Roof rack for whitewater canoe, ski /snow boards, and roller sunshade over the van side. We live well without using a lot of fuel.

Or, have one spouse drive the delica, other spouse drive the RV, meet up in the evening, look how few arguments there will are with no backseat driving. And watch how soon everyone fights for the fun of driving the delica instead of the RV.

Please research carefully before towing a Delica. Any breakdowns have always been told to put the deli on a flatbed, not to tow.

The people who have already replied to this post are all very knowledgeable about Delica's and are "outside the box" thinkers, but as you can sense no one here wants to see another sad Delica story on You-Tube.

Once you complete your research, please post your findings to share with the Delica Community.

Christine.

Oh Christine, thank you for such a helpful, extensive and kind response, I'm honored.

I should mention that I have wintered in Mexico for over 12 years now, since 2000 with the bus. I have towed a couple of small cars in the past after fabricating a skookum hitch. My 2 needs to tow the Deli are 1) local shuttling of the Deli without inconveniencing friends (no spouse) and 2) to get a "grocery getter" to Mexico.

Ya, I know. Over the top. Maybe a dirt bike makes more sense in Mexico. Tried it once, might try it again with a different bike.

However, I do lots of research before committing or rejecting a plan. My guess as to what is going to happen is this: I will put a hitch on the back of the Deli, I will investigate putting a hitch (2 inch receiver) on the front of the Deli for connecting a tow bar or a winch, I will get a price on a Remco driveline disconnect to suit the Deli then I will reject the whole plan as too expensive. Reality bites!

The thought of dumping the bus are out of the question. The thought of camping in the Deli for more than a few days at a time are kind of spoiled by my history with the bus. I am totally self sufficient in the bus thanx to large tanks, composting toilet and extensive solar system.

In any case, once I get possession (by this weekend, I hope), I will start the "camperizing" process. It will be a Transformer system as all camping stuff will be easily removable to make it a cargo or people mover quickly. I have enjoyed seeing (online) what others, here and abroad, have done. I hope to see what locals have done in person over this summer.

Thanx again Christine, look forward to meeting you, and others in the BC Delica community

john

DeliTan wrote:Oh Christine, thank you for such a helpful, extensive and kind response, I'm honored.

I should mention that I have wintered in Mexico for over 12 years now, since 2000 with the bus. I have towed a couple of small cars in the past after fabricating a skookum hitch. My 2 needs to tow the Deli are 1) local shuttling of the Deli without inconveniencing friends (no spouse) and 2) to get a "grocery getter" to Mexico.

Ya, I know. Over the top. Maybe a dirt bike makes more sense in Mexico. Tried it once, might try it again with a different bike.

However, I do lots of research before committing or rejecting a plan. My guess as to what is going to happen is this: I will put a hitch on the back of the Deli, I will investigate putting a hitch (2 inch receiver) on the front of the Deli for connecting a tow bar or a winch, I will get a price on a Remco driveline disconnect to suit the Deli then I will reject the whole plan as too expensive. Reality bites!

The thought of dumping the bus are out of the question. The thought of camping in the Deli for more than a few days at a time are kind of spoiled by my history with the bus. I am totally self sufficient in the bus thanx to large tanks, composting toilet and extensive solar system.

In any case, once I get possession (by this weekend, I hope), I will start the "camperizing" process. It will be a Transformer system as all camping stuff will be easily removable to make it a cargo or people mover quickly. I have enjoyed seeing (online) what others, here and abroad, have done. I hope to see what locals have done in person over this summer.

Thanx again Christine, look forward to meeting you, and others in the BC Delica community

john

A car trailer would probably be your best bet, or if you want to go half way between the bike and the deli get a kei truck or van, manual gear box with neutral on the transfer case.

I have to second the vote for a car trailer, it's probably your best bet for towing the delica (the full size pickup I mentioned earlier being towed behind a camper was on a flat deck trailer)