Thread: can defender tow 3 ton all day everyday

Originally Posted by FV1601

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Get a good 110, side steps for the kids, extended seat rails for you (if you are over 5ft tall), hook up and go.
Rich

Now that is something else that some Defender owners will disagree about.

There are quite few Defender drivers well over 6ft tall who have said that they first thought they would need extended rails but they quickly learned that the upright seating position is surprisingly comfortable and that they had no need to change the seating position.

Originally Posted by FV1601

Yep, I was towing a car trailer with overrun brakes, the same set up as used for 10 years with on old (ie, non turbo) GQ Nissan, and while a slug towing, it never gave me a moments concern where the brakes were concerned.
I was very wary about getting involved with Land Rover again after getting fingers burnt 15 years ago, if I had known how bad the brakes are (Not only towing, but off road as well) the touch and go decision would have been a no. I will certainly be looking at different brake pads.

I'm not sure what the problem with the brakes is I've had to make a couple of emergency stops when towing my camper trailer and the last time if the brakes weren't so good I'd have probably had a head-on collision.

Originally Posted by vnx205

Now that is something else that some Defender owners will disagree about. There are quite few Defender drivers well over 6ft tall who have said that they first thought they would need extended rails but they quickly learned that the upright seating position is surprisingly comfortable and that they had no need to change the seating position.

Funny that you mentioned that. When I got my defender 6 months ago. I showed it to one of my work mates who is very tall 6'+. He couldn't get into my defender at all. I now have the Mulgo seat rail extensions fitted, as I also have a nephew who is 6'4". (I'm only 5'11" tall, but I find that it helps being able to put the seat back a little more.)

I got my tall work mate to try and get into my defender now that I have the rails. And he now fits in fine and with plenty of leg and head room. I found out that he is 6'9" tall, he even said that it's quite comfortable.

Wolf

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not all 6 foot is created equal.

leg and torso lengths vary considerably.

drive it wrong enough and you can brake fade anything...

of course drive it just right and you can get from one side of sydney to the other with 40+t over 7 axles and 26 tyres, have stoe cold drums and win yourself a carton of beer for doing so.

Don't forget the 150kg trailer ball weight, applies to all Defenders. I have been surprised at how heavy ball weight wise even some small 14ft off road vans can be - upwards of 200 kgs! Just a thought.

Originally Posted by Avion8

Don't forget the 150kg trailer ball weight, applies to all Defenders. I have been surprised at how heavy ball weight wise even some small 14ft off road vans can be - upwards of 200 kgs! Just a thought.

Not sure if it's different for different year Defenders but the 2014/15 handbooks state for Australia you can go to a maximum of 250kg ball weight but you have to reduce the load in the vehicle by 100kg if your at maximum load in the vehicle.

Originally Posted by loneranger

Not sure if it's different for different year Defenders but the 2014/15 handbooks state for Australia you can go to a maximum of 250kg ball weight but you have to reduce the load in the vehicle by 100kg if your at maximum load in the vehicle.

At times the ball weight and the max ATM or GTM of your vehicle can be limited by the tow bar fitted to your vehicle. I have a Defender towbar that is rated to 4 tonne. Others have them rated to 3.5 tonne, both Hayman Reese. Make sure you get the tow bar to equal the LRs rating.

Back on the fading brakes topic. Electric brakes, vacuum or electric over hydraulic all allow you to brake the trailer without it pushing onto the tow vehicle. Well setup trailer brakes that can be adjusted for sensitivity can be setup to help you pull up the tow vehicle without placing an additional load on the tow vehicle's brakes.

I could be preaching to the converted here but if you are towing 3 tonnes on overrun brakes you should get some better brakes fitted to your trailer, your Landrover will thank you.

Originally Posted by slug_burner

I could be preaching to the converted here but if you are towing 3 tonnes on overrun brakes you should get some better brakes fitted to your trailer, your Landrover will thank you.

Not sure on the regs of other states, but over here in the west any trailer up to 2T GTM can use override brakes. Trailers over 2T must have brakes operated from the drivers seat and breakaway brakes - Over ride brakes are not permitted.