Towing with Discovery 3

[Michael&Janelle]

Hello LR Owners,

We are brand new to LR and have just taken delivery of a Discovery 3. The LR supplied tow hitch seems to be quite low under the vehicle and I think our camper trailer will not tow level and will have a downwards attitude towards the car. Is there an easy solution I am not aware of, or do I have to invest in an after market tow bar? (which one?). Cheers, Michael.

[Diego Luego]

You should be able to get a goose neck and towball to lift the hitch point.

My RRS has exactly the same set up and for the camping trailer I used to tow (dead level) with my Defender I just needed a different goose neck

[Michael&Janelle]

Perhaps I should have mentioned my camper trailer has a Treg poly block hitch, not a tow ball hitch, so some of the adapters like the Hayman Reese adjustable type will not work.

MM

[CaverD3]

The OEM LandRover one was deigned by Work Experience Boy. You even have to remove the hitch to get at the spare tyre.

Yes there is a solution. Mitchell bros in Brookvale have made an off road hitch, engineered and rated to 3.5 tonne. Uses the towing eye as well as the OEM removable eye slot.

Message - AULRO Photo Gallery (http://www.aulro.com/app/showphoto.php?photo=10106)

Message - AULRO Photo Gallery (http://www.aulro.com/app/showfull.php?photo=10105)

For the whole story see:

http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic10853

[MarknDeb]

Hello LR Owners,

We are brand new to LR and have just taken delivery of a Discovery 3. The LR supplied tow hitch seems to be quite low under the vehicle and I think our camper trailer will not tow level and will have a downwards attitude towards the car. Is there an easy solution I am not aware of, or do I have to invest in an after market tow bar? (which one?). Cheers, Michael.

Gday Michael a couple that i know got D3 and had a new Hayman Reece towbar fitted and found the new bars tounge was higher than the LR one, I had a good look at the new bar and it bolts to the existing LR bar, a lot of thought has gone in to it by the looks

[johnc18]

G'day Michael
BY way of introduction,I'm only new here, but I can tell you the guys here are really good for helpfull information,and they've always answered my questions promptly.
I can't answer your question directly since I don't own a Disco yet, however-
I was talking to Hayman Reeece today on an unrelated subject and (as always) I brought up D3's.
And I was surprised to be told that HR started to make towbars for the D3's, only because of demand by Disco owners, because they wanted a stronger bar.
I could be wrong (because we were covering a couple of things), but I think the main demand was from owners who had the all-coil models who also wanted WDH's as well.
If nothing else,it sems like it would be worth your while to check out the HR towbars etc.
Cheers John

[simonl8353]

Hi Michael&Janelle

I'd check out the HR range.

For my D2 I bought a height adjustable HR type for $149 from Autobarn. This way I can raise it high when the bike rack + 3 bikes fitted and still get a good departure angle to go 4WD to find that perfect camp spot, then I can lower it when I tow a trailer. The adjustment is around 100mm I think and its perfect for what I do. Its also slightly longer so it clears the spare wheel (necessary when fitting the bike rack on a D2) although your D3 wont have this issue.

lets see a pic of the D3 pleeeese. :)

Ok, apologies, just re-read your post, and realise you cannot fit the HR type, sorry.

[Bushwanderer]

When I was at the dealers service centre recently :(, I saw another D3 with a very strong hitch receiver arrangement. I asked the mechanic what brand it was and he said he thought it was HR. While it was strong, it also sat very low & would compromise your departure angle. If you have no intention of going off road, this may not be an issue if you can find a suitable tongue arrangement.

If you are considering some off-road trips (as suggested by your treg hitch arrangement) I think that your best solution is the Mitchell Bros hitch receiver, as the receiver sits at mid-bumper height & doesn't compromise departure angle.

Best of Luck,

[CaverD3]

How do I post picws so they show in the body of the post?
I obviously have NFI.:)

[WhiteD3]

How do I post picws so they show in the body of the post?
I obviously have NFI.:)



Go to ImageShack® - Image Hosting (http://www.imageshack.us)
Upload your photo and tick the resize option. Say max 800 x 600.
Once uploaded, you'll see 4 links to choose from.
Copy the first link and paste it into your post.

Seems long winded (and it is) but it works.

[CaverD3]

Thanks white D3. IE did not like the image shack site much and kept closing? but got there in the end.

These are the photos of the Mitchel Bros Hitch.
A lot of work went into this with a lot of input from Disco 3 owners.
Designed for off road use.

Overcomes the problems of the OEM:

As said; remove spare tyre without removing hitch.
Maintains departure angle.
Correct height for off road trailer.
Tongue receiver can take any tongue to adjust ball height.
Fully rated.
It can be removed and replaced but it is easier to keep it attached.
OEM is way too low and if struck can jam in. this one is out of the way and is bolted on.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ (http://imageshack.us)

It comes standard zinc coated but I painted mine.

PS I do not have a financial interest in the hitch although I instigated the idea with Mitchel Bros and had input to the design.


http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/484/sidedz0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Michael&Janelle]

Thanks everyone. We fitted a Mitchell Bros hitch, and apart from having to do a minor adjustment to the reversing sensors, it solved the problem extremely well. Our Trak Shak towed straight and level, and the hitch proved it's strength when the trailer electric brakes inadvertently activated whilst we were cruising at 100kph. That was quite a surprise, and another story, but the Mitchell Bros hitch is a far superior option than the one supplied by LR.

Cheers,
Michael

[Bushwanderer]

Hi Michael&Janelle,
Thanks for the feedback.

I'm pleased that the forum was able to help.

Best Wishes,

[muppo]

Our Trak Shak towed straight and level, and the hitch proved it's strength when the trailer electric brakes inadvertently activated whilst we were cruising at 100kph.
Cheers,
Michael

It's not a "Made in China" Trak Shak?

[Lindsay Hart]

I have installed a Mitchell Bros tow hitch on my D3, your picture shows the removable plastic cover is installed, how do you get to the trailer plugs. Lindsay

[CaverD3]

I have cut around the cover to get it to fit around the hitch.
I remove the cover when I tow. Just like you would with the OEM hitch.
Intention is to replace the OEM plug witha wired in utilux socket recessed in the plastic cover.

[sniegy]

inadvertently activated whilst we were cruising at 100kph. That was quite a surprise, and another story, but the Mitchell Bros hitch is a far superior option than the one supplied by LR.

Cheers,Michael

Michael, did the lights turn on automatically or did u turn them on by chance ?

Then the brakes locked up!?