Thread: Disco 4 - 2.7l Caravan stability

I was under the impression that our D4's had trailer stability assist to stop this sort of thing. Will have to remember your experience when I next tow

What is your towball weight?

D4 has stability control but this did not work.
Ball weight approx 200Kg. Van fully loaded approx 3t.
I believe I may be able to use a Reese Hitch with anti sway but not use weight distribution bars.

I just towed my 21' van on the weekend. It is super stable.

Is your Disco & van coming back to level when hitched? I found the LR tongue sits my van to low. I used another hitch to bring the rig level.

Hi freopete, I have a 20 foot cuddy cab boat and I have noticed that there is a fair bit of difference to the vehicle if I pack most of my gear towards the front of the boat or the rear. The less weight at the front, the better the vehicle drives

Hi freopete,

Maybe your ball weight might be a bit light on. I believe general rule of thumb is ball weight should be around 10% of van weight to ensure stability.

I regularly tow our 2.4t (loaded) van with a D3 all over this country without any drama and my ball weight is 220kg to 240kg depending on how much water we are carrying at the time.

I did spend considerable time at the beginning to ensure my hitch height matched the van hitch height with the van loaded and level. I also always ensure I leave the engine running when hitching the van.

Cheers,
bobk

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I get the feeling that I might need a little more weight on the towball from what I have read. Has anyone used a Reese Hitch with anti sway bars (not load distribution)?
If not using the standard towball/tongue what type were you using?
What is the warranty situation & the insurance perspectives if not using LR parts?

Originally Posted by bobk

Hi freopete,

Maybe your ball weight might be a bit light on. I believe general rule of thumb is ball weight should be around 10% of van weight to ensure stability.

I regularly tow our 2.4t (loaded) van with a D3 all over this country without any drama and my ball weight is 220kg to 240kg depending on how much water we are carrying at the time.

I did spend considerable time at the beginning to ensure my hitch height matched the van hitch height with the van loaded and level. I also always ensure I leave the engine running when hitching the van.

Cheers,
bobk

I have to agree. The ball weight seems very light on if your overall weight is 3T. I would get the bias towards the front, and if you cannot get all the weight you need to the front, at least get it over the axle(s) I the rule of thumb is 10 - 15%. If not sure I would err towards the 15%.

The point made by bobk on getting the tow vehicle and the caravan level is also spot on. There are numerous reese hitch lugs available to allow height adjustment of the ball.

The use of anti sway without the weight distribution hitch being employed, limits you to the friction control type. It uses a mini towball welded to the side of the WD head. One end sits on this 'towball, the other is attached to your caravan A frame. There is friction material in a sliding mechanism to act as a damper to sudden shifts in the angle of the A frame to the tow vehicle. The best type of anti sway uses the weight distribution bars and a cam set up. Very effective, but inappropriate for the D3/D4 air suspended Disco's.

Seriously, I would get the basics above correct first, before even contemplating going down the anti sway path.