Thread: D3 vs Freelander 2 for towing ind sand

This is a trick question right? A D3 vs a Freelander towing in sand??

D3

Cheers,

Gordon

I would go out and have a good test run with another 4x4 , I think you will be very pleasantly surprised what the FL2 is capable of, A lot of people judge a book by it cover, I play in some of the biggest sand dunes in Australia in (Stockton Beach ) and it has dunes that make Big Red seem like a mole hill, I sometimes go out and purposely try to bog the FL2 and it take a doing.I run my tyres on 10psi though, a lot owners people would say that's to low . The power to weight ratio of the FL2 would surprise a lot of 4x4 owners, I have never missed not having low range, my mates D3 often gets bogged before my FL2, I whip around the dunes effortlessly , though I have never towed a van, only my Pod trailer, it weight would rarely get over 700kg.

I think the key issue here is ground clearance as the poster says he wants to drive on a track with very soft patches. To me this implies a high crown and I believe high crowns and FL2s will not mix well.

I went sand driver training at Stockton a few months ago and one of the cars was an Evoque which IMHO is a FL2 in drag.

The Evoque outperformed D3s climbing flat sand but got really stuck in a short stretch of high crown because of the low front crossmember.

So my vote goes to a D3 although my old D2 with no centre diff didn't get bogged once while several D3/D4s did.LOL
Regards Philip A

Yes it is clearance that I'm sure will be the problem. The van lowers the tail by probably 40-50mm.
I do know it is very capable on flat sand but I have had it on its belly on the exit off main beach at straddie with wheels dangling in the cruiser tracks on the soft sand... Partially my fault as I didn't have the tyres low enough and was trying to follow one track whereas I should have beat my one path.

The particular track I have to follow this Xmas has a chopped up soft corner - where I managed to stop in a 100 series diesel cruiser last time. In high range... And tyres still too high even though we did lower them - my mate that was already there " she'll be right" at 25 psi (and 35 on the van)

I plan on deflating FL tyres around 12 (maybe a bit higher on the rear with the load of the van) and the van tyres at around 20 (there big tyres usually at 50)
It has great pulling power (hardly know the van is behind on the tar) it's just the clearance that I think is going to pull it up.

Originally Posted by Meken

Yes it is clearance that I'm sure will be the problem.

Just be aware that the FL2 has similar stock ground clearance to some stock dual cabs and has more clearance than one well known and popular brand. Many people compare softroaders with their lifted jap product.

I have been on Fraser with a 1979 Subau Wagon and had no issues as all - yes the crown on the tracks is high but with considered driving you will have no major problems.

Bog standard 80 series and 100 series cruisers that still have the spare under the back will have more trouble on the tracks than you will.

Garry

The 100 with IFS which was all but the base model was a shocker in sand...low suspension component and low front make them a sand shovel even if the pumpkin is up higher.

Cheers

Meken - if your wife is worried about taking the F2, isn't that your ticket to go and get a D3/D4 ?



Ron

Inskip point normally has plenty of traffic so should be someone to help it you get stuck. You can see Jimmy Salsa's vid of him going to Fraser he got stuck towing trailer with his RRS on the soft bit going to ferry. So any car can get stuck I wouldn't be too worried about Inskip mainly because the of relative ease of getting some help if needed