In my travels I have seen heaps of D4's towing big caravans and they seem to do it with consummate ease[thumbsupbig]
IF the OP is unhappy towing his van with a D4 then maybe he needs to trade it in on a 79 series that will tow just about anything But it will be Nowhere near as comfortable or refined as a D4.
Without reading 50 pages here, I tend to agree. 10% for a heavy trailer is way too much and makes the tow vehicle move around as it pushes the back around - also why LR quote really high pressures on the rear when towing.Quote:
Originally Posted by donh54
I tend to think the most important thing, apart from overall weights, ok the 2nd most important thing is to keep the trailer loads centred over the axles with heavy stuff if anything forward of the axle to prevent sway, and to not go silly with ball weight - I look for about 25mm drop on the tow bar max when loading which is heaps and heaps. Your tow setup will handle really well in the corners and with stability. It also helps retain your ability to brake and doesn’t send you headlights too far up into the trees.
I used this method all the time, I look at the height of the tow ball drop as the load is applied.......Quote:
Originally Posted by Slunnie
quite often I have to explain the the forklift driver why I want him to either push the pallet on more or drag it back that I’m looking for a small drop in height of the hitch instead of looking at where the load is on the trailer.
I noticed one towing guide recommended a TBW of 7-15%, which seemed good advice.
On the Defender I attach the load and then pump the rear airbags until the vehicle is level, using the Bubble level ap I downloaded to my phone.
A point made above about LR recommending high rear tyre pressures when towing is important. The placard recommends 48 in the rear of the Defender.
As an experiment I was towing my 1900kg laden camper trailer down south and wanted to see what difference LLAMS would make to the handling of the whole rig.
In a word, REMARKBLE.
At level height and at 175kg on the ball it handled ok. -20mm on LLAMS (with a minor forward movement of the trailer’s CoG, and subsequently increasing ball weight) it handled SO MUCH better both on straight and through bends.
Conversely, with LLAMS set to +20mm above it felt wallowy and bouncy.
I’ll keep LLAMS at standard height but I’ll be making a minor adjustment to my standard hitch height for sure.
Hi Weeds, now the three of us are in agreement... I am still querying the 200kg reduction mentioned in the handbook, but I can work with this...Quote:
Originally Posted by weeds
Dear Mr Tapper,
Thank you for your patience whilst we investigate into your query.
To confirm, our Product team have liaised with our UK Office for assistance with your weight and towing query.
They have advised based on your VIN details provided and Australian Design Rules:
Curb Weight = 2568 kg (that includes 90% fuel but not a Driver)
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) = 3240 kg
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – 350 kg nose load = 2890 kg
2890 – 2568 kg = 322 kg available payload for passengers and cargo providing stipulations below are met.
- Make sure to never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), the Gross Train Weight (GTW), or the front and rear axle weights.
- Include the trailer's nose weight when calculating the GVW and the rear axle weight.
- When calculating the vehicle's rear axle weight, the vehicle's payload weights must also be considered. Include the combined weights of all the rear passengers, the loadspace, roof rail, accessory equipment, and the trailer nose weight. The combined weights must never exceed the GVW or the maximum weights for the front and rear axles.
- Make sure that the GVW, the GTW, and the maximum rear axle weight limits are not exceeded when applying the trailer nose weight. If required, reduce the weight of the vehicle's payload.
For your records, it is best recommended to print a copy and leave one in your vehicle's glovebox for future reference.
Assuring you of our best intentions at all times.
Kind regards,
Daniel
Customer Relationship Centre Administrator
Jaguar Land Rover Australia
Cheers
David
Mick, got the following response from Land Rover...Quote:
Originally Posted by DiscoMick
Dear Mr Tapper,
Thank you for your patience whilst we investigate into your query.
To confirm, our Product team have liaised with our UK Office for assistance with your weight and towing query.
They have advised based on your VIN details provided and Australian Design Rules:
Curb Weight = 2568 kg (that includes 90% fuel but not a Driver)
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) = 3240 kg
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – 350 kg nose load = 2890 kg
2890 – 2568 kg = 322 kg available payload for passengers and cargo providing stipulations below are met.
- Make sure to never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), the Gross Train Weight (GTW), or the front and rear axle weights.
- Include the trailer's nose weight when calculating the GVW and the rear axle weight.
- When calculating the vehicle's rear axle weight, the vehicle's payload weights must also be considered. Include the combined weights of all the rear passengers, the loadspace, roof rail, accessory equipment, and the trailer nose weight. The combined weights must never exceed the GVW or the maximum weights for the front and rear axles.
- Make sure that the GVW, the GTW, and the maximum rear axle weight limits are not exceeded when applying the trailer nose weight. If required, reduce the weight of the vehicle's payload.
For your records, it is best recommended to print a copy and leave one in your vehicle's glovebox for future reference.
Assuring you of our best intentions at all times.
Kind regards,
Daniel
Customer Relationship Centre Administrator
Jaguar Land Rover Australia
I think it clarifies most things...
David
Ive posted Land Rovers response to me in case you want to check it....Quote:
Originally Posted by Blknight.aus
Thanks. Interesting.
I've read all this - and now my head hurts!
I have a simple approach to towing with my D4. My boat/trailer loaded for fishing weighs 2600kg. The trailer is dual axle with roller rocker springs and electric/hydraulic brakes to all four wheels rated at 3200 kg.
Its set up for a TBW of 250 kg.
I load whatever else I need to take into the Disco and go.
I have towed the boat >20,000 km in the last year, including three trips to the NT. My D4 tows the boat like its not there, and I tow at the speed limit (ie 130 km/hr in the NT) if road conditions allow. I generally tow 1,000-1,400 km in a day.
The D4 is the most capable, sure footed, comfortable, safe, easy travelling vehicle/tow vehicle I have ever driven - period!.