Can a Disco 4 tow a van with 350kg ball weight... I think not fit for purpose..

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Originally Posted by Barraman

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!.

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I reckon you are completely fine with what you have with your set up because of the following (calculations done to try and help anyone else who's head is being done in by this thread...):

Trailer capacity 3200kg and all up ATM of 2600kg is fine. No extra weight in the trailer means this is sorted as it stays at these numbers.
Assuming the 2600kg is the ATM (ie includes the ball weight), and the ball weight of 250kg is accurate, then you have 250kg on the ball and 2350kg through the wheels, still all good. Ball weight of 250kg is under 350kg max, so all good here too.

Then using the LR response, modified to suit your application you get the following:

Curb Weight = 2568 kg (that includes 90% fuel but not a Driver) (assuming your vehicle is the same as David's D4)

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) = 3240 kg (ditto as above)

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – 250 kg nose load = 2990 kg

2990 – 2568 kg = 422 kg available payload for passengers and cargo (and accessories fitted to the Disco of course).

Gross train weight (even if you load your vehicle up with 422kg of accessories, people and stuff up to the 3240kg GVM limit) means gross train weight is 3240 + 2350 = 5590kg, which is still well under the max for the D4. If you don't have the full 422kg of people and stuff on board, then your GTW is even less, and even more OK (if that makes sense).

Hope that helps!

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Originally Posted by Bewtiched

I reckon you are completely fine with what you have with your set up because of the following (calculations done to try and help anyone else who's head is being done in by this thread...):

Trailer capacity 3200kg and all up ATM of 2600kg is fine. No extra weight in the trailer means this is sorted as it stays at these numbers.
Assuming the 2600kg is the ATM (ie includes the ball weight), and the ball weight of 250kg is accurate, then you have 250kg on the ball and 2350kg through the wheels, still all good. Ball weight of 250kg is under 350kg max, so all good here too.

Then using the LR response, modified to suit your application you get the following:

Curb Weight = 2568 kg (that includes 90% fuel but not a Driver) (assuming your vehicle is the same as David's D4)

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) = 3240 kg (ditto as above)

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) – 250 kg nose load = 2990 kg

2990 – 2568 kg = 422 kg available payload for passengers and cargo (and accessories fitted to the Disco of course).

Gross train weight (even if you load your vehicle up with 422kg of accessories, people and stuff up to the 3240kg GVM limit) means gross train weight is 3240 + 2350 = 5590kg, which is still well under the max for the D4. If you don't have the full 422kg of people and stuff on board, then your GTW is even less, and even more OK (if that makes sense).

Hope that helps!

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Than you for taking the time to work through that. Its very interesting - and nice to know that I appear to be all good in the towing department!

Cheers

Lee

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Originally Posted by Barraman

Than you for taking the time to work through that. Its very interesting - and nice to know that I appear to be all good in the towing department!

Cheers

Lee

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You are very welcome. The numbers can be very confusing when you talk about actual weights versus allowable weight limits, and whether the tow ball load is included or not etc. Taken one step at a time, I think it all sort of makes sense, and is important to get right when punting about the contryside at 100km/hr or so with 6 or so Tonnes of metal involved...

It is interesting because the LR response seems to be different from the handbook. Beats me.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

It is interesting because the LR response seems to be different from the handbook. Beats me.

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I concur.

Perhaps the original letter writer could be persuaded to do a follow-up with LR. Maybe they (LR) just forgot to add the driver bit in their response.

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Originally Posted by tapda01

Ive posted Land Rovers response to me in case you want to check it....

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checked it...

and its not in line with what the dealers say when you ring in......

I reckon the vehicle manual is the officially approved gospel, if this went to court. Everything else is just opinions.

Just an observation - if your van, ball weight, loads in either the vehicle or van are so close to max capacity that you have to juggle the bacon and eggs and how big a dog you can put in the back - if it's that close to the wire, do you have the wrong tow vehicle and/or van in the first place? I know with my van I have around 100kg up my sleeve when I'm loaded ready to go, water tank full, and I'm only half of the towing capacity of the tow vehicle I use, so not only do I know I'm 100% legal when I set out, but also that the towing experience is easy, rather than heavy or 'on the edge' as some people's are. Not saying you can't or shouldn't have a big flash heavy van, but taking any vehicle close to its 'legal' limit will always be a compromise to stay within GCM.

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Originally Posted by SeanC

Yes GCM is always the same. But every kg over 150kg ball weight adds to the vehicle’s GVM therefore reducing the available payload for wife kids etc. Re-distributing the weight of the caravan does not change GCM but increases the available payload by reducing the tow ball weight. If tow ball weight is reduced from 350kg to 250kg that is an extra 100kg for the wife and kids which what the OP is concerned about.

Just to clarify. GVM + 3500kg = GCM is only true if ball weight is 150kg or below. Possible but not advisable.

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Well I towed this with almost no ball weight at all simply cos once loaded I could not adjust the load, The 2010 TDV6 handled like a dream, distance from axle combo centre to ball makes a great deal of difference, on vans 1600 is max distance from the ball to the front of van body, that is nutty, I have built so many trailers for 8m boats, always i gave em really long drawbars
this box has a 450kg fridge unit at the rear of this pick, the trailer is 850 tare, the load guessing 2500
upon you tube there is a vid of a d4 towing a van through slalem on wet roads, they could not get the disco to lose stability n control
Practical Caravan | Land Rover Discovery | Review 2013 - YouTube
Land Rover Trailer Stability technology - YouTube

Scroll down to the post about the Police weighing vehicles towing vans,campers,etc.


Traffic and Highway Patrol Command - NSW Police Force