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

Originally Posted by Aussie Jeepster

Wow, just think.
Some of us just want to hook the van on the back and drive off into the wilderness.
It has become so unbelievably complicated to do just that!!!
Alan

Nah....load up and head off is all I’ve done, although have always had actual weigh bridge weights even when slightly overloaded still selected 1st and rolled off the weigh bridge headed towards first destination. I no longer tow and I still get axle weights.

Wouldn’t surprise me if the number that towing are involved in less accidents when compared to those not towing.

Say F250 three times and all your problems magically disappear.

Originally Posted by Aussie Jeepster

Wow, just think.
Some of us just want to hook the van on the back and drive off into the wilderness.
It has become so unbelievably complicated to do just that!!!
Alan

That's exactly what we do Alan, but then we're not towing some monstrous ego boosting thing behind us. Just a small off roader we can get into many places with and avoid van parks.
The Cook reckons it's just dragging housework behind us and no way is she having that. As she's the boss around the place who does the cooking or most of it anyway, and all I want is somewhere to sleep and eat if it's wet, I agree with her. For once.
AlanH.

Originally Posted by tapda01

Hi Arapiles, I was with you all the way until you said you don't subtract the ball weight. The second you connect that ball hitch to the D4 you have eaten into your GVM which you have correctly calculated as the reduced 3,040kgs.. the link below defines everything...

Vehicle weights explained | tare, kerb, GVM, payload and trailer figures | CarsGuide

In your example you need a driverless car if you connect a van with 350kg ball weight... hence my fit for purpose comment... I love my disco and it tows large vans like a dream with great economy... but I am now of the opinion that well over 50% of all rigs are not legal and feel car manufacturers need to come to the party and stop making these capacity claims that are not realistic and misleading....


Cheers

David

not so.



you have only eaten into you weight IF you take it to 350KG.

if your ball weight is 150KG you dont have to worry about a thing because the D4 includes 150Kg ball weight in the GVM... if you want to have a ball weight OVER 150KG on the detachable hitch THEN you have to start taking weight out of the NET load of the vehicle not the GVM

so (using easy made up numbers) the GVM of the vehicle is 2000KG of which 500KG is NET payload. I can now still have a 150KG ball load.

IF I want to put 200Kg on the ball.

I have 2000Kg GVM of which 450KG can be net load and then have my 200KG ball load.

Originally Posted by ATH

That's exactly what we do Alan, but then we're not towing some monstrous ego boosting thing behind us. Just a small off roader we can get into many places with and avoid van parks.
The Cook reckons it's just dragging housework behind us and no way is she having that. As she's the boss around the place who does the cooking or most of it anyway, and all I want is somewhere to sleep and eat if it's wet, I agree with her. For once.
AlanH.

1987 Aussie Swag Off-road. Light as a feather. Goes anywhere. GCM?? what’s GCM???

Originally Posted by rocket rod

Have you put your concerns to Land Rover Australia?

Hi Rod, yes, I have sent them an email seeking clarification. They came back to me promptly asking for my VIN details. I await their further reply.

In the interim, I took my pretty much standard D4 with no accessories apart from brake controller and anderson plugs with a tank full of diesel to a weigh bridge.
It weighed 2,620kgs.
80 litres of Diesel weighs 67kgs meaning the tare is 2,553kgs. This is close enough to the stated tare of 2,568kgs for the SDV6 Diesel to I think dispel the theory put forward by many that weight includes 75kg for the driver.....

Cheers

David

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

total bull**** Evo,, nothing is built to those dimensions,, towball to axle = X,, behind axle to end of van = X ..

its just a sales gimmick..

Hi, I found this article quite interesting.. there does seem to be some reputable science behind it all with optimum being 6-8% of trailers gross mass...

Towball Weight and Trailer Stability

Cheers

David

Originally Posted by roverrescue

Assuming this is the wording in the book


"Australia only: The nose weight must be a minimum of 7% of the gross caravan/trailer weight, up to a maximum of 250 kg. When using the detachable trailer hitch receiver, see FITTING THE DETACHABLE TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER (Australia only), the nose weight can be increased to 350 kg if the GVW is reduced by 200 kg."


Now I’m not a lawyer but those that are working under the premise that reducing GVW by 200kg “includes” the whole 350kg are dreaming.

GVW - loaded to the gills equals X
GVW - with trailer at 250kg ball weight equals x
GVW - with trailer at 350kg ball weight equals x-200kg


So you have your GVW which is a stipulated mass
Now you need to actually measure **** - calculations are estimates, scalies don’t estimate they measure

So whack-a-do the big arse trailer on with 300kg ball weight, have vehicle on four wheel scales
The sum of the four scales (with trailer attached) MUST be less than x-200kg

As said axle loads must also be in spec.
It’s simple. Nothing is included in changing the GVW or is just a hard limit once ball weight >250kg.

It’s the same as nothing is included such as driver/ fuel whatever in GVW
That’s a hard limit measured by scales under the wheels

Sure those figures are important for “estimating” payload but the only sure fireway to measure payload is to measure your Tare with whatever you deem as “not luggage”

Just like caravan Tares are somewhat rubbery vehicle manufacturer stated tares are rubbery

What matters is the final mass on each tyre - not what you think it should be.

Anyways

Steve

Thanks Steve, I agree with you 100%, to which end I took D4 to weighbridge to get actual figures today as my starting point.

Cheers

David