Thread: Touring Australia Towing a Caravan – Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 (MY13)

Hello AI post. The bolding gives it away. Good questions none the less. Good luck with the trip.

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

Hello AI post. The bolding gives it away. Good questions none the less. Good luck with the trip.

Fair call
I run my questions through ChatGPT because I’m terrible at wording them clearly — questions themselves are genuine though.
Appreciate the good wishes.

Originally Posted by tankwaste

G’day all,

I’m after some experience-based advice from D4 owners who have towed caravans over longer distances.
Vehicle details:

• 2013 Land Rover Discovery 4
• 3.0 SDV6 SE (MY13) – twin-turbo diesel
• Approx. 83,000 km
• Well maintained, regularly serviced

I’m planning extended touring around Australia with a caravan and want to sanity-check my assumptions before committing to a van and finalising setup. I’m well aware of the D4’s payload and ball-weight sensitivities, so I’m not looking to push limits — I want a combination that’s comfortable, predictable, and mechanically sympathetic.

I’d really value input on:
Caravan & Weight Realities

• What ATM range you’ve found works in practice, not just on paper
• Typical ball weights you’ve ended up with once loaded
• Whether you found single axle vs dual axle made a meaningful difference behind a D4

Vehicle Setup

• Suspension changes (if any) that actually helped when touring loaded
• Brake, cooling, or transmission-related upgrades worth considering
• Tyre choices and pressures that worked well when towing

Towing Equipment

• Experiences with WDHs on air suspension — what worked, what didn’t
• Brake controller recommendations that integrate cleanly with the D4
• Monitoring you considered essential (trans temp, EGT, etc.)

Reliability & Touring Experience

• Any D4-specific issues that showed up when towing long distances
• Preventative maintenance you’d recommend before a long trip
• Fuel consumption ranges you saw across different conditions

Lessons Learned

• Things you’d absolutely do again
• Things you’d avoid if starting fresh
• Anything you wish you’d known before hitching up and heading off

I’m keen to hear from members who’ve done serious kilometers towing with a Discovery 4, particularly in regional or remote areas. I’m not chasing brand debates or limit-pushing — just solid, experience-backed advice.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.
Cheers

A few initial comments for you.

Over the years I've towed a 3.5T van around AUS (more than 40,000K) initially with a 2010 2.7 D4, and then with my current 2016 D4 3.0, latterly with Cambo magic to just shy of 700Nm.
Have towed with various other vehicles over 50 years and none came close to the D4 for ride and feeling secure.
Obviously suspension should be top notch eg control arms. I'm also a maverick in that I follow the European idea of about 5% ball weight on the vehicle - works for me.
I usually traveled at around 90 as not in a real hurry but still get not unreasonable fuel economy. Spread sheet for current D4 shows an overall average of just under 19 L/100 km in 30K km of towing.
Extras include Mitch Hitch, Traxide dual battery system, fridge slide, rubber floor mats, HD mudflaps, GAP Tool, a small Stedi light bar, and flymesh inside the radiator grill.
I also have the X lifter, emergency air up kit, large hydraulic jack, wheel changer aid, and the usual basic spares and tools.

I'm assuming you'll have other convenience extras eg dash mat.

Let the influx of info commence

WDH devices don't play well with EAS so forget them.

At least the last 10 years, first with a D3, now a D4, I've towed heaps around Australia, on road and off road.

Suggested mods include;
Mitchell Bros Hitch (needed with the D3)
Hayman Reece IQ Compact brake controller (better and cheaper than the RedArc)
18" wheels with good quality AT tyres, don't bother with MT and DEFINITELY DON'T have them on your van. Not good.

For the van go as LIGHT as possible
Dual axle if over 1.5t ATM, else your asking for trouble in sand
Although your D4 will tow 3.5t with ease, a good rule of thumb for safety's sake is Tug heavier than Van. So try to keep the van upto about 3t loaded.
I tow a 21ft van with slide out, washing machine and all the fruit and it weighs 2.5t fully loaded. The same thing new will weigh about 3.5t (I have no idea how they can make them weigh that much!)
Old style leaf spring suspension will do fine anywhere, especially if you add shock absorbers to it. They have the advantage of being load sharing whereas coil and air bags are not, (unless you buy a Bruder!).
Do not get too impressed with air bags, they are NOT an air suspension system. We know how good those ARE.

Some of my personal favourites are;
Stone Stomper!!!!
Van door at the front, less problems with dust ingress.
NO MUD TYRES.
Single spare tyre only.
Composite construction, fiberglass external.
NOT too high, two steps max. Ground clearance doesn't need to be massive, it just means you will hit the roof when you try to go down some overgrown track.

Most problems are due to size and weight!

End of soap box.

Enjoy!

Originally Posted by ytt105

At least the last 10 years, first with a D3, now a D4, I've towed heaps around Australia, on road and off road.

Suggested mods include;
Mitchell Bros Hitch (needed with the D3)
Hayman Reece IQ Compact brake controller (better and cheaper than the RedArc)
18" wheels with good quality AT tyres, don't bother with MT and DEFINITELY DON'T have them on your van. Not good.

For the van go as LIGHT as possible
Dual axle if over 1.5t ATM, else your asking for trouble in sand
Although your D4 will tow 3.5t with ease, a good rule of thumb for safety's sake is Tug heavier than Van. So try to keep the van upto about 3t loaded.
I tow a 21ft van with slide out, washing machine and all the fruit and it weighs 2.5t fully loaded. The same thing new will weigh about 3.5t (I have no idea how they can make them weigh that much!)
Old style leaf spring suspension will do fine anywhere, especially if you add shock absorbers to it. They have the advantage of being load sharing whereas coil and air bags are not, (unless you buy a Bruder!).
Do not get too impressed with air bags, they are NOT an air suspension system. We know how good those ARE.

Some of my personal favourites are;
Stone Stomper!!!!
Van door at the front, less problems with dust ingress.
NO MUD TYRES.
Single spare tyre only.
Composite construction, fiberglass external.
NOT too high, two steps max. Ground clearance doesn't need to be massive, it just means you will hit the roof when you try to go down some overgrown track.

Most problems are due to size and weight!

End of soap box.

Enjoy!

Originally Posted by loanrangie

WDH devices don't play well with EAS so forget them.

Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

A few initial comments for you.

Over the years I've towed a 3.5T van around AUS (more than 40,000K) initially with a 2010 2.7 D4, and then with my current 2016 D4 3.0, latterly with Cambo magic to just shy of 700Nm.
Have towed with various other vehicles over 50 years and none came close to the D4 for ride and feeling secure.
Obviously suspension should be top notch eg control arms. I'm also a maverick in that I follow the European idea of about 5% ball weight on the vehicle - works for me.
I usually traveled at around 90 as not in a real hurry but still get not unreasonable fuel economy. Spread sheet for current D4 shows an overall average of just under 19 L/100 km in 30K km of towing.
Extras include Mitch Hitch, Traxide dual battery system, fridge slide, rubber floor mats, HD mudflaps, GAP Tool, a small Stedi light bar, and flymesh inside the radiator grill.
I also have the X lifter, emergency air up kit, large hydraulic jack, wheel changer aid, and the usual basic spares and tools.

I'm assuming you'll have other convenience extras eg dash mat.

Let the influx of info commence

Re: Engine tuning (~700 Nm)

“Current D4 3.0 (tuned to ~700 Nm) tows effortlessly and feels exceptionally secure.”

That’s interesting. Is engine tuning something you’d actively recommend, or more a “nice to have” once everything else is sorted? I don’t actually know what torque output my D4 currently has, so I don’t have a reference point for how much difference a tune would make when towing. I’m comfortable with mechanical concepts, just not experienced enough to judge whether it’s worthwhile or overkill for my use case.

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Re: Suspension condition

“Suspension must be in top condition (control arms, etc.) — non-negotiable.”

When you say “top condition,” do you mean proactively replacing suspension components before towing, or simply ensuring everything is well-maintained and within spec? Mine has been serviced regularly, but I’m trying to understand whether preventative replacement is strongly advised.

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Re: Weight Distribution Hitches & EAS

“Weight Distribution Hitches do not work with EAS — avoid entirely.”

Just to clarify, are WDHs something that comes as part of some caravans, or is this purely an aftermarket add-on? I want to make sure I don’t accidentally buy into something that’s incompatible with the D4’s EAS setup.

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Re: Hitch & brake controller

“Best towing setup includes Mitchell Bros hitch and a quality brake controller (Hayman Reese IQ Compact preferred over Redarc).”

Is there a specific reason to avoid the factory Land Rover hitch? Mine is the standard unit rated at 350/3500, so I’m curious what advantages the Mitchell Bros hitch offers beyond the factory setup.

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Re: Older vs newer caravans

“Older vans were lighter; modern vans are often unnecessarily heavy.”

That makes sense weight-wise, but one of my concerns with older vans is long-term weather and water ingress issues. Is this mostly manageable with careful inspection, or is it a real downside compared to newer vans?

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Re: Stone Stomper

“Stone Stomper is one of the best van accessories you can buy.”

Where’s the best place to source gear like this? I’m assuming it’s more specialist suppliers rather than Repco or Amazon-type retailers.

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Re: Spare tyres

“Carry only one spare tyre for the van.”

Does that imply running two spares on the Discovery itself, or relying on tyre interchangeability? Interested in how people usually approach this in practice.

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Re: Recovery vs touring intent

“Practical recovery and support gear matters more than flashy mods.”

We’re not planning on serious 4WDing, but I’m realistic that roads can deteriorate once you get remote. In your experience, is it reasonable to plan routes that largely avoid difficult terrain, or is some level of off-bitumen capability unavoidable?
Worth noting my partner is very risk-averse, so I’m trying to balance capability with sensible trip planning.

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Re: Listed extras (fridge slide, GAP tool, jack, etc.)
A couple of practical questions here:

• Is a fridge slide still useful if the van itself has a fridge, or is this more about day trips and roadside stops?
• Is the stock Land Rover jack adequate when towing, or would you recommend upgrading to something more robust?
• Best place to buy a GAP tool locally, and is it something you’d consider essential for longer trips?

I like having a fridge in the car, good for drinks and when doing trips into town for supplies or day trips.
I usually just occy strap it in no slide.

Originally Posted by tankwaste

• Is the stock Land Rover jack adequate when towing, or would you recommend upgrading to something more robust?
• Best place to buy a GAP tool locally, and is it something you’d consider essential for longer trips?

The stock Land Rover jack isn’t adequate for anything. Don’t bother with local for Gap unless you get one second hand. Direct from Gap in Canada is about 4 days in my experience.