Weight Distribtution Bars on Disco 3

**gghaggis** · 1st February 2008, 02:32 PM

I bought a Discovery to tow a caravan, I'm still improving on it, to do it better. In the mean time, I do NOT want to see people have accidents towing a caravan from advice that maybe true from a Land Rover angle, but outright dangerous from a towing angle.

Without trying to inflame the situation any further ..........

I appreciate that you're trying to share the knowledge you've gathered via your D2. But you do know that this is an area for comment on D3s, right? Providing what might well be sanguine advice on how to tow caravans with 'Cruisers, D2s, Freelanders, Rangies is just not applicable in this case.

Unfortunately, I just cannot see how anything you've posted is even relevant to an air-equipped D3, let alone showing it "... outright dangerous from a towing angle." - which smacks of scare-mongering.

The specifics of towing a caravan behind these cars are quite different (as we who have done it are trying to point out to you). Using WDH attachments will only confuse the car's control module, possibly leading to exactly what you are trying to avoid - an unsafe towing environment.

Like off-roading in these things, it's a whole new ball-game. You'd be surprised how many 'old tricks' old-hand 4WDers have to unlearn when taking the D3/RRS cars offroad. In some ways, this is similar.

Cheers,

Gordon

**BigJon** · 1st February 2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by djhampson

It says that the suspension is cross-linked, does this mean that if the right rear wheel is pushed up, the air is forced into the front left airbag forcing it down?

The crosslinking occurs when in low range only.

It allows air to travel from the rear air bags side to side and the front air bags side to side.

There is no fore / aft linking.

What this emulates is the action of a live axle when articulating, ie as one wheel is forced upwards the other one in the axle set is forced downwards. This gives better suspension articulation.

In high range there is no cross linking, so full independent suspension is retained (aside from swaybar action).

I hope this clears it up

.

RonMcGr · 1st February 2008, 02:54 PM

Gordon,

I give up!
I am no longer going to reply to anything on this thread.

This is far too confusing, because everyone said "It's a D3" and they are different.

Sorry, I don't care whether the suspension is solid rubber, leaf springs, coil spring, hydraulic or air sprung. It is TOTALLY irellevent..

If anyone is genuinely interested in the weight and balance required for towing, please PM me.

I'll try to draw up a diagram of the weight/balance issue and how to compensate.

Goodbye, Weight Distribtution Bars on Disco 3, thread.

**Steve Jillett** · 1st February 2008, 03:14 PM

Good afternoon all,

I would like to add my experience with towing with a D3. Whilst I don't tow a caravan, I do tow a 1900kg boat. It is a tandem trailer so does tow better than a single axle. Our TDV6 D3 just towed the boat from Sale in Vic to Kangaroo Island and back again. We did approx 4000 km over Chrissy. I don't have a WDH and the boat towed beautifully. We towed over a variety of terrains and speeds up to 110 kmh and never had any issues. I used to tow the boat with a Prado, which was vastly different. I should have used a WDH system with the Prado but I knew I was getting the D3 so didn't bother. Again I am not sure if boats and caravans tow similarly but our boat is rather large I would assume has similar dimensions to your larger style caravan.
Cheers
Steve

**djhampson** · 1st February 2008, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by BigJon

The crosslinking occurs when in low range only.

It allows air to travel from the rear air bags side to side and the front air bags side to side.

There is no fore / aft linking.

What this emulates is the action of a live axle when articulating, ie as one wheel is forced upwards the other one in the axle set is forced downwards. This gives better suspension articulation.

In high range there is no cross linking, so full independent suspension is retained (aside from swaybar action).

I hope this clears it up

.

Cool Thanks! Looks like I got it all wrong

Nice to know another reason for putting the D3 in low range too.

**gghaggis** · 2nd February 2008, 01:58 AM

Oops - see next post

**gghaggis** · 2nd February 2008, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by RonMcGr

Sorry, I don't care whether the suspension is solid rubber, leaf springs, coil spring, hydraulic or air sprung. It is TOTALLY irellevent..

If anyone is genuinely interested in the weight and balance required for towing, please PM me.

And if anyone is interested in knowing why Ron is only partially right, and how it affects a vehicle with an active suspension system, then just PM me and I'll try not to bore you with diagrams and such.

Cheers,

Gordon

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 2nd February 2008, 07:20 AM

**feral** · 2nd February 2008, 08:32 AM

Oh dear and another WDH thread turns ugly

As a owner of a smallish van and a member of various caravan forums I have read and contributed to heaps of WDH discussions and eventually all of these end in tears

Why?

I find it amazing that the pro WDH give the impression that it is the be all and end all of towing problems. It's not. I have seen many a picture of upside down vans and vehicles WITH WDH so that suggests to me that there are other forces at play. And the logical reality is that there are too many variables like how the rig is packed, tyre pressures, wind speed, contour of road, weather..ect, all of which contribute to the safe towing of vans and boats.

As for towing with a D3....new technology, new thought processess, new way of doing things. I would wait until more evidence was presented before I make a decision on a WDH.

**discomaniac** · 16th February 2008, 02:48 PM

Hi All,
Seems that most comments here come from people that don't even drive a D3. I drive a D3 SE TDV6 and tow a caravan without WDH. Tows beautifully, Level, no swaying, all good. First hand experience.
WDH - don't need them on a D3

Discomaniac

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