Towing Capacities

MM, thanks, but so far not much that I did not already know.
My current Defender 2000 Xtreme with ABS has in the handbook :
750kg unbraked on road
35000kg trailer with over run brakes
4000kg 4 wheel trailer with coupled brakes
Same as my D1 book and Rave manual.
I believe over run brakes to be the standard hydraulic non controlled trailer brakes and the coupled brakes to be cab controlled electric, air or hydraulic systems. Can someone confirm this.
I have told him to try TRS in Adelaide as they may have a 4000kg tow bar on one of their wrecks.
Generally it will only be a 10km travel trip with 100km max if going away.
I know the manual says the Disco can tow it but what I am after is are there any Australian regs that negate this capacity. I know they can tow more as I have seen many towing a lot more than 4000kg, but he wants to at least try and keep it legal.
Any more info on 70mm tow balls?

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Originally Posted by harlie

Dave – what does it list in your owner’s manual? Redbook lists the 2000 TD5 Defender X-treme as 3500kg...

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3500kg with over run brakes
4000kg for 4 wheel trailers with coupled brakes in both the manual that came with my 2000 Extreme with ABS and in the Rave manual.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harlie

I know for the Discovery – the early D1 was 4000kg but ALL discos with ABS (~96 on) have a manufacturers spec of 3500kg and I'm sure it's the same for the Defer and RR. There is some fine print on D2s with coil rear springs which push it down even further. Check the owner’s manual – the towing limit is the lowest of; the car manufacturer specs, tow bar fitted spec and the towball used.

Over 3500kg requires 70mm towball and coupling. Over 2000kg must have brakes on all wheels operated from the driver’s cab.

If you want a rover I would check the earlier Defenders or Range Rovers for the longer wheel base, I towed 3t+ with my then old D1 and it wasn't fun...

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I am not sure that the 2000kg figure is correct. I know a trailer we use at work is limited to 2000kg on its compliance stamp. I have used heaps of car trailers with standard hydraulic brakes to tow cars that have on their own weighed in excess of 2000kg and had no dramas with 3500kg weights stamped on the trailer compliance plate.. I thought the figure for this was 3500kg and the hydraulic brakes would suffice up to this weight. I know in my RR I towed a car trailer with a fully loaded LWB Pajero no dramas and that must have gone close to 3000kg.

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Originally Posted by disco2hse

There has been quite a bit of discussion on the forums about towing and ratings in Australia, and what kinds of rig are suited given weight/vehicle/distance/state regulations/etc. IIRC you are limited to 3500kg braked legally and if it weighs more I would strongly advise going for a truck.

100km is a long way to tow. There can be many places in that kind of distance where accidents can happen. I am sure any insurances would be invalidated in that case.

Alan

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:D100kms is a quick trip here in WA. I have towed cars on car trailers 2000kms plus. As long as the legal weights have not been exceeded how could it invalidate an insurance claim?

UPDATE:
Trailer will utilise a 6000kg pintle hook set up with electric controlled brakes on all 4 wheels.

I suspect that any towbar you find will be limited to 3500kg because this is the limit for the 50mm ball. If this is the case, your only solution will be a custom towbar or an upgrade to a towbar with an engineering certificate. You will need to talk to the tow bar manufacturers and/or an approved engineer.

John

On my D1 Reese I could have either 4000/120 or 3500/150 with a 50mm ball. You havent mentioned the towball vertical load yet which is the archilees heel of the D1's. No insurance company will cover you for over 150kg. And if you apply to the 10% rule of thum, your boat at 3.9t will have 390kg on the ball.

The Australian rules for trailers requires that anything rated to over 2000 kg GVM cannot use overrun brakes. Which means that towing a hire trailer with overrun brakes limits you to a vehicle of 1400 or 1500 kg max.

Like Taz I rcall that the towbar might be limited by the downward load. I have a 94-95 defender with a haymen reese bar rated to 4000 kg. I am not currently able to check the downward load limits but I recall 150 kg.

May be some one can sort this out.
My understanding is.
Anything over 2 tonnes being pulled must have break away brakes with the brakes operating on all wheels of the trailer.
Regardless of the vehicle manufactures ratings and tow bar ratings the weight of the towing vehicle must not be exceeded by the the trailer unless the towing vehicle is a ute or tray top etc and even then it is only by a percentage over the tow vehicles weight.
If a disco or rangie weights two tonnes , it cannot legally in aust pull more than two tonnes.
A Defender ute weighting two tonnes can pull just over two and a half tonnes legally.
I tow 2.5 tonnes of boat with my TDI300 defender with vacuum breakaway brakes and it is not much fun as the motor lacks torque off the mark and often needs to go into low range to get things moving.
The vehicle itself handles the job very well.
Common sense tells me anything over two tonnes on a much shorter Rangie or disco with taller transfercase ratios and solfer springs is asking for trouble.

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Originally Posted by CraigE

MM, thanks, but so far not much that I did not already know.
My current Defender 2000 Xtreme with ABS has in the handbook :
750kg unbraked on road
35000kg trailer with over run brakes
4000kg 4 wheel trailer with coupled brakes
Same as my D1 book and Rave manual.
I believe over run brakes to be the standard hydraulic non controlled trailer brakes and the coupled brakes to be cab controlled electric, air of hydraulic systems. Can someone confirm this.
I have told him to try TRS in Adelaide as they may have a 400kg bar on one of their wrecks.
Generally it will only be a 10km travel trip with 100km max if going away.
I know the manual says the Disco can tow it but what I am after is are there any Australian regs that negate this capacity. I know they can tow more as I have seen many towing a lot more than 4000kg, but he wants to at least try and keep it legal.
Any more info on 70mm tow balls?

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Yes - As you said overrun brakes refer to the type that has plunger style coupling that engages the master cylinder (or cable), so the Manufacturers spec is ok BUT the nation rules that all states have adopted limit overrun systems to 2000kg that is a government rule hence my post above about 2000kg. Once you go over 2000kg you need coupled brakes by law and once you go over 3500kg you need to have a hand brake system and 70mm ball by law.

Remember you are limited by the lowest limit and for overrun it the state/nation laws.

Give me a min and I'll post the exact regs.