Well Well, Strange how peoples interests match up.
I haven't signed up to GLASS as I also am the only one interested in off roading in the family at the moment and so the TD5 is in its out of the tin mode. You'll catch me occasionally with Mud Club though. If ever you do a bit of laning in Derbyshire we may well meet.
Quote: Originally posted by mike142sl on 23/2/2008
You'll catch me occasionally with Mud Club though. If ever you do a bit of laning in Derbyshire we may well meet.
I go laning from time to time with some of the GLASS Manchester group - and also with the Nissan4x4 owners club. I've had three trips around Derbyshire in the last 6 months. I'm studiously avoiding Stanage Edge for now - though I went down it in the passenger seat of a friend's D90 at the end of September. The Patrol breezes up Roych Clough - but likes it less coming down. It doesn't help to have a 117ins wheelbase.
I spend time lurking on the Mud Club forum - and only occasionally post under the same username as here. Ditto Difflock
Dont know about offroad but definitly gone off thread!
Own a 97 300TDI the only "modification" I've done is to put gas shocks on instead of oil.This was done as we live in remote area with half mile rough track and oil shocks didnt last!
Had a couple of issues with stability,one was high top transits racing by on motorways (which I cured with a stabilizer bar) The other is the way the caravan gets loaded,even being within noseweight I have found that it makes a difference how the load is positioned (even moving the awning back a foot alters things) in particular how things get "put" back in the front locker eg I use boards under the legs and planks for leveling etc..if they just get thrown in I can bet you we will we wandering all the way home but put in tidy and even and you forget the caravan is there.
Has anyone ever been stuck on a camp site in a 4x4 anyway ?
My guess would be - yes, definitely.
Having 4 wheel drive doesn't insulate you completely from the risk of getting stuck on a wet, muddy, slippery, uphill exit from a field. You could get stuck even solo, with 1, 2, 3 or 4 wheels spinning (depending on the 4wd system and what you do with it), never mind with a caravan on the back. It wouldn't help if the towcar had road tyres on, as most 4x4 owner's "tug" probably will.
I have owned a number of classic rangerovers of various vintages, and now a Discovery (all the same underneath in any case).
I have towed vans of varying sizes, trailers of differing configurations, and all sorts of weights, from the 'oops theres a trailer back there' to well over 100% of the towing mass, and never had stability problems. Equally, I have never been stuck whilst towing, on or off road.
I have also towed with ordinary cars, series landrovers and vans.
I would suggest that this is because i understand the vehicle, it's capabilities, it's operation and it's limitations. Too many people perhaps think that a big vehicle means they don't have to worry about loading, or that because it will pull at speed, they can therefore do that in all conditions with impunity. They also beleive that a 4x4 gives them infinite traction, as opposed to multiplying what is available by 4, rather than by 2 (in drive anyway. in braking everything is 4x4).
Any rig should be properly loaded. That means load in both tractor and trailer, tyre pressures, hitch height and postition etc. Any rig should be in good condition, because wear means play, and play is what causes problems with stability.
Any rig must be driven within it's limitations, with due regard for the conditions.
Also everyone has a different tolerance for what is and is not stable. I will perhaps accept a degree of roll or pitch that another would not.
For me at least, the discovery is an excellent vehicle for the various demands i place on it, and that includes it's performance when towing.
I have towed with an old S3 SWB, which was very stable, it sat happily at 50, -55, would'nt want to go much faster as it had drum brakes! The top speed solo is only about 72!!!
My recently sold Rangie Classic was a very good towcar- very stable but thirsty!!! (Brilliant off road though!)
Until recently we used Fronteras (2.2 dti) as our main tow car and found then excellent. 4 low is very useful for manouevring the van, no clutch slip as the diesel just ticks over.
Curent Kia is a fabulous towcar, it is has 4x4 on demand but I have'nt tried the low box yet.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
I have towed with an old S3 SWB, which was very stable, it sat happily at 50, -55, would'nt want to go much faster
I have a friend who has a LWB Series Landie. We were talking a while back about towing caravans. I happened to mention that the Trooper I had would tow our caravan at 60mph in 5th up the section of the M6 that goes over Shap.
He said that he had to change down into 3rd when in the Landie on the same stretch of road. I fell about laughing when he said that he meant when solo not towing.
I suspect that whether you *want* to go much faster is actually a tad irrelevant.
My daughter has a '96 Disco. It was very sloppy when she first had it, but on garage recommendation, a couple of susp. bushes and a set of new, HD shocks and Hey Presto, one transformed 130,000 mile Disco. Those dirty bits under cars don't usually last forever. And careful use prolongs active life considerably. A friend of mine has a Citroen Saxo which has clocked up around 180,000 miles with amazingly few replacements. The little diesel engine is still sweet, the gearbox fine- and the suspension OK. He drives round at a very gentle pace. (And no, he doesn't hold up the traffic!). TTC.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Towing with a Discovery
