Help me tow 3.5ton in a 4x4
Discussion
Looking into getting another large 4x4, cant be dealing with the low down sitting position anymore in a daily driver due to living up 10 miles of single track lanes.
I fairly often have to tow 3.5ton so have been borrowing my Mums l322 Range Rover (my old one) and her boyfriends one when needed.
Figure why not combine both into one car instead of borrowing.
I keep coming back to the L322 as the obvious choice. Looking up to around £10k maximum price so would put me in a 3.6 tdv8 model without the gearbox issue which plagued the early td6 models.
Such as this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-58-LAND-ROVER-RANG...
Is there a car I am missing or after owning an L322 will nothing else as capable compare?
I fairly often have to tow 3.5ton so have been borrowing my Mums l322 Range Rover (my old one) and her boyfriends one when needed.
Figure why not combine both into one car instead of borrowing.
I keep coming back to the L322 as the obvious choice. Looking up to around £10k maximum price so would put me in a 3.6 tdv8 model without the gearbox issue which plagued the early td6 models.
Such as this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-58-LAND-ROVER-RANG...
Is there a car I am missing or after owning an L322 will nothing else as capable compare?
I'm sure you're aware but any Defender, Discovery or proper Range Rover can pull 3.5 ton, but even as a die hard landy fan for a reliable daily I'd have a hard time recommending one over something Japanese.
£10k might put you into newer 3.5 ton pickup territory also? Most of the current models can tow 3.5 ton in various configurations but I'm not sure how long that's been the case for. My 06 L200 is 2.7 ton and an 09 Ranger is 3 ton, so you might find if you're looking around the 5 year old mark you'll be in luck.
There's a version of the Jeep Grand Chrome that can pull 3.5 as well I believe, but that might only be the v8?
£10k might put you into newer 3.5 ton pickup territory also? Most of the current models can tow 3.5 ton in various configurations but I'm not sure how long that's been the case for. My 06 L200 is 2.7 ton and an 09 Ranger is 3 ton, so you might find if you're looking around the 5 year old mark you'll be in luck.
There's a version of the Jeep Grand Chrome that can pull 3.5 as well I believe, but that might only be the v8?
InitialDave said:
Jim AK said:
Landcruiser Amazon?
Would be an older one but reliability wise surely its a no brainer.
This sounds like a good choice to me.Would be an older one but reliability wise surely its a no brainer.
Darkslider said:
I'm sure you're aware but any Defender, Discovery or proper Range Rover can pull 3.5 ton, but even as a die hard landy fan for a reliable daily I'd have a hard time recommending one over something Japanese.
£10k might put you into newer 3.5 ton pickup territory also? Most of the current models can tow 3.5 ton in various configurations but I'm not sure how long that's been the case for. My 06 L200 is 2.7 ton and an 09 Ranger is 3 ton, so you might find if you're looking around the 5 year old mark you'll be in luck.
There's a version of the Jeep Grand Chrome that can pull 3.5 as well I believe, but that might only be the v8?
I dont fancy a pickup as I regularily drive down to London (600ish miles) with a fairly full car so would be more awkward, if not they would be the logical choice.£10k might put you into newer 3.5 ton pickup territory also? Most of the current models can tow 3.5 ton in various configurations but I'm not sure how long that's been the case for. My 06 L200 is 2.7 ton and an 09 Ranger is 3 ton, so you might find if you're looking around the 5 year old mark you'll be in luck.
There's a version of the Jeep Grand Chrome that can pull 3.5 as well I believe, but that might only be the v8?
I feel a v8 would be horrific for fuel economy doing 25k a year sadly so rules out the Jeep.
cptsideways said:
InitialDave said:
Jim AK said:
Landcruiser Amazon?
Would be an older one but reliability wise surely its a no brainer.
This sounds like a good choice to me.Would be an older one but reliability wise surely its a no brainer.
Reliability isnt a big issue when it comes to picking cars personally, if it s
ts a brick I fix it myself so dont have to pay the garage costs.Having just had to tow a 3 tonne digger behind a LWB Defender, I don't envy you doing big mileage towing at max weight. Motorway was fine, but on the twisty stuff it felt like several laws of physics were being violated at every corner. It was actually fine, it just felt very wrong.
Yes, towing with a V8 delivers catastrophic economy. My 4.6 does about 15 fully loaded.
You need a big diesel in something comfortable enough to drive. Rules out a Defender. Early Discos? IIs and maybe IIIs? Perfectly comfortable, less to go wrong than a Range Rover. Disco I with a 2.8 conversion? Or a Range Rover - comfortable, but when it goes wrong you'll be tearing your hair out....
Yes, towing with a V8 delivers catastrophic economy. My 4.6 does about 15 fully loaded.
You need a big diesel in something comfortable enough to drive. Rules out a Defender. Early Discos? IIs and maybe IIIs? Perfectly comfortable, less to go wrong than a Range Rover. Disco I with a 2.8 conversion? Or a Range Rover - comfortable, but when it goes wrong you'll be tearing your hair out....
I had several Range Rovers, petrol and diesel, I got fed up with always having to fix them...I can't think of a single aspect of car that did not give trouble. Brakes, gearbox, injectors, MANY electrical gremlins, RUST, hinges, door locks, seat motors, PAS, shocks, springs (air and coil), oil seals...
I bought a cheap diesel Toyota Hilux. It was not nearly as nice to drive, but 9 years later I flogged it for half what I paid for it, even though it was a rusty heap. No break downs ever!
I bought another one the same and I respect it, even if it is not a car I'd like to do 25000 miles per year in.
I'd buy the best Landcruiser I could find for the budget...or maybe a Shogun - they are amazing value and a nice place to be.
I bought a cheap diesel Toyota Hilux. It was not nearly as nice to drive, but 9 years later I flogged it for half what I paid for it, even though it was a rusty heap. No break downs ever!
I bought another one the same and I respect it, even if it is not a car I'd like to do 25000 miles per year in.
I'd buy the best Landcruiser I could find for the budget...or maybe a Shogun - they are amazing value and a nice place to be.
Slow said:
Are they a nice place to sit/drive? Dont have much experience with them, friends and family have always been in the Land Rover crowd. Probably why Im drawn to the L322.
Reliability isnt a big issue when it comes to picking cars personally, if it sts a brick I fix it myself so dont have to pay the garage costs.
Had an 03 Amazon back in the day, admittedly a V8, but to me it drove like a Late model Classic Range Rover.Reliability isnt a big issue when it comes to picking cars personally, if it s
ts a brick I fix it myself so dont have to pay the garage costs.I’m capable of fixing things too, but it was nice after several RR’s to have a 4x4 I got in & just drove!!
[quote]
I dont fancy a pickup as I regularily drive down to London (600ish miles) with a fairly full car so would be more awkward, if not they would be the logical
[/quote]
Other than parking which wouldn't be much different from other 4x4s why would a pickup be awkward?
I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
I dont fancy a pickup as I regularily drive down to London (600ish miles) with a fairly full car so would be more awkward, if not they would be the logical
[/quote]
Other than parking which wouldn't be much different from other 4x4s why would a pickup be awkward?
I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
keirik said:
Other than parking which wouldn't be much different from other 4x4s why would a pickup be awkward?
I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
Pickups are not the most comfortable in the back, particularly for longer journeys. I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
Tomo1971 said:
keirik said:
Other than parking which wouldn't be much different from other 4x4s why would a pickup be awkward?
I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
Pickups are not the most comfortable in the back, particularly for longer journeys. I regularly drive my d40 to London and back. Comfortable as anything, eats the miles, and with a truckman top it swallows everything I throw into it
rxe said:
Having just had to tow a 3 tonne digger behind a LWB Defender, I don't envy you doing big mileage towing at max weight. Motorway was fine, but on the twisty stuff it felt like several laws of physics were being violated at every corner. It was actually fine, it just felt very wrong.
Yes, towing with a V8 delivers catastrophic economy. My 4.6 does about 15 fully loaded.
You need a big diesel in something comfortable enough to drive. Rules out a Defender. Early Discos? IIs and maybe IIIs? Perfectly comfortable, less to go wrong than a Range Rover. Disco I with a 2.8 conversion? Or a Range Rover - comfortable, but when it goes wrong you'll be tearing your hair out....
You should look into the guys Cummins swapping Defenders. They get a 5.9 or 6.7L cummins built diesel out of a small DAF lorry, and it drops pretty much straight into a Defender, with only changes to the drivetrain to move the (original) transfercase back and adjust the driveline to account for the longer motor/gearbox. They only put out 120-160bhp but a LOT of torque, and are very tuneable. The extra weight over the front axle (engine is ~200kg heavier than a 200/300tdi) stabilises the chassis with a heavy trailer, but also has the quirck of making a 90 pretty much pull stoppies when pushed. Yes, towing with a V8 delivers catastrophic economy. My 4.6 does about 15 fully loaded.
You need a big diesel in something comfortable enough to drive. Rules out a Defender. Early Discos? IIs and maybe IIIs? Perfectly comfortable, less to go wrong than a Range Rover. Disco I with a 2.8 conversion? Or a Range Rover - comfortable, but when it goes wrong you'll be tearing your hair out....
Guys have claimed to have pulled in excess of 4 to 5 ton with this conversion fairly effortlessly.
Likely a bit much effort for the OP, but if you like your Defenders and want the ultimate towing rig it's definitely worth a look.
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