The Rover-Landers of BC

D'you s'pose I could tow my 3500 lb travel trailer with a Disco 200TDi? a 300TDi? I'm talking highways and byways, no offroad stuff. Maybe even Vernon to Cabo San Lucas and back every year (10,000Km round trip).

A quick google says NAS spec was 5500 lb and ROC was 7700 lb. I'm guessing the difference is legal, not physical.

With a tdi, I wouldn't be in a big hurry. I've got the V8 Disco and she slows for every hill even without a trailer! :shock:

A 10000 mile round trip? Does that mean you diesel guys would finally have to stop and fill up? :mrgreen:

I towed a 2500lb trailer from Calgary to Vancouver Island and back last summer with my 200tdi Range Rover. It slowed me down on the mountain passes and caught on fire after climbing the rogers pass due to the turbo down pipe getting so hot on the climb up. Thankfully I had a fire extinguisher and put it out just in time, no damage other than some burnt sound proofing. I would suggest an exhaust pyrometer to keep an eye on the temp. I am trying to decide if I can get away with a heavier trailer myself so I'm interested to see where this thread goes.

Maybe this goes without saying but most important is to be sure and have trailer brakes that work well as your Rover will have no chance to stop the combined weight on its own.

Doc Tari wrote:Maybe this goes without saying but most important is to be sure and have trailer brakes that work well as your Rover will have no chance to stop the combined weight on its own.

Good point. You may be able to tow 7,700LBS, but it doesn't mean a dam if you hit the brakes and you keep accelerating. :shock:

Ryan and Chad flat towed their competition 110 with Ryan's TD5 110 to the Baja and back a few years back. I don't know what, if any, braking system they had, but I heard, other than being slow the towing trip was uneventful. I think this would represent maximum towing ability.

cheers, Dave

I thought trailer brakes are mandatory in BC unless it is a tiny trailer?

red90 wrote:I thought trailer brakes are mandatory in BC unless it is a tiny trailer?

In BC - brakes are required above 1400 kg (~3100 lbs) or if the the trailer is more than 50% of the tow vehicle's weight.

red90 wrote:I thought trailer brakes are mandatory in BC unless it is a tiny trailer?

I wasn't referring to any legal aspects of towing one vehicle with another. Just the fact that it could pull it's own weight, so to speak.

I greatly appreciate the replies. They are very helpful. Our trailer has electric brakes, actuated by a controller that will be installed in the tow vehicle. Brakes are applied either manually with a slide switch, or when the tow vehicle's brakes are applied. My principal concern is whether or not a Disco 200TDi or a 300TDi with manual transmission can haul our 3500 lb travel trailer annually to Cabo San Lucas and back without doing damage to any or all parts of the drive train.

As long as you are willing to take it easy. Steep hill starts would require low range. Putting in power upgrades (VNT, large intercooler, fuel increases) would help a bunch in driveability. When I lived in Australia, it was very common for people with Discos to tow trailers of that size.

Also make sure the cooling system is in good condition. I would install a high coolant temperature and high exhaust gas temp alarm as well. The stock temperature gauges are not the best and overheating is not desirable with the engines.

Not sure if you have this trailer thing sorted out.

This past summer I pulled our trailer up and down the west coast with our 2004 Disco.

This link I posted with the trailer brake system I set up and the truck towed it amazingly well, much better than anyone told us it would!

http://landroverforums.com/forum/discov ... ing-51669/

http://landroverforums.com/forum/member ... iler-3974/

As long as you are within the light side of your towing load range and take it easy you should be fine.
Nobody at the trailer centers or dealerships are able to give you the information that you will need as there are so few of these vehicles and even fewer people towing with them.

Paul

The vehicle will pull the trailer fine. Not as fast easily as a N/A pickup with gearing and bigger hp.... As long as you are patient on the hills you'll be just fine. Brakes on any heavy trailer are a no brainer really... And as for your temps....a pyrometer as close to the turbo turbo as possible is very important less you do like Head Damage and try for a moving BBQ :D Also....There is suppose to be a heat sheild between the turbo and the fire wall isn't there? That might have help prevent that fire.

Having seen many folks in the UK pulling two horse trailers, smaller diggers and tractors behind their disco 1's it's not a problem for the truck, just the driver's patience.

Great comments and advice. Greatly appreciated Several items I had not thought about. Turns out I'm looking at an automatic now. Probably will slow me down a bit more, plus will be sure to have a transmission temperature gauge installed, and ensure there's sufficient cooling apparatus....

I've read that the 5,500lbs is for high-range, and the 7,700lbs is for low-range.