Landrover 300tdi.... Will it pull the skin off a rice pudding?

[dan blocker]

The 300tdi is a good engine when serviced regularly. Yes is a little bit flat when fully loaded and towing 3.5 ton but how often will you do that. I currently run a 2.4 110 and it’s great for towing fully loaded trailers with the 6 speed box and a responsive engine but I do wonder if anything mechanical breaks how long will it be off the road🤔. I’m also totally rebuilding a 300tdi 130 at present and can’t wait to get it finished because it’ll be better on fuel, down to 20 mpg with 2.4 tdci when towing heavy loads, the 300 would still be in high 20s, and into 30s when running light. No complicated electrics on 300 tdi compared with 2.4tdci and modern Japanese pickups😳, if anything breaks on the 300 I know with my current network of contacts I could get it fixed in less than 48hrs( even a weekend) try that with a newish ranger🤔. An old 300 tdi disco engine would cost you £500 and you could have it sat in corner of workshop as a spare, only a few minor differences to a defender one. Yes, it probably won’t have AC, electric windows, decent heating system, soft recliner seats, water and draughs  will come in but it’ll keep going without any potential big repair bill sitting in the glovebox(sorry🤔, there isn’t a glove box🙄) and they will hold their value if looked after.

[dan blocker]

As for big engines in defenders such as the Cummins - expect to break halfshafts, burst propshafts and diffs especially when at max load of 7 tonnes and a big right tree boot🤔. Brakes and suspension would have to be changed. They can all be upgraded of course but that doesn’t come cheap and repair bills will be higher when you go down the non standard route. The best upgrade motor I’ve seen/used is the 2.8 tdi as previously mentioned and it keeps it all reasonably standard.

[difflock]

3 hours ago, swinny said:

Allready have a 6bt Cummings in my case mx tractor thanks 😊  hell of a thing. Lovely thing and exhaust  sound 

Quite the right place for it too!

[Agent-Arb]

The 300tdi is a good engine when serviced regularly. Yes is a little bit flat when fully loaded and towing 3.5 ton but how often will you do that. I currently run a 2.4 110 and it’s great for towing fully loaded trailers with the 6 speed box and a responsive engine but I do wonder if anything mechanical breaks how long will it be off the road[emoji848]. I’m also totally rebuilding a 300tdi 130 at present and can’t wait to get it finished because it’ll be better on fuel, down to 20 mpg with 2.4 tdci when towing heavy loads, the 300 would still be in high 20s, and into 30s when running light. No complicated electrics on 300 tdi compared with 2.4tdci and modern Japanese pickups[emoji15], if anything breaks on the 300 I know with my current network of contacts I could get it fixed in less than 48hrs( even a weekend) try that with a newish ranger[emoji848]. An old 300 tdi disco engine would cost you £500 and you could have it sat in corner of workshop as a spare, only a few minor differences to a defender one. Yes, it probably won’t have AC, electric windows, decent heating system, soft recliner seats, water and draughs  will come in but it’ll keep going without any potential big repair bill sitting in the glovebox(sorry[emoji848], there isn’t a glove box[emoji849]) and they will hold their value if looked after.

Amen

[Baldbloke]

I ran a bog standard 300TDI Defender 90 for work and then bought it from my work when they opted to renew it. For about 20 years It was forever doing towing jobs. The longest tow I did with it was about 1200 miles from the North of Scotland to Weymouth and back. I trailered down a light car down to my brother in Somerset before collecting an E class estate from Weymouth to return home. Used a twin axle Ifor Williams without the sides to scrape through the gross limit. It was possibly right on the limit for gross weight and to save the weave well over the tow bar weight limit. It sat comfortably at 60, but long motorway hills would see it down to 50. The tow bar weight limit is ridiculously low, although off hand I cannot remember exactly what it is.

[GA Groundcare]

2 hours ago, Baldbloke said:

I ran a bog standard 300TDI Defender 90 for work and then bought it from my work when they opted to renew it. For about 20 years It was forever doing towing jobs. The longest tow I did with it was about 1200 miles from the North of Scotland to Weymouth and back. I trailered down a light car down to my brother in Somerset before collecting an E class estate from Weymouth to return home. Used a twin axle Ifor Williams without the sides to scrape through the gross limit. It was possibly right on the limit for gross weight and to save the weave well over the tow bar weight limit. It sat comfortably at 60, but long motorway hills would see it down to 50. The tow bar weight limit is ridiculously low, although off hand I cannot remember exactly what it is.

It is about 150kg. Shouldn't want a nose weight much heavier on any vehicle or trailer. If the nose weight is to great then the trailer is probably to short...

If overloaded on the nose weight think about how much weight is being transferred through the trailers hitch coupling and its 4x M12 bolts! 

[aspenarb]

On 27/11/2021 at 18:47, swinny said:

What is a 300tdi landrover defender like for Towing Inc a heavy chipper behind with a box of chip?

 

Is owt that can be done to give more grunt? Or just give it a miss?

 

Thanks

 

Our little 300tdi 90 has 300,000 miles on the clock and survived with a fully laden 3.5 ton trailer up its chuff for most of those miles. More than capable of breaking all the towing speed limits and keeping up with trucks when fully loaded. If you are looking for one Chris buy it on condition not year, there are a lot of turds rolled in glitter out there.

 

Bob

[Silverhooker]

I had a 110 defender for years, towed all sorts with it. 

Breaks a lot but cheap and easy to fix.

In the end corrosion killed it but i got a fair bit back when I sold it in on to the local 4x4 garage for parts.

Had a mitsubish L200 last few years and its great but repairs are costly.