anyone tow 3.5t regularly with a defender.

[Matthew Storrs]

As above, just wondering if anyone regularly tows 3.5 ton with a landrover defender and how it holds up to it in the long term? I want to exchange my mini digger for a bigger one and its weight with the trailer will just scrape under 3.5 ton. seems like a lot of weight to tow but they are plated to and I probably tow it every now and again anyway but I would be doing this maybe twice a week.

 

do you think i will be burdened with endless clutch/ general running gear repairs if i go down this route? I would be interested to hear from anyone else who does this and learn from their experiance of it!

 

Oh yeah, i would always be in low range towing that weight anyway if that makes a difference.

[Hodge]

I do, things I have found are the suspension rubbers/steering wear quicker, but the brake pads and discs wear quickest. My clutch has lasted 63k and only changed it coz I had a new gearbox, the gearbox went and I was told its coz I tow a lot of weight. Having said that they are brilliant:)

[swinny]

They're good till they get nicked Puts me off getting one when my friend got his pinched. That said.... they are very good Sorry to be of no help

[treequip]

I regularly tow a 16 foot Ifor and we aren't afraid to load it, make it drag itself and trailer up and down come pretty nasty pennine hills or even winch itself and trailer off jobs now and agian. I drag it with a 300 tdi defender 90.

 

It's three years in on the clutch it came with and no signs of giving up anytime soon, I have changed a couple of UJ's in that time but one was on the way out when I got the car.

 

I do grease the driveline regularly and I use low box rather than wrecking the clutch.

[Matthew Storrs]

well my theory is that it might me cheaper and more conveniant to use a landy and put up with a few more repairs than to run a tractor etc

[Matthew Storrs]

I regularly tow a 16 foot Ifor and we aren't afraid to load it, make it drag itself and trailer up and down come pretty nasty pennine hills or even winch itself and trailer off jobs now and agian. I drag it with a 300 tdi defender 90.

 

It's three years in on the clutch it came with and no signs of giving up anytime soon, I have changed a couple of UJ's in that time but one was on the way out when I got the car.

 

I do grease the driveline regularly and I use low box rather than wrecking the clutch.

 

yup 300tdi here too, im not worried about the engine because when its in low it doesn't really sound like its being overly stressed, what concerns me a bit is going up hill and maintaining traction without loading up the tow ball, I have a 150kg winch on the front which i believe really helps keep the front wheels gripping uphill. I too live in a rather steep area.

[Matthew Storrs]

They're good till they get nicked Puts me off getting one when my friend got his pinched. That said.... they are very good Sorry to be of no help

 

??? i assume you mean the landys good till they get nicked or the digger?

[swinny]

??? i assume you mean the landys good till they get nicked or the digger?

 

landy

[Mozza]

I can vouch for tree quips defender, we load it up, then load it some more and it just pulls whatever we want it too, it's fantastic for towing really heavy loads.

[Tom D]

Mine has done 85k, about 30k of that is with an empty trailer, 30 with maybe 2-3 ton and 20 towing the wee tractor, this is a genuine 3.5 ton load, the rest not towing. The rear radius arm bushes have worn, though not to excess, I will replace these with the hard poly bushes at some point. Other than that no problems, clutch is fine, and with the 6 speed ones you have a lower first gear which helps with hill starts, as well as cruising economy. If you are genuinely towing 3.5 ton then the landy is good for the job, having coil springs really helps the comfort too, especially with an empty trailer.

 

It will eat brake pads though, but thats no big deal, just make sure your trailer brakes are well maintained and up to the job.