Towing Classic or newish?

thecooperkid · Sep 7, 2016

Hi,
It is the time of year when I have a few extra pennies in the pocket and start getting notions, ebay, donedeal and the forums get a good going through.

How suitable are the classic landys for towing? Series 2 up to Series 3?

I am asking as I test drove a 2005 td6 Vogue Se with 85K this week and i loved it so much i am having it inspected on friday. We have two classic minis that we will be doing up in the next year or so towing will be required. From lurking on here i know about the TC/GM problems when towing........and it has made me think twice that maybe a S2/S3 would be a runner?

Ownership cost of a Series landy are very low, 56e a year in tax and about 200e classic insurance.
L322 life is a bit more 1494e a year in tax and insurance of 6-800e a year.
That said id still need a day to day car with a Series landy.

I wouldnt be towing regularly, maybe two or three journeys a year. But i would be towing trailer of about 900KG with a 850kg mini onboard, so 1750kg all in.

Id love to hear your feedback about towing with either

norseman · Sep 7, 2016

I suppose having only towed with series 3 LR's (& RRC's) I not the best person to reply, but I always found the 2.25 petrol perfectly adequate with the sort of trailer weights you describe. The best is probably (not owned one sadly) going to be the Stage one V8 but it's a state of mind really, classic tow-car = classic performance which will never equal the high-torque turbo-diesels of today. If you are not in any great hurry on these occasions then the saving in ownership costs is a significate factor, plus you stand out from the herd.

300bhp/ton · Sep 7, 2016

They will tow fine. Slow and steady, but will get there.

pete1987RRC · Sep 7, 2016

RRC lse is just the job

Grrrrrr · Sep 7, 2016

Given what I've heard others say about that GM box I wouldn't risk it. Not without that upgrade that Saint and HolidayChicken go on about.

ZF box is a different matter.

oakey · Sep 7, 2016

Personally I would get a series 3 SWB petrol as it would match your minis and you can take off the roof and drop the windscreen on the nice sunny day and you can still take the top with you on your trailer when it rains before you get home.
Series 3 are good vehicles but of course they are not as comfy as the more moderns vehicles with fewer bells and whistles but can be tuned with a screwdriver and a good ear.

109inches · Sep 7, 2016

I've towed with a series 2 109 with 2.25 diesel and then a 200tdi. 2.25 is a pretty sorry state of affairs for anything over 1.5 tonnes. The 200tdi towed my Range Rover classic and 1 ton trailer so 3 tonnes all in and did well no low range needed.
Also towed with a modern hilux the auto box and power steering made stuff easier for me but as for how the vehicle coped both performed well with room to pull more. Stopping the series land rovers on drum brakes is what makes things interesting.

Grrrrrr · Sep 8, 2016

You know, the Freelander 2 is a nice car and the diesel pulls with no issues, especially if you chip it. Just a thought.

Wazzajnr · Sep 8, 2016

One thing to note is that with working air suspension, the rangy wins for hooking up every time as you can drop it or lift it to hitch height easily. Very useful on uneven ground. Plus, irrespective of nose weight, it will always sit right making handling much more pleasant and safe.

Seffy · Sep 8, 2016

Only a couple or so tows a year, I wouldn't bother buying anything else. Certainly not something so much older that whilst having negligble immediate costs of tax & insurance is going to quite possibly want lots more maintenance such as the tinworm. I know a tidy series would look the part for shows, but even if I could afford it, it would seem silly especially as a second, rare use car. I would have the 05 for both daily and towing.

private penguin · Sep 8, 2016

I'd go for the 05 Rangy... either way you'll get maintenance bills, but the range rover will be a comfortable every day car.

I'd love to own a series, but wouldn't want to drive it every day.

thecooperkid · Sep 8, 2016

Thanks guys, nice to see the old series landys still inspire such confidence!

norseman said:
I suppose having only towed with series 3 LR's (& RRC's) I not the best person to reply, but I always found the 2.25 petrol perfectly adequate with the sort of trailer weights you describe. The best is probably (not owned one sadly) going to be the Stage one V8 but it's a state of mind really, classic tow-car = classic performance which will never equal the high-torque turbo-diesels of today. If you are not in any great hurry on these occasions then the saving in ownership costs is a significate factor, plus you stand out from the herd.

I should have been clearer with regards the towing. One of these journeys will be from Tipperary Ireland to SPL in Dudley to get the minis dipped. So that is a solid 700 miles towing. And now that i type that figure

I think id have to take the Range to keep my hearing or take a series and make a week long adventure out of it!

Considering the Range is the every day option that can do both jobs of daily driver and towing machine, that is where i am leaning. Just a bit scared of TC failure...

Grrrrrr said:
Given what I've heard others say about that GM box I wouldn't risk it. Not without that upgrade that Saint and HolidayChicken go on about.

ZF box is a different matter.

Hit the nail on the head Grrrrr I put 2.5k away before i started looking as i know i will need a rainy day fund....

Any opinions of the tdv6 Sport or tdv8 Vogue? Would it be worth putting away a few extra bob and revisiting after christmas?
I know the sport has a chav image in the UK but over here it seems to be either a workhorse for tradesmen or a Yummy mummy mobile.I did visit an LR service centre and the number of RRS in the shop put me off, guess the owners arent "diy" inclined when it comes to car maintenance.

Mick Guilbert · Sep 8, 2016

Classic Range Rover every time, 300tdi pulls very well and is comfortable too.

private penguin · Sep 8, 2016

thecooperkid said:
Thanks guys, nice to see the old series landys still inspire such confidence!

I should have been clearer with regards the towing. One of these journeys will be from Tipperary Ireland to SPL in Dudley to get the minis dipped. So that is a solid 700 miles towing. And now that i type that figure I think id have to take the Range to keep my hearing or take a series and make a week long adventure out of it!

Considering the Range is the every day option that can do both jobs of daily driver and towing machine, that is where i am leaning. Just a bit scared of TC failure...

Hit the nail on the head Grrrrr I put 2.5k away before i started looking as i know i will need a rainy day fund....

Any opinions of the tdv6 Sport or tdv8 Vogue? Would it be worth putting away a few extra bob and revisiting after christmas?
I know the sport has a chav image in the UK but over here it seems to be either a workhorse for tradesmen or a Yummy mummy mobile.I did visit an LR service centre and the number of RRS in the shop put me off, guess the owners arent "diy" inclined when it comes to car maintenance.

Is there a reason why a TDV6 Discovery isn't on your list of options?

thecooperkid · Sep 8, 2016

private penguin said:
Is there a reason why a TDV6 Discovery isn't on your list of options?

It was but they seemed much lower spec and noisy for the money. Also alot of people chopped the rear seats out of them to use as vans for tax purposes here, the good ones are the same money as a vogue or sport.
Guy in work has one and it just didnt do it for me. It felt slower and much less refined than the td6.

thecooperkid · Sep 8, 2016

Mick Guilbert said:
Classic Range Rover every time, 300tdi pulls very well and is comfortable too.

I found it impossible to get it insured as a daily driver. Nobody would touch me. Classic policy was there for anything 20years or older as long as i had another daily driver.
But yes they are very cool, kinda like the 2 door v8 80's models more

sub zero

martynv8 · Sep 8, 2016

thecooperkid said:
It was but they seemed much lower spec and noisy for the money. Also alot of people chopped the rear seats out of them to use as vans for tax purposes here, the good ones are the same money as a vogue or sport.
Guy in work has one and it just didnt do it for me. It felt slower and much less refined than the td6.

+1 Had a TDV6 D3 & had no love for it. A workhorse but noisy & underpowered.

thecooperkid · Sep 8, 2016

Grrrrrr said:
Given what I've heard others say about that GM box I wouldn't risk it. Not without that upgrade that Saint and HolidayChicken go on about.

ZF box is a different matter.

Hey Grrrrrr would have a link to any mentions of this upgrade? had a search and im not sure i know what upgrade they recommend.
Is it an uprated TC or the Gearbox ECU mod that locks the TC much earlier?

Grrrrrr · Sep 8, 2016

thecooperkid said:
Hey Grrrrrr would have a link to any mentions of this upgrade? had a search and im not sure i know what upgrade they recommend.
Is it an uprated TC or the Gearbox ECU mod that locks the TC much earlier?

Sonnax valves in the valve block, I think.

For recommendations on L322 gearboxes I wouldn't take what I say. I would talk direct to @Bemble , @Saint.V8 or @holidaychicken.

thecooperkid · Sep 8, 2016

Grrrrrr said:
Sonnax valves in the valve block, I think.

For recommendations on L322 gearboxes I wouldn't take what I say. I would talk direct to @Bemble , @Saint.V8 or @holidaychicken.

Thanks very much, your a gent.

Towing Classic or newish?

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