Towing - what does the manual say?

I've seen several versions of the Series III manual that quote maximum towing weights for unbraked, over-run braked, and coupled-braked trailers - around 2000kg for the usual over-run braked case.

I'm thinking of swapping the Rangey 300tdi auto for something that's totally maintainable at home. Since my total annual mileage will only be a few hundred, and serious (2-2.6 tonne towing) only a fraction of that, I'd also like free road tax and classic insurance.

Ignoring for the moment how well a Series will perform when towing, can anyone point me to an official statement on the maximum legal towing weight for a II or IIA? All I can find for them is the drawbar pull - not the same thing - and I'm not interested in caravan club 85% figures.

Kevin

The info plate on my 88 says max towing capacity is 2 tons. I would think a standard series would be ok for towing (well its what everyone used to use wasnt it ) but be very slow I would imagine with the old 2.25

If you must tow with a series. Get a 109 the 88 will be wagged by the trailer.
Anything with a 2.25 engine will be very slow. If you find a 109 with a 200tdi up front you will have what you need.

Thanks for the advice so far. Many years ago I owned 109s with a Perkins, then the factory diesel, then briefly, one with the 4-pot petrol, so I'd definitely like a tdi if I could find one - auto even better.

But aside from how well one would perform, it's the legality that's bothering me. Series III is definitely 2 tonne limit, as confirmed (I think) by samc88, but I'd like to find any official figure for a II or IIA, so I'd have something to show to Mr Plod or Mr Vosa if I was tugged while I had 2.6 tonnes behind me.

Kevin

I really think 2 ton is the limit. With a 109 or later series three you get the 11" brakes up front, you are going to need them.

I've never looked for one in a II or IIa but do they not have an info plate like this one?

Chassis & Vin Plates Home

In my III it's just in front of the gear stick.

I very rarely tow any trailers other than my own, but I'm sure there are many trailers out there with badly maintained, near-useless brakes. My present Range Rover brakes are superb - over 90%g at the last MoT, but because I also keep the trailer brakes in good condition, I can hardly tell the trailer is there even during heavy braking. Good trailer brakes should mean that very little extra effort is needed on the towing vehicle's. And if I do change it for a Series II, it will be a 109.

But I still want something to show Mr Plod.

Kevin

whats wrong with the 300 rrc they're fine for towing and easy to fix at home

The 300tdi RRC certainly tows adequately, but an SRS light fault that my MoT man's computer wouldn't reset brought it home to me that there's also ABS, TC, and a factory alarm system waiting to trip me up in due course. It will also need a rear body crossmember and boot floor soon, and I can see other rust-fighting becoming a major activity in due course.

We've just replaced a distinctly workhorse Astra estate with something slightly smarter and smaller, so something a bit more truck-like than the RRC would fit in better for the occasional tip / builders merchant / Ikea trips.

And I'm so tight I want to save £225 per year on road tax.

And I've had it 8 years, so I'm bored with it.

Kevin

Autolycus said:

But aside from how well one would perform, it's the legality that's bothering me. Series III is definitely 2 tonne limit, as confirmed (I think) by samc88,

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Heres my plate showing the towing figure

I would worry about rust on a series. You now need to look for a 109 with galvenised chassis and 200tdi. Be patient there will be one out there.

Thanks, samc88: that confirms yours is a SIII, and that the 2 tons is written on the vehicle and in the manual.

Does an SII plate say the same?

And yes, divie, I'll certainly be wary of rust: SIIA, 109, galvanised chassis, 200tdi, sounds perfect. Can I have an auto box as well, please?

I'll carry on looking.

Kevin

there's nothing about weights on my 109 2a plate as far as i recall

Yer average plod wont know the difference between a IIa, 3 or his own backside..FACT!!

Just look at all the 'tax-exempt' ringers that are knocking about. £300 gets you a log book and vin plate off thieves-bay. Get one and put it on your Rangie, then its tax-exempt and what you wanted! Plenty of people seem to blatantly do it.

Rant over....but it does boil my blood.

Thanks, NiteMare: the picture is becoming clear - that until the Series III, Rover worked on the assumption that if you could move it, you could tow it - hence quoting drawbar pull in the manual. Then, I suppose, reacting at typical Rover speed to the introduction of "Ten Year" (MoT) tests some ten years earlier, where some thought was at last being given to boring stuff like safety, Rover decided to recommend a towing limit.

Elan23 is right about most normal people's inability to distinguish one "jeep" from another, but *everyone* knows a Land Rover will tow anything, and if you can point to a chassis plate that doesn't show a limit, and an original owner's manual that doesn't mention one, then I reckon you've got a good chance of getting away with "Mind how you go, sir" - unless you're already spreadeagled across three lanes of the M5.

As for cloning: is it putting an SII id on a coiler that offends, or is it any cloning? Is an early SIII with a very late SIIA id as bad? And what about ones that were done in, say, 1995 before the rules were tightened? Like (according to the seller) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190926412385 for instance. Come to to think of it... might be worth a look?

Kevin

I once loaned my 88 IIA petrol to a mate to fetch a boat from the south coast of England back to west Wales,when he brought it back I asked how the journey went?OK he said but the landrover got through a lot of fuel. I though no more until I was at his place a few weeks later and asked which of the boats in the yard he had towed back with my landy?Oh,it's the one round the back he said,leading the way.I was shocked to see a huge 28' yacht that weighed some 3.5 tons on a trailer that was at least a ton!!!

Autolycus said:

Thanks for the advice so far. Many years ago I owned 109s with a Perkins, then the factory diesel, then briefly, one with the 4-pot petrol, so I'd definitely like a tdi if I could find one - auto even better.

But aside from how well one would perform, it's the legality that's bothering me. Series III is definitely 2 tonne limit, as confirmed (I think) by samc88, but I'd like to find any official figure for a II or IIA, so I'd have something to show to Mr Plod or Mr Vosa if I was tugged while I had 2.6 tonnes behind me.

Kevin

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Not going to start scouring websites, but I believe sam is right and also that all series can now only legally tow 2tonnes.
It is certainly also true that far more can, and has been towed on occasions. From my own experience series are an excellent tow vehicle if the trailer is properly loaded and set up.

Autolycus said:

As for cloning: is it putting an SII id on a coiler that offends, or is it any cloning? Is an early SIII with a very late SIIA id as bad? And what about ones that were done in, say, 1995 before the rules were tightened? Like (according to the seller) CUSTOM CAR HOT ROD LANDROVER SERIES LWB 109 200 TDI PAS HARDTOP COIL SUSPENSION | eBay for instance. Come to to think of it... might be worth a look?

Kevin

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No it's all the theiving ****s driving around in stolen landrovers.. that boils his **** and most other decent LR owners. NO one who owns a landy does it because they can't aford the tax..

Thanks for the comment, Turboman. I'd be surprised if Land Rover had issued retrospective advice to owners of older vehicles, if only because of the difficulty of tracking down owners of older models without using the "recall" system. Has anyone seen anything from the Company to this effect? They actually went the other way with Range Rovers - my Repair Operations Manual (AKM3630, 7th edition) still shows a 2000kg limit for over-run braked trailers, but some years ago I did manage to get Land Rover to admit it should be 3500kg for all ages of Range Rover.

On cloning: I'd assumed that the thieving scumbags either exported them as-is, or stripped them, or, for Defenders, cloned them with other Defenders. Seems a bit daft to stick an SII chassis plate onto a coiler that screams "look at me" like so many do. But we all pay for it with increased insurance premiums and unreasonable demands for ultra-secure alarms and immobilisers.

Kevin

Autolycus said:

Thanks for the comment, Turboman. I'd be surprised if Land Rover had issued retrospective advice to owners of older vehicles, if only because of the difficulty of tracking down owners of older models without using the "recall" system. Has anyone seen anything from the Company to this effect? They actually went the other way with Range Rovers - my Repair Operations Manual (AKM3630, 7th edition) still shows a 2000kg limit for over-run braked trailers, but some years ago I did manage to get Land Rover to admit it should be 3500kg for all ages of Range Rover.

On cloning: I'd assumed that the thieving scumbags either exported them as-is, or stripped them, or, for Defenders, cloned them with other Defenders. Seems a bit daft to stick an SII chassis plate onto a coiler that screams "look at me" like so many do. But we all pay for it with increased insurance premiums and unreasonable demands for ultra-secure alarms and immobilisers.

Kevin

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You'd be surprised how many ta exempt defenders there are, out there. Ask their owners why they've done it and watch the excuses and wriggling they do.

Only way to stop it is a mandatory vehicle seizure and crush, and minimum 2year prison sentence for anyone convicted.