Towing vehicles

About the important piece of kit under your Cape Cutter 19 when on the road.....

Postby David Pratt » Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:42 pm

My partner Chrissy has a Subaru that came with a can of foam. When she hit a pothole in the dark and ripped the side wall it was utterly useless. She now carries a spare. I would not dream of towing without a proper spare tyre. You could always keep it in the boat when towing!

Cheers, David
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Postby Dennis » Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:44 pm

David CC19 60 Dileas wrote:You could always keep it in the boat when towing!



Or, you could add another spare wheel bracket to your trailer.

Or you could carry it in the car boot when necessary.

When did you last get a puncture? :rolleyes:
Cheers

Dennis

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Postby erbster » Mon Mar 04, 2013 12:02 am

I had a puncture recently (not while towing)- a nail a right angles through the centre of the tread. Should have been fixed by the can of foam, but not only did it not work, it rendered the tyre unrepairable. I would not travel without a spare either.
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Postby Dennis » Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:53 pm

David Peck wrote:It’s a pity that Land Rover is not yet fitting a similar box in the FL2 SD4 (as with the new Discovery 4)! Do you know if that is their intention?


Hello David

I thought you might like this link:

http://newsroom.jaguarlandrover.com/en-in/land-rover/news/2013/02/rr_rre_9-speed_transmission_270213/?from=2&count=8&marketLanguageNodeId=1275&brandId=2827&ContentType=NewsArticles&locus=2#.US-JQC0x_eY.twitter
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9 speed automatic

Postby David Peck » Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:58 am

Hello Dennis and all,

Spare Wheel

Thanks for all the comments regarding trailing without a proper spare wheel. I agree I need one for towing, whether stored in the car, on the trailer or in the boat. Also the use of run flats may be a solution for normal driving but not for towing a boat.

New 9 speed ZF automatic gearbox (9hp)

Yes, I have seen that announcement Dennis. It really complicates the choice of a tow car replacement for me! I contacted Land Rover to see if they intended putting it in a Freelander but they didn’t have a clue! I would hate to buy a new FL2 SD4 with the six speed traditional autobox to see it become obsolete after a few months. I’m still considering the BMW x3 with the 8 speed box (you have convinced me that automatics are best for towing) but as you have said, you don’t see them being used as tow cars and I cannot find any information about their towing ability. Do you know if the Caravan Club has ever tested one (2010…. model)? I registered but still cannot gain access to their car test data!

The other alternative is I just carry on towing with my manual box and wait and see, but I do have fears of burning out my clutch on some steep incline abroad!!:confused:

Regards
David Peck
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Postby David Peck » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:03 pm

Hello Dennis and all,

Spare Wheel

Thanks for all the comments regarding trailing without a proper spare wheel. I agree I need one for towing, whether stored in the car, on the trailer or in the boat. Also the use of run flats may be a solution for normal driving but not for towing a boat.

New 9 speed ZF automatic gearbox (9hp)

Yes, I have seen that announcement Dennis. It really complicates the choice of a tow car replacement for me! I contacted Land Rover to see if they intended putting it in a Freelander but they didn’t have a clue! I would hate to buy a new FL2 SD4 with the six speed traditional autobox to see it become obsolete after a few months. I’m still considering the BMW x3 with the 8 speed box (you have convinced me that automatics are best for towing) but as you have said, you don’t see them being used as tow cars and I cannot find any information about their towing ability. Do you know if the Caravan Club has ever tested one (2010…. model)? I registered but still cannot gain access to their car test data!

The other alternative is I just carry on towing with my manual box and wait and see, but I do have fears of burning out my clutch on some steep incline abroad!!:confused:

Regards
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Postby Dennis » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:51 pm

Hello David

The 9 speed auto will appear in the Freelander, but when?

It is possible that they will fit it to the current model for the last year of production before the model change, this will keep sales figures high.
It will certainly be available in the new model, otherwise what is the point of developing it.

Just my thoughts and opinions! :rolleyes:

I have been a member of the Caravan Club and also The Camping and Caravanning Club for many years, I cannot recall seeing a test of a BMW X3 in either club's publications.
I do know that the first model was generally slated by the motoring press for it's harsh ride, I believe the current model is much better in this respect.

I would not be concerned unduly about your clutch. Most Freelanders are manual transmission (less expensive), many of them tow (large) caravans thousands of miles per year and the vast majority without any problems whatsoever.
The few that have had clutch problems have generally just experienced (occasional) clutch slip at around 2000 rpm with full throttle. Many have continued like this for tens of thousands of miles without further problems or symptoms.
You would be very unlikely to burn a clutch to the extent that the car was undriveable. Remember JLR are happy for you restart a [color="Red"]fully laden [/color]Freelander towing 2 tonnes up a 12% incline, that is 4505 Kg. It would be interesting to put your car with boat/trailer on a weighbridge, I would guess you will have a fair margin to play with.

If you were really concerned, why not invest in an electric winch, the sort which attaches to your tow ball. Park on the level at the top of the launch ramp and pull the boat and trailer up to the car.

Or just put the money for a new clutch to one side and make sure you have european wide recovery insurance. This is probably the most sensible and cost effective option, certainly much less expensive than changing your car because the clutch might develop a problem.

On the other hand you might just like the smell of a new car ;).
Cheers

Dennis

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Postby David Peck » Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:27 pm

Hello Dennis,

Thanks for your usual words of wisdom. You are of course correct in that I’m probably being over concerned about problems with the clutch. Speaking to a sailing colleague last week who had owned a BMW X5 and was in the motor trade, he said much the same as you and scoffed at the idea of burning out the clutch. He also advised keeping the Land Rover considering it, in his opinion, more suitable for towing than a BMW X3. He thought the only reason to change to automatic was if you couldn’t hear the engine revving and the clutch engaging (pardon??)! :)

I will therefore stick with the status quo and remain a Freelander, for the time being and take out the European Recovery Service as you advise.

Regarding towing weights, I have already put the car on the weighbridge and the results were as follows:

Car + Trailer + Boat = 3820kg
Boat + Trailer =1780kg
Trailer =440kg

I will carry out further weight checks using a Caravan Weight Control gauge.

Regarding the new 9 speed automatic gearbox, I will wait to see if it appears in the Freelander. I hope it will before they change to a new model. This is because I read that Jaguar Land Rover’s future development plans involved new chassis body material weight reductions with the aim of achieving cars weighing under 1500kg and SUVs under 2000kg (I presume Range Rovers as Freelander’s are already under this value) and longer term 1000kg and 1500kg respectively. The object is to reduce weights to meet stringent emission reductions targets. Therefore, any new Freelander may not be capable of towing a CC19!

Concerning a new purchase, it’s not so much that I like the smell of a new car, it’s just that I have this fear of becoming addicted to the smell of burning clutches. I’m reliably told that the aroma is capable of affecting the mind and inducing, in extreme cases, severe “Clutch Range Anxiety”!!!:D

Regards
David Peck
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PS I hope you are able to view this reply before it disappears up into the Russell cloud! :)
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Postby Dennis » Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:24 pm

David Peck wrote:PS I hope you are able to view this reply before it disappears up into the Russell cloud! :)


Hello David

I read your post from the "Russell cloud" :rolleyes:

Your weighbridge results are of interest.

I assume your car has the same MAM (maximum allowable mass) as mine, which is 4505 Kg.

This means that with your setup you have almost 700 Kg to spare. This is a healthy margin. This means your car could restart (when towing your boat) on a gradient steeper than 12%.

Were you in the car when it was weighed? If not, you appear to have an unladen weight of about 2040 Kg. This is good for towing stability.:D

I think Land Rover weights are like their stated fuel consumption figures, theoretically optimistic.:rolleyes:

With regard to future Land Rover weights, it is in their interest to continue to produce cars capable of towing large caravans. Many owners buy them specifically for this purpose. The Defender replacement (when it appears) will possibly fit the bill, if the FL3 is too light.
Cheers

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Postby Ru88ell » Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:53 pm

I sold my '58 Freelander 2 as I was disappointed with it when towing. Mine was an HSE Tdi auto, so not as good as the latest version. I also found it cumbersome for normal motoring, and the economy was shocking. I sold it and reverted to using the Touran - which towed Zephyr much better in all regards other than recovery.

Anyway, I've put the Touran up for sale, as today I acquired a '59 VW Tiguan 2.0 140 4Motion TDI Sport. I picked it up today from Hereford and drove it home, avoiding the motorways, yet still averaged 49.3mpg. It goes like the clappers too - heaps of torque and a 6 sp manual box. In many ways it's like the Golf 2.0 140 TDI Sport I had before the FL2.

As the Touran tows Zephyr like a dream, then this should be out of this World - and I shouldn't have to worry about recovery any longer. It's also got the factory fit retractable/foldaway towbar, Autopark, etc, etc. :D
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