Land Rover Defender - Highway Towing Test & Weigh-In

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Күн бұрын

After seeing how the Defender has performed both in the bush and on the beach it's now time to see how it performs when towing.
But before we hit the road we hit the scales! Let's see if this new Defender really is a good option for 3.5 Tonne towing.
In the next episode we will be wrapping up the series with a walk around of the Defender, looking at everything we have grown to love and hate about it over the past 6 months.
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0:00 - Intro
0:35 - Tow Ball Height
4:50 - Weights
7:45 - Town Towing
12:10 - Highway Towing
15:49 - Uphill Towing
17:35 - Final Thoughts

Пікірлер: 94

@aasimyousaf2455 2 жыл бұрын

Really impressive to see that from a 4 cylinder engine. The new defender might not be the car a lot of people wanted it to be but it is still a very capable and impressive vehicle in it's own right with an infinitely wider breadth of ability than the old defender ever had

@paulbarry1044 Жыл бұрын

The engine has been dropped due to the number of failures in not only the Defender,but also other models.

@paulelledge8977 Жыл бұрын

@@paulbarry1044 The four cylinder diesel has been but the four cylinder petrol is still for sale and is a great little motor.

@peterbullen3347 4 ай бұрын

Have you towed with the 4 cylinder petrol? @@paulelledge8977

@ansportracing 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome video, keep up the great work!

@LocoCoyote 3 жыл бұрын

well done review. You guys know your stuff.

@markjones8013 3 жыл бұрын

Great all rounder it would appear, once towed, you have a great tool to explore the new horizons. It’s everything you want and more.

@garretrobles443 3 жыл бұрын

Very informative video. Very useful for those hoping to tow 3.5 ton caravans with the new Defender. I towed a tandem axle 3.5 ton with the old Defender and had to use a weight distribution hitch. No problems towing with our new Disco 5 though.

@TheNittah 3 жыл бұрын

The legend at 16:02 like what he sees

@richardw5375 2 жыл бұрын

Like to see the 90 do some towing on coil springs basic and on the air suspension. Usually just hook the cable round the towball if there's no fixing point.

@slowboat6021 3 жыл бұрын

Land Rover have done a great job on the new defender, it's high on my list... the mirrors, surely you need to fit towing mirrors for a 2.5m wide van?

@DavydLiu 3 жыл бұрын

The towing camera actually gives you a quite good view for the side of the trailer. But you will need input the length between trailer head and the mid of the axels.

@stevenbrice1681 7 ай бұрын

It’s honestly mind boggling that a 4 cylinder suv has a tow capacity of 8k pounds in the US. I can’t picture this towing a 25foot dual axle trailer up a mountain side! 😂

@DavydLiu 3 жыл бұрын

How did you get the towing camera to only show split side views without the center hitch view? I’d love to be able to do that!

@miketucker7466 3 жыл бұрын

Think your a bit surprised by the way it does what you ask of it! Interesting what has the high draw bar weight for that heavy caravan?

@squirrelmaster1225 3 жыл бұрын

do you Aussies not use weight distribution hitch's? you can split the rear axle load with the front axle?

@peterbullen3347 4 ай бұрын

I have a petrol V6 4.0 ltre Discovery 3, this 2.0 engine sounds like a great uograde from the D3?

@Coordinator61 3 жыл бұрын

1750 kg on back axle thats my 1978 Range rover total weight.

@richardbrookhouse7782 6 ай бұрын

Would have been better to do the D300, interested to know if you put the car into normal ride height when. Measuring?

@ianking529 2 жыл бұрын

Given the square hitch could you not just flip the tongue and reverse the ball¿

@dschifman 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! Can you say more about the electric hookup? How does the Defender manage the brakes on the caravan? Did you need a wireless brake controller in your setup?

@HughSmith 3 жыл бұрын

There is a standard loom fitting for the Electric brake system

@stewartmungin5166 3 жыл бұрын

Nice review, but i don't understand why you didn't fit towing mirrors. It's not the car's fault if you can't see behind you properly.

@cathbp4089 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for great review, given the weights would you consider a GVM upgrade to the Defender?

@billybob1511 2 жыл бұрын

Not sure you can do GVM upgrade on a monocoque chassis.

@Coordinator61 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing what kind of trailers you pull down under. I have a tent trailer of 450 kg in the Netherlands behind my 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2400 petrol. Big cars are taxed so high over here so only for the happy few. A Defender like this on road tax will be about 1200 euro's per 3 month's on road tax.

@user-be1co1wr4l 3 жыл бұрын

SUPER 👍👌TEST!!! ✌️😎

@scottanna7474 3 жыл бұрын

Really informative, thanks guys. It goes to show a stock vehicle can do it. But there aren't many out there. I think on paper, the new Defender has the best numbers and payload of any stock 3.5t towing vehicle out there (exclude the American trucks). Can you think of any others that are better stock?

@hopperschoppers 3 жыл бұрын

You'd have to have a full size pick up to compete in US/Can. Toyota Tacoma has a 6500 lb towing capacity where as my lr4/disco 4 has the same 3500 kg 7,700lbs like the defender here. With out the air suspension or air bags fitted on pick ups you'd have a lot of sag unless you are using a full sized 2500 or 3500 pick up. 1500 would be fine for this weight, Unladen they have a horrible jarring ride though (2500 and 3500)

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 3 жыл бұрын

We will be touching on this more in the next video so stay tuned!

@ambbrano3049 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent review,I am thinking of getting a 110 in place of a disco 4 HSE Luxury which I tow an Airstream twin axel. When towing on Uneven roads it feels like someone is jumping up and down on the ball, from your review it seam that this is possibly due to the overhang. Tried disco 5 and it’s wasn’t as good as the 4. Also will the 90 be as good as the 110 due to it being lighter.

@beaviccoon470 2 жыл бұрын

I'd say the new defender would be a great choice especially with the new straight six diesel engines although I'd try it first just to be sure.

@ambbrano3049 2 жыл бұрын

@@beaviccoon470 yes it would ,have to be the 110 though,but you can’t use any of their tow bars as they only go up to 195kg and the airstream is up to 250kg.ALSO towsure’s tow bar[one of the best made] hadn’t gone gone through all the tests a month ago.

@StephenFogarty2023 3 жыл бұрын

Great review Andy, Very thorough The Defender looks great, and I love the white steelies. Clearly there is much to know, so that u r Towing safely U said that the caravan weighed 3.3 tonne U said ur GCM was 6,150 kg The 110 weighs just under 2.4 tonne ? Plus you and fuel Let’s say 2.6 tonne ? That adds up to be 5.9 tonne But, u said ur GCM was 6,150 kg What is the other 250 kg ?? Is ur Defender the D200 Diesel with 400 nm OR D240 Diesel with 430 nm ??? BTW LR vehicles have always been built very strong, solid, and over engineered, as they have always had class leading off road and towing ability LR been doing full, front and rear air suspension for over 25 yrs in the RR 1998 Series 2 Disco had Rear air suspension Full air suspension on Disco since the Disco 3 in 2005 With air suspension, LR vehicles tow extremely well 2021 MY Defender with 6 cylinder Ingenium Diesel motor in Australia as of April No 4 cylinder diesel in 2021 MY Defender in Australia 6 cylinder Ingenium Diesel D200 - 147 kw / 500 nm D250 - 183 kw / 570 nm D300 - 220 kw / 650 nm If u r going to load up ur Defender and tow, 6 cylinder diesel will have the torque to manage this better then the 2020 MY 4 cylinder Diesel engines. Thanks Cheers 👍👍

@SteelyDavey 3 жыл бұрын

The wheels look set back quite far from the centre, it must perform off road better that way but axle load is increased because of it. I can't imagine it's a stress free experience towing it in strong winds.

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, this is a fairly standard caravan set up with the weight distribution spot on for the build. This caravan tows better than most.

@josijoelmatosdarosa5568 3 жыл бұрын

Deus tá no controle de tudo dê éu creio é tomo posi e verdade

@user-be1co1wr4l 3 жыл бұрын

SUPER 👍👌 AUTO!!! ✌️😎

@peterbullen3347 11 ай бұрын

Can you comment on if you feel the weight distribution on the suspension actively works to compensate the tow ball weight, ?

@CaptainOoch Ай бұрын

The air suspension levels the vehicle but it does not distribute weight to the front axle.

@damienodonnell8477 3 жыл бұрын

Are you able to specify how close was it to the rear axle capacity?

@Td5Adventures 3 жыл бұрын

He gave all the numbers in the video.

@nickheward9473 2 жыл бұрын

I've never seen a trailer coupling like that before - is it specific to Australia? What is it called?

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Nick, its our Cruisemaster DO35 Coupling (3.5T Rated). Widely used in Australia but also available globally direct off our website or via Sloop Imports in the USA. Isnt compatible with override brake systems though which will rule out most applications in SA, UK and Europe.

@marcovalenzuela4177 3 жыл бұрын

ta mate, that was good.

@dingding8137 6 ай бұрын

My maximum beer consumption or MBC, is 32 cans in one sitting. If I do 32 cans and then punch on with mates, soil myself and then die, I cant whinge that my MBC was adhered to and all this other stuff went wrong. If you want to tow 3.5t around Australia, buy a Kenworth.

@robbiemustac8907 2 жыл бұрын

So if the caravan was 3.5t, your rear axel weight would be well over the max 1.8t. How does the defender advertise 3.5t towing capacity when you were at the limit at 3.3t on your video?

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Robbie, that was our biggest concern with the Defender. While its almost expected these days that full towing capacity is hard to realistically achieve with a reasonably loaded vehicle. The fact that its impossible here is a major dissapointment. Hopefully this has been rectified in the newer variations.

@geoffrethus5742 3 жыл бұрын

Would be interesting to know the difference in rear axle weight with the recommended hitch length. Suspect significant.

@davidmunday8820 3 жыл бұрын

I wasn't particularly good at physics and I 'm happy to be corrected but I've just done quick google search on lever effects (mechanical advantage) and force versus length from a fulcrum (the rear axle). In the video it looks to me that the modified tow hitch is quite a lot further out from the hitch pin- the distance to centre of the D035 pin looks like about 25-30cm in various still images. I've checked on line and the Land Rover manual specifies a max recommended distance of 175mm from hitch pin to centre of ball. If we take a conservative estimate that the modified hitch is actually 25cm from hitch pin to centre of D035 "ball" (X in following equation) and Force = (WxX)/L where W=weight of caravan drawbar, L is length on other side of fulcrum (say 2m to front axle for simplicity) then 320kg x 0,175m / 2m = 28; vs 320kg x 0.25 / 2=40 : a ratio of 1.43. So this is a significant increase in leverage on the tow hitch / rear axle. To solve this problem when my D300 SE arrives next month up in 2014 I hope that helps anyone with concerns about towing an off road caravan/camper with their new Defender.

@davidmunday8820 3 жыл бұрын

Edit to reply below: some of my reply did not appear: I intend to have a custom tow hitch made up by a local tow bar centre in Adelaide with same length but raised height compared with OEM and this should solve the problem

@geoffrethus5742 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidmunday8820 good job David.

@MrShivermetimbers123 9 ай бұрын

@@davidmunday8820 Did you get a custom hitch made up in the end? How much did it cost? Thanks!

@davidmunday8820 9 ай бұрын

@@MrShivermetimbers123 yes I did- Allin tow bars Adelaide-$75.00. Has been great last 2yrs.

@jameslindley924 3 жыл бұрын

How does a Hilux Compare on rear Axle load Capacity !!!!!!!!!!! Land Rover Under Produced it seems

@wernerbloemwagen6878 3 жыл бұрын

Why is that caravan so high off the ground - is it a offroad caravan? It looks top heavy..

@douglasfrantzen3011 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, he's testing an off-road caravan. That was the part that he was explaining about having to use a taller hitch than the manufacturer stock hitch because the off road caravans are taller than normal.

@b8ascrub 3 жыл бұрын

Does the Defender have an integrated brake controller? Has anyone added a brake controller? Getting ready to tow a 4K pound RV in two weeks! 😆

@beaviccoon470 2 жыл бұрын

Im not 100% sure but I think the ones in America don't have them as in the UK we don't have brake controllers as the trailers with brakes in the uk brake for you.

@Coordinator61 3 жыл бұрын

What kind of fuel consumption we see towing 3.5 tons?

@hopperschoppers 3 жыл бұрын

He tells you in the video

@Coordinator61 3 жыл бұрын

@@hopperschoppers Sorry will check it out, thanks.

@cursedwon2910 2 жыл бұрын

Great review, but I have to say are you kidding about the mirrors? i don't know of any car that can see clearly down the side of a caravan that is wider than the car...

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, with the mirrors we were trying to highlight that unlike most other common tow vehicles in Australia there arent aftermarket options available to upgrade to for towing and the clip ons interfere with the inbuilt sensors. This may not have been clear.

@cursedwon2910 2 жыл бұрын

@@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY Ahhh, that does make sense. Did not realise there are no aftermarket options available. Thanks for taking the time, and again the great in depth review.

@thelonewolf666 Ай бұрын

the axles loads are pretty weak for a vehicle like this

@jonathanbell7752 3 жыл бұрын

This thing will tow 3 ton off road. Also I have driven 37 miles on an empty tank

@danielschlesinger2448 2 жыл бұрын

What engine is this?

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Daniel, this is the D240

@danielschlesinger2448 2 жыл бұрын

@@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY Thank you - I am in the US, we have just Ford Gas 300 HP, 4 Cycl.. I will assume like performance from it. It is amazing the power we are getting today from 2.0 liters (gas). It is the same power as my 2008 LR LR3 with 4.4 8 cyl, good stuff. The tranys are also amazing today, come on now 8 speeds.

@c9o8l7i6n5 3 ай бұрын

very heavy trucks 2.5 tonne to 3.5 tonne always good of road hevier than a rolls royce

@FC2ESWS 3 жыл бұрын

I'm from the US, so I may be confused with the weights. Were you were towing 7000 pounds with a 4 cylinder? Lol

@reubs91 3 жыл бұрын

Australia mate, the nanny state of the world…

@pikadkalsarid 2 жыл бұрын

Quite normal in Europe. And on that perspective it's incomprehensible to European, why Americans need massive trucks, to tow for example normal car trailer. That said, I remember video where, old F150 lightning was for u-haul rental guy's mind categorized being too small to tow (and rent to) regular car trailer. So the owner had to return with bigger car.

@thommo6331 2 жыл бұрын

So there shouldn’t be any issues???? We have to “Bodge” something up. That’s a bit of a concern At least your honest!

@sailingcitrinesunset4065 Жыл бұрын

Dont tow more than the kerb weight is safest

@pedrotheswift5937 3 жыл бұрын

No mirrors? bit silly for a pro.. I seriously doubt anyone would buy a 4 cylinder to tow a 3.5T van,, want a better tow car? SD V8 RRS. Best in Aus... dont argue till you ask an owner..

@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Pedro, part of the excercise was to see if the camera system was a suitable alternate to extended towing mirrors.

@craigdavid6668 3 жыл бұрын

Haha! RRS can’t even reliably lug itself around let alone tow something.

@arkos55 3 жыл бұрын

Or get one of the six cylinder gas or diesel Defenders. More than enough power.

@johnallen3555 3 жыл бұрын

So, the long and short of it is that this vehicle is unsuitable and for a family towing such a caravan - the rear axle would be significantly overloaded The additional length in the tow bar only makes worse - thee rear axle overloading, and - any potential sway or instability.

@Wilbargosh 3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the maths, but the van look too big for the car and infers a confidence issue for me and other road users. I would conclude the car is too close to capacity and likely to cause a problem. Insurers would be unamused when assessing a claim!

@KimboFromTheWest 3 жыл бұрын

So what vehicle do you think would be suitable for that size van?

@Wilbargosh 3 жыл бұрын

@@KimboFromTheWest Isuzu NPS 75-155 4x4 truck

@Wilbargosh 3 жыл бұрын

@@KimboFromTheWest I note this Defender is being “move on” from the cruise master fleet due to its towing capacity limits.

@Paul-ob3vt 3 жыл бұрын

You should never tow anything that puts a vehicle on or close to it maximum you are only going to run in to many mechanical issues down the track. If you are considering towing anything over 2.5T then you should be looking at F250, Dodge Ram 2500 and Toyota Tundra or similar towing abilities. even 200 series Landcruiser should only be towing 2.5t max.

@craigdavid6668 3 жыл бұрын

How does a Tundra, which runs LX-570 running gear tow better than a 200 series when the 200 has more torque and weighs 900kg more for towing stability?

@chrisandshazza01 2 жыл бұрын

Absolute horseshit.

@PillSharks 2 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂. What a load of crap! Our company use the original Defender for towing ships mooring Ropes and wires which sometimes go 150 to 200m in length and puts them well over the 3500kgs recommended towing capacity.. They all get worked very hard with 18 different boatman jumping in and out daily and we’ve never had any issues because of this. They get serviced well and we have had many years of using the defender and they have all given great service with little problems.