Up and down M1 to Sheffield yesterday on visit to daughter.
Still a lot of 14 registered cars in course of being delivered, some on full size transporters others on single vehicle trailers.
One combo was an LR Disco towing a trailer loaded with an Audi A3. Is this likely to be legal?
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I'm pretty sure it was legal; I often see RR and Discoveries towing quite large boats which must weigh way more than an Audi A3. I thought you could tow well over 2 tonnes with a Discovery and braked trailer?
Edited to add, isn't the new(ish) A3 lighter than it's predecessor?
Last edited by: PeterS on Thu 6 Mar 14 at 11:17
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It is widely quoted that the maximum towing weight for a landrover is 3500 Kg.
That is a lot more than the Caravan Club rule of thumb, which is only a safety guideline, not a legal limit.
There is a higher limit for an independently-braked trailer than one with only over-run brakes, but where it cuts in I'm not sure.
Every time I try and follow this frequent argument in Landrover circles I think I understand it, and then lose it again.
Add in the different driving licence requirements, and the anomalies and ambiguities make it almost impossible to understand.
VOSA have given conflicting written advice over the years, but the 3500Kg limit seems pretty definite.
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I believe the 3.5 tonne figure to be a legislation related figure. You can't fit them to a current LR chassis, but if you can and do fit coupled brakes, the maximum towed weight is 4 tonnes.
I was advised by a professional driver that if you tow a heavy trailer, you should lower the maximum speed to 40mph. I've only done it once, and 40 was the signposted limit anyway.
Audi A3 weighs under 1500kg so would have been within the load figure for my old trailer, and that weighed 500kg unladen. Total load therefore under 2 tonne and while I'd never do it, a diesel Golf can be rated at towing that much. My last Defender 110 though would be far more sensible and safer.
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Probably not
IIRC anything over 3.5 tonnes needs a tacho if use is other than private.
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>> IIRC anything over 3.5 tonnes needs a tacho if use is other than private.
Which it's easy to have fitted to a Disco, Vogue, Hilux, Ford Ranger etc. We fit them to ours.
If the Discovery was white it's very likely to be an ex-Highways Agency Traffic Officer vehicle, many of these are bought by car delivery firms as they already have a tacho, towbar and orange beacons fitted as well as having been thoroughly well maintained and properly specified in the first place, ie with an auto gearbox.
>> if you tow a heavy trailer, you should lower the maximum speed to 40mph
Speed limits notwithstanding, it depends on the combination used. A Shogun is hopeless at towing over 50mph, Hiluxes are better but bouncy, the best I've found so far was a VW Amarok which would whistle along at 60mph all day long. Until the clutch went at 18k miles, anyway.
Last edited by: Dave_C220CDI on Sun 9 Mar 14 at 23:07
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Ahem, selective quoting...
I said
I was advised by a professional driver that if you tow a heavy trailer, you should lower the maximum speed to 40mph. I've only done it once, and 40 was the signposted limit anyway.
The trailer being talked about, and the one I moved was close to 3.5 tonnes.
Having said that though, you do have to note your vehicle's towing abilities.
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Towing - was this legal? - PeterS
