For those of us with caravans.....

[magnet]

I remember a dixon bate tow bar that had a long tapered bar that the tow ball was attached to. the whole thing fitted into a hollow receiver on the tow vehicle. It enabled you to pull the tapered bar out, hitch it to the trailer while still engaged in the receiver and then reverse back along the bar. It saved lots of maneuvering. I used them a lot when i was on recovery work. i wonder if they are still made?

 

[indy4x]

The LR recall on the D3, D4 and RRS is to check for play, if its over a certain amount then its an automatic replacement with a fixed tow bar. If it passes and you are swinging 3.5T off the tow ball then they will also replace it for a fixed tow bar.

Looking at the design, if you exceed the noseweight specs then its gonna break and if its not inserted properly then its gonna fall off. Other recommendation is to remove it when not towing, I think if the tow bar is regulary used as a 'parking sensor' this also inceases the chance of failure.

When I bought my D3 last year, it came with a tow bar but has never been used for towing. Tow bar still had label on it and keys cable tied in place. It was a struggle to get it to seat properly as its such a tight fit in the rear crossmember. Can you imagine a numty doing this and not knowing whether its properly seated before towing??

 

[fizzy]

https://www.lro.com/blog/news/land-rover/1509/faulty-tow-bars-mean-major-land-rover-recall

(But of course when you read Land Rover it really means BMW or Audi)

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Toyota Avensis
Peugeot 3008
Opel Grandland X
Volkswagen Crafter

All with towbar recalls.

I would never dream of using a detachable towball for the sort of trailers I tow - irrespective of make. They are very weedy and don't offer enough support.

Most of us on here can recognise which of these is stronger - this is for an Audi but the LR is the same.

 

[brightspark]

looks to be a crap light duty design a good rive on that and it would soon bend or snap

 

[TechnicAl]

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Toyota Avensis
Peugeot 3008
Opel Grandland X
Volkswagen Crafter

All with towbar recalls.

I would never dream of using a detachable towball for the sort of trailers I tow - irrespective of make. They are very weedy and don't offer enough support.

Most of us on here can recognise which of these is stronger - this is for an Audi but the LR is the same.

What....no BMWs or Audis......dissappointed?

Are you allowed tow with an eye? I thought they could only be used off road?

 

[fizzy]

What....no BMWs or Audis......dissappointed?

Are you allowed tow with an eye? I thought they could only be used off road?

I think those detachable tow bars are crap on ANY car. Not just Land Rovers.

Towing eyes are perfectly legal in the UK. Used on all sorts of commercial trailers. And the bigger NATO hitch is also legal.

 

[stuvy]

I’m sure some one in my 4x4 club mentioned nato hitches are now illegal will try and google it later

 

[fizzy]

I’m sure some one in my 4x4 club mentioned nato hitches are now illegal will try and google it later

This often comes up. Not illegal. Dixon bate still sell the official part which is type approved.

 

[sako243]

One thing to bear in mind that (at least when I looked about a year ago) is that there are very few vehicle marques other than Land Rover that offer a 3.5 tonne tow capacity. When you consider that all the "big" Land Rovers (thinking Discovery, Range Rover, Sport and Defender not the Evoques and Disco Sports) have 3.5 tonne capability across the range then you've got some choice. If you went to another marque you had, if you were lucky, one engine / gearbox / trim combination that could tow the 3.5 tonnes.

I think things have changed since then but there was a period where if you wanted to tow heavy loads you basically had Land Rover as the only option.

With regards to NATO hitches if it's a pre 94ish vehicle then I don't think you need type approved hitches technically. However as fizzy mentions if someone sells a type approved tow bar for your vehicle then you can fit it provided you comply with their fitting instructions.

 

[TechnicAl]

I think those detachable tow bars are crap on ANY car. Not just Land Rovers.

.

I agree with you there. The only favctory fitted option on my Kuga was an electrically operated folding towbar which maybe worse than a detachable, plus it cost £700 so Ive got my usual AlKo towbar fitted £150 inc 13 pin plug

 

[indy4x]

@brightspark

The LR is far stronger looking than that, they don't break but fall out

 

[R-D-R]

That Merc looks like it has a problem with its Airmatic system for sure, looks like my disco when the compressor goes pop and it ends up on the bump stops!

Had 5x discovery 3 and 4s all from new with towbars the Removable ones have been a right pain getting jammed, loose fit and on the last one it was replaced for play under the recall.

Current one has the Fixed one which still uses the same fitting with a few extra braces I call it the Plough

 

[armalites]

I have done plenty of towing in my time - often with very heavy trailers.
I would tow that no problem behind my Discovery - that is why you need an adjustable tow hitch. That is way too low.
Also the new plug in towballs are not very strong. Wouldn't trust one. They are often heavily curved to clear bodywork which does nothing for their strength.

Compare these 2 pics - the ML will have the swan neck type.

Standard Discovery tow hitch v aftermarket

In fairness that shows a standard removeable but the bottom one is a home made attachment fitted to a USA LR spec removeable receiver hitch it's not a UK spec unit or an after market. It is done that way so a Sankey trailer can be towed at the correct angle. What they do is make a plate with two eyes on and fit a bush through the recovery ring in the cross member and put a bolt through. A LR or an after market fixed unit has arms or rails that got out the chassis

W have fixed one on our D3 it's a Tow Trust unit and it's a solid unit but it doesn't hang down like a plough like the LR or Witter units.

 

[armalites]

Just spotted this whilst waiting for the Portsmouth- Le Havre ferry.

I wouldn’t have towed it off the drive let alone consider it OK to take on a European jaunt.

View attachment 180186

Ah well, ignorance is bliss I suppose.

Midnight crossing from Portsmouth is an experience, it's a proper adventure. You get the people who've booked a cabin and then the hardcore people dragging sleeping bags up the stairs and sleeping everywhere from the kids soft play area to any spare bit of carpet. I even seen people buy a slab of beer from duty free and play cards and drink beer all night.

I've been on the Bilbao crossing on my mountain bike with two mates and they actually get you to cycle on with the cars.

I love the chaos of the ferry.

 

[brightspark]

Midnight crossing from Portsmouth is an experience, it's a proper adventure. You get the people who've booked a cabin and then the hardcore people dragging sleeping bags up the stairs and sleeping everywhere from the kids soft play area to any spare bit of carpet. I even seen people buy a slab of beer from duty free and play cards and drink beer all night.

I've been on the Bilbao crossing on my mountain bike with two mates and they actually get you to cycle on with the cars.

I love the chaos of the ferry.

10 of us took our stockcars on the ferry from heysham to the isle of man just took the cars off trailers and left them in ferry carpark then bombed round the carpark and drove them on the ferry parking next to merks and fancy motors . at the other end we drove them off and along the main front up to the race track the police just waved us onthey didn't even bat an eyelid

 

[TechnicAl]

Midnight crossing from Portsmouth is an experience, it's a proper adventure. You get the people who've booked a cabin and then the hardcore people dragging sleeping bags up the stairs and sleeping everywhere from the kids soft play area to any spare bit of carpet. I even seen people buy a slab of beer from duty free and play cards and drink beer all night.

I've been on the Bilbao crossing on my mountain bike with two mates and they actually get you to cycle on with the cars.

I love the chaos of the ferry.

Ive only been on that one once. We decided to get something to eat before we got on. Found a pub somehwere near When we came out Id goit a £60 parking fine...the pub car park was actually a pay car park....I never noticed the signs....so I was annoyed to start with......We have done the Caen, Dieppe and Calais but never the Bilbao nor the Tunnel....

 

[fizzy]

I love the Bilbao and Santander ferries. The old one was the best as it was a 36 hour crossing - almost a mini cruise. They are never cheap though.
The Bay of Biscay is supposed to be very rough - pah it is a mill pond in ships that size. About 3 years ago we crossed in a Force 11 just before Christmas. It was great - a bit of movement but nothing much.
The tunnel is also great - especially as you can take dogs with you so easily.

 

[TechnicAl]

Between 97 and 1999 I was on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry at least once a week. The powers that be closed the UK stick electrode plant and moved most of the products to Holland (and Spain) and I was responsible for the move. I was often stopped and searched, very thoruoughly, They even took out the dashboard once when the dogs found something....was probably food. I was also often carrying white powders such as limestone which raised some interesting moments.....I got upgraded once or twice to a big posh room overlooking the stern of the ship and I think I also got a few freebies. It was ideal as I could leave Sheffield about 5pm and be in Nijmegen about 10 am the next day......and to this day the only Dutch i ever learned were the announcements made in the morninga telling people breakfast was served or the duty free shops were open....not really everyday phrases elsehwere

 

[HopefullySoon]

I used to work at a plant hire firm , the day I found out my usual ride was being replaced, I half inched this before the guy drove it to the auctions to go thru the block .....

I’ve had an 8x6 twin axel high side trailer doing tip runs on a Mondeo before now on the eye/pin ...

Best pin/ball setup and best of all Worlds , obv depending on tow vehicle capacity .

 

[HopefullySoon]

I fact I must take it off clean and lube it , I haven’t used the pin for ages and have a ‘spare’ ball only about