A Question About Land Rovers

[Juniper Jack]

Once upon a time my dream car was a Land Rover. The old two-door, tire-on-the-bonnet(?) 4wd classic.

Here in the US, where I live, a lot of people have huge pickups to haul their huge gooseneck horse trailers. Soemtimes I think they are over the top. So now I'm working on a short story in which the main character has one of those classic Land Rovers and horse trailer.

So my question is, could the 2-door model tow a horse trailer, with one horse in it? Say a cob around 14.2 - 15h maybe 1,000 lbs? Say, a 60s-model Land Rover?

Just trying to make the story realistic -- it's fiction but not fantasy!

 

[NellRosk]

Yeah the short wheel base defender (google the 90 model) is actually the best of the landies in terms of towing

 

[NellRosk]

Ps I tow 2 Irish draughts with mine so could definitely tow a little cob

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I know the one you mean - with the indented nose. A farmer near me has one and he tows an Ifor Williams stock trailer full of sheep with it that's horse box size up steep hills, so yes, I can't see one have any trouble pulling a trailer and cob.

ETA - it's not the 90, it's the series 2.

 

[Juniper Jack]

Thank you for your replies

 

[Capriole]

Yes, they can

 

[OrangePepper]

The Long Wheel Base Land Rover as they are very much more stable than a short wheel base one for towing.

 

[Auslander]

I had a Series 2 years ago which happily towed a 3horse Rice trailer with two bog horses on board.

 

[TarrSteps]

Is your story set in the US?

 

[FfionWinnie]

A Landrover Defender is able to pull the heaviest weight in the UK, its rated at 3500kgs. I'm not sure about the old ones legally, but I imagine they would be similarly able, and certainly no problem pulling a cob.

 

[_GG_]

My 300tdi disco 1 is rated at 3500t as well but has towed a fully laden 18 wheeler up a hill in snow!

OP, yes, the old series' land rovers and even lightweights would kick the backside out of towing one horse xx

 

[FfionWinnie]

My 300tdi disco 1 is rated at 3500t as well but has towed a fully laden 18 wheeler up a hill in snow!

OP, yes, the old series' land rovers and even lightweights would kick the backside out of towing one horse xx

Lol I was talking legally. I couldn't possibly say what it can actually tow

 

[_GG_]

Lol I was talking legally. I couldn't possibly say what it can actually tow

The legal thing properly annoys me but we must comply. Not worth the risk not to.
Nice knowing of other Landy lovers on here though

 

[little_critter]

Hmmm OH (Landy nut) seems to think the old SWB series landrovers were too light to legally tow an IW 510.

 

[Auslander]

Hmmm OH (Landy nut) seems to think the old SWB series landrovers were too light to legally tow an IW 510.

They managed though!! My trailer was considerably heavier than an IW510, and the Landy hardly noticed it on the back!

 

[_GG_]

Hmmm OH (Landy nut) seems to think the old SWB series landrovers were too light to legally tow an IW 510.

I don't think they are legally rated to do it. My old 90 was, but as you say, the earlier series LRs and lightweights I don't think are.

That said, they are fully capable of it and this is for a story set in the US, so it's for the author to find out what the legalities are there

 

[Goldenstar]

A sixties model be I think a series 2 and they where heavier than a series one .
But it's the US so OP a sixties LR will easily pull one horse.

 

[Mike007]

An old series 2 or series 1 swb landrover would easily and legaly pull an IW510. Far better in fact than your modern 4x4. Remember it used to be normal to drag Rice trailers with two big horses .Those trailers were really heavy.They wernt fast (and probably all the better for that)but they did the job. It was only a matter of selecting the correct gear. It all started to go wrong for Landrover with the series 3. The newer gearboxes wernt up to the job and problems became common. A lack of reinvestment ,complacencyand failure to keep up with improving vehicle standards eventualy allowed the foreign manufacturers to take over the market. Then they brought out the rangerover which was great to drive but terribly unreliable.

 

[TarrSteps]

In the US in the 60s I don't think the legalities were particularly strict! Even in the 70s lots of people pulled with cars and it wasn't unheard of to see things like horses IN THE BED of a pick up.

What would have been unusual, however, was to see a Land Rover in the US at all. In fact it's still quite unusual to see them, even now they make left hand drives! The only Defender types, bar a few with collectors, I've ever seen of that vintage are used for post delivery because the right hand drive means the driver can put the mail in the boxes without getting out of the car!

 

[Mike007]

Left hand drive landrovers have been around at least since the series 2.And dont forget that the early landrovers were neither. The steering wheel was in the middle like the willys jeep .

 

[ROG]

I dont think vehicles in the 60s had weight plates and towing capacities

In the UK if VOSA come across such a set up they will determine if it is safe and if yes then its on your way

 

[TarrSteps]

Yes, but they were just not common in North America. Land Rover is still VERY niche there. Okay, I don't remember the 60s but I do alas, remember the 70s and 'working' Land Rovers were just not common. There are so many 'native' makes and models in that class, and things like getting parts would have been far too difficult, particularly in rural areas. At that time anyone pulling with a cheap vehicle would have been using a saloon car or maybe a Jeep. Anyone rural would likely have had a base model pick up.

Just sayin'.