Anyone tow with Freelander? Is it Legal?

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zoeshiloh

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Not me I hasten to add - I was always told that Freelanders cannot tow horse trailers. It's just a girl at our yard has recently bought one, mainly for the purpose of towing her old rice trailer with 16hh horse in. I mentioned that the maximum towing weight is only 2t (which I looked up on towing regulation website) but she said it is 3t and more than adequate for towing a horse trailer.

Also I was wondering whether recommended towing weights are actually law, or whether they are just guidelines? I always thought they were law, but you see so many hatchbacks towing trailers around, and I haven't heard of anyone being prosecuted over it.
 
I seem to have lost the link to that site with all the rules and guidelines. I think there may be a big new Freelander that would be legal? But with the older ones I think she would be pushing it. I'm sure they can't tow 3 t. Be interesting to see the police stop her and take her to a weighbridge...
 
There's a big difference in weight between the generations. The thing grew substantially when the Disco grew and is now a lot heavier and bigger than the original one. That said, I know people who have an old Freelander and that happily towed one lightweight 14.2 into and out of fields for hunt meets...
 
The maximum towing weight for a Freelander is 2000kg. She should be within weight towing one horse in the trailer, although the old Rice's are very heavy. She will go over weight if she tows with two on board.

By choice I wouldn't use a Freelander as I don't believe they have the weight or power to do the job comfortably.

She's away with the fairies if she thinks it will tow 3000kg
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The kerbside weight site you probably looking for is this:
http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/landrover.htm
 
To be legal the gross laden weight of the trailer must not exceed the maximum vehicle towing wieght, so it would certainly be illegal to tow even an empty IW hunter trailer with a 2000kg towing capacity vehicle, unless it (the trailer) was downrated to 2000kg. Don't know what the gross laden weight of a rice is but bound to be over 2000kg if it is a 2 horse one. Know transport police do pull over lots of horse lorries to check they're not over laden, not sure about trailers though. Would have thought they would check if you had an accident and then would your insurance be valid?
 
I had a nissan terrano with a 3.5 payload and this struggled with 2 17.2 and a new ifor trailer.......personally don't like towing period though!
 
I phoned up the DSA about this and I am legal to use a Freelander to pull and Ifor William 401 with a single horse (650kg) plus one person and tack, but anything over that is too much for the car.

THe freelanders are not the most secure of towing vehicles as I dont think they have the weight in them
 
i tow with one.

its a 3 door auto

i tow an ifor 401 single trailer with horse who weighs 480kg so my trailer and horse weigh 1200kg.
the car can tow 2000kg, and the vehicles kerb weight i think is 1600kg so it is legal. it depends how heavy her rice trailer is
I have no problems towing and to be honest the car does not struggle at all it tows like a dream
 
a freind has sent her new FL back as she was told it would be fine to tow and its pants (to be really blunt). we have always used discoverys or defenders the freelander is more of a car than a truck IMO.
 
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