Do any of you tow with a Landrover Defender 2.4TDCI

katherine1975 said:
Do you have any problems? Are they good for towing? Any other comments please.
Click to expand...
I have a friend with one yes they tow well however its not been without problems , exhaust manifold, head gasket ,gearbox , and other annoying little things its a 10 plate with 40 ish k on the clock, did you want something comercial to claim the vat back?? not much choice of van type 4x4s but the pick ups are good, ford ranger tows over 3 tonnes for instance, or you could get a shogun van they are good and reliable...
 
Disagree!! Have had lots of 90's, Rangeys and even Discos, sold them too. a 10 plate would be under warranty and there like other makes have been some issues, but generally are resolved before the end of the warranty.
Tend to find the people who like Jap stuff HATE the landies, however I find a 90 the easiest to reverse with any sort of trailer and tow with. very stable, but like any 4x4 corners have to be approached with sense. There is even a chip for the 2.4 which makes it even more responsive and just like everything else if you get a good one you won't look back!

So to the marmite haters or in this case Landy haters, I love them, but if you want a less agricultural or more car like vehicle it won't be for you!
 
I am with iconique I have had five range rovers no six and four defenders and they have all been marvellous vehicles my current defender bought new in 2000 it the TD5 is a star it works and works and works its been reliable and I am sounds silly very fond of it know as the kennel it levels schools pulls rollers moves huge trailers around in tight spots and has had twelve years of hard use still looks quite smart if you give it a wash.i will replace with another (new) at some point.
It's a SWB tows well will pull a trailer off the wettest field or verge it is clearly not a range rover in terms of ride quality but it is a great vehicle.
 
Pedantic said:
The word Rover on the vehicle says enough, walk away.
Click to expand...
Yes sadly good advice unless you have a lot of money buy new and like the coffee the garage vending machine gives out!!! and to be on first name terms with the recovery truck driver or you have a mecanic in the family... they are for people who want a 4x4 rather than people who need a 4x4.....
 
perfect11s said:
Yes sadly good advice unless you have a lot of money buy new and like the coffee the garage vending machine gives out!!! and to be on first name terms with the recovery truck driver or you have a mecanic in the family... they are for people who want a 4x4 rather than people who need a 4x4.....
Click to expand...

Nonsense I have driven range rovers and land rovers for more than thirty years I have one range rover break down once of course I have had a stuff to do at service and bearing go on my current range rover.
My defenders well at first they where aged and cost a bit but where cheap to buy and easy to work on this new one has been fantasic.
My 4x4's work really work even the beauiful range rover does what it was designed for pulls stuff get up to its axles in mud it's the 2.4 supercharged I had a hilarious conversation at the garage when they where trying to tell me I needed to put in low ratio now drive it a short distance now and again I could not get him to understand I was telling him I used it in low ratio regularly .
My husbands BF has a defender on his farm after years of other 4x4,s he is so impressed by how it has worked out for them.
I buy my range rovers about a year old and my current defender new to get what I wanted.
 
I have a 56 plate 110 the td5 xs

Love it to bits towed from Hampshire to Frome(somerset) Collected horse Towed to malvern show ground back to Frome and back to Hampshire over 470 miles £75 diesel as i filled up at the garage when i collected the ifor Williams trailer and the same when i dropped it back. last one was a 06 Toyota Hilux Invincible and it was not up to towing and far to light on the back end and lost value like a stone which is why i looked in to a 4x4 that did not lose so much value (i can sell mine for more than i paid 2 years ago)

Big tip heated seats you will need them
 
Alliya said:
I have a 56 plate 110 the td5 xs

Love it to bits towed from Hampshire to Frome(somerset) Collected horse Towed to malvern show ground back to Frome and back to Hampshire over 470 miles £75 diesel as i filled up at the garage when i collected the ifor Williams trailer and the same when i dropped it back. last one was a 06 Toyota Hilux Invincible and it was not up to towing and far to light on the back end and lost value like a stone which is why i looked in to a 4x4 that did not lose so much value (i can sell mine for more than i paid 2 years ago)

Big tip heated seats you will need them
Click to expand...

Yes even I will admit that defenders heating is not their strongest point.
 
We have a 1996 110 defender and we regularly drive from Wiltshire to Scotland in it, tow 2 horses with no problems and do the school run.
Yes things go wrong as things do with old cars but I know more shoguns that have much more problems (and a 5 yr old that had 2 new engines!!)
 
Considering my Landy starts in -20 up here in the Cairngorms and the very much younger Nissan X Trail sulks if it gets a few degrees below, I know what I trust more!!

Also cos I have a hard sided long wheel base 110, I dont pay all the hikes in road tax, ots £260 for 12 months :-))

And it is (apart from corners when you should be slowing down in any car) waaay more stable to tow with just because of its own weight.

Fuel consumption is about 40mpg on the open road,

And it, unlike the X trail, hasnt had a bust fuel pump for which I was quoted over £3k to replace....

I know what I would choose if I had to get rid of one.

Oh, and you can sit on the roof at point to points and see all the action :-))
 
Black Betty is a commercial 110, which we bought new in January 2011. She is so easy to drive, power steering, abs, fantastic heater - on the 2010 model they use the engine and heater from the transit and it is really hot. The anti stall system is great when towing, just let out the clutch and she sorts herself out, great in slow traffic on hills. I have the top of the range model with AC, heated seats, part leather inside.

She has never missed a beat, and the transit engine is very reliable. She can take a huge amount of stuff in her and has 5 seats.

I have driven landies since 1990 and never had a problem with them. I do keep them serviced and maintained correctly.

Whilst I loved my series IIIs, I have to say that the modern Defender is super.

We bought the commerical instead of the station wagon as I wanted a secure back where no one can see what I have inside. We were also able to buy it through my oh's company and claim back the VAT.

She pulls the Bateson trailer and our clydie and cob plus often loaded to the roof and also camping gear on the roof rack without any problem.

In short, yes I do, and I love this landy.
 
perfect11s said:
Yes sadly good advice unless you have a lot of money buy new and like the coffee the garage vending machine gives out!!! and to be on first name terms with the recovery truck driver or you have a mecanic in the family... they are for people who want a 4x4 rather than people who need a 4x4.....
Click to expand...

Hmm, I wonder what 4x4 you would recommend then for a sheep farmer who occasionally has to pick up a ewe in the field, or tow a box with double decks fully loaded?

OH has a new Defender every year with the Ifor Williams tilt and it is for work - can't imagine that anyone would want them for posing in!
 
January mine was used as a wedding car for the Bride, was in the photo's outside the church it looked good all valeted you could see it was matalic silver for once with blacked out windows and a ivory ribbon and bow

Around here all the Defender drivers wave to each other very scary when you are not used to driving one as you are in the club and watch out you do get blokes wanting to talk to you about them :-)
 
sjp1 said:
Hmm, I wonder what 4x4 you would recommend then for a sheep farmer who occasionally has to pick up a ewe in the field, or tow a box with double decks fully loaded?

/QUOTE]


Shogun van perhaps a ranger or other make of pick up... Thats what the few people I know who deal with sheep have and guy with the shogun is on the telly !!!! so they must be good if there are seen on TV:D..
I love landy people!!! its not ownership its like a religious belief!!!! they think people who own toytas and jeeps are non belivers and are evil and tell lies when they claim their vehicles dont breakdown every so oftern......:D
Click to expand...
 
perfect11s said:
sjp1 said:
Hmm, I wonder what 4x4 you would recommend then for a sheep farmer who occasionally has to pick up a ewe in the field, or tow a box with double decks fully loaded?

/QUOTE]


Shogun van perhaps a ranger or other make of pick up... Thats what the few people I know who deal with sheep have and guy with the shogun is on the telly !!!! so they must be good if there are seen on TV:D..
I love landy people!!! its not ownership its like a religious belief!!!! they think people who own toytas and jeeps are non belivers and are evil and tell lies when they claim their vehicles dont breakdown every so oftern......:D
Click to expand...

I never said that other people vehicles break down I simply said that in many years of owning land rovers and range rovers I have had very few breakdowns .
Click to expand...
 
Our landy is 13yrs old, we towed with it 2 days after we got it (brand new) and I towed with it at the weekend, it has never let us down and is just as good as the day we got it. It's a bit cold and leaky now, if it's been raining you have to empty the footwell before getting in.. Apart from this, it's brilliant.
It has been all over the country, towed various trailers with all sorts inside, rescued many people in the snow and still takes mum to work everyday. It's worth it's weight in gold!
 
. they are for people who want a 4x4 rather than people who need a 4x4.....[/QUOTE


other 4x4 are for people who would like A Range Rover bur can't afford one ....only joshing.
Where I live we literally can't function without our 4x4's my defender was the only 4x4 that bashed its way though last years biggest in living memory snowfall to get out of where we lived I did use the Range Rover once but TBH the thought of the size of the bill if she got hit by something made me leave her home by the time the snow was at its worst I was amazed I could still get out spent loads of time getting shopping for everyone LOL I hate food shopping perhaps I should sell the kennel ( defenders name) and get a RAV4 .
I think with all cars you do get good ones and bad ones my brother had an Audi that was very fond of the garage but the one he has now is very reliable .
That's the issue particularly buying a work horse like a defender who may have had a hard life in the past.
The good thing about them is very very easy to sell even when old I have a list of people who want mine ( they might not have seen inside it though it's not called the kennel for no reason) and must get asked every fortnight if I am going to replace it yet.
I like the chunky clunkyness of they are agricultural to drive and I like that about them however I have other cars so for long drives I have a nice road car probally the pampered princess ( the Range Rover).
I think they might not be the best choice as a only car but as a second towing car not needed for long no horse trips I think they are great.
 
I don't think you would beat a Defender for towing and general farm work. Yes, lots of pick ups, but way too light on the back end for proper towing, and there is nothing else that you can chuck a sheep in the back of that isn't going to get destroyed very quickly.

Landrover have its problems, no doubt about it, but personally, I wouldn't want to tow with much else.

Landrover sent OH a questionnaire about the Defender a couple of years ago and we had an awful one that year. OH sent it back and said the only good thing about the vehicle was that it was so uncomfortable, you would never fall asleep at the wheel!

But that was two years ago, and until someone else brings out a proper 4x4 that isn't for posing around the streets of Chelsea, that tows properly and isn't light on the back, there isn't much option!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top