Landrover - driver or design fault?

Luci07

Luci07

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Before I start this off, let me caveat it by saying that I am a big fan of Landrovers and if I could afford the TD6 would have one! However my 4WD is the second/towing/dog car so cannot justify that money.


However, I have seen - both for myself and through stories from various friends - an exceedingly large number of landrovers which have gone over in the snow onto their side etc. So - is this just down to the drivers thinking they are untouchable BECAUSE they are driving a landy or is it possibly an issue with the car? Just interested..
 
havent had a landy-hope to rectify it in next six month to tow trailer but ive had 4x4s and the gravity for turning corners is different from cars , etc you should go slower round corners ,ive seen one two days ago down a ditch other way round , coming off a slip road on a bend
 
Luci07 said:
Before I start this off, let me caveat it by saying that I am a big fan of Landrovers and if I could afford the TD6 would have one! However my 4WD is the second/towing/dog car so cannot justify that money.


However, I have seen - both for myself and through stories from various friends - an exceedingly large number of landrovers which have gone over in the snow onto their side etc. So - is this just down to the drivers thinking they are untouchable BECAUSE they are driving a landy or is it possibly an issue with the car? Just interested..
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Its yes the design they are narrow and tall like most proper 4x4s. so yes they will be more top heavy and will fall over more easly than a low car if you skid into a curb or bank, yes people are at fault for not knowing their and the vehicles limitations....
 
it's a case of silly driver syndrome, you feel very clearly when the Landy thinks it is going into a corner too fast, and if you dont take that foot off the pedal sharpish it will end in tears.

As the policeman says re corners 'Slow in, fast out; fast in, never out'

All those in other cars following Landys dont get stroppy when they slow down for corners, it means they will still be upright 5 miles down the road to pull you out of the ditch you just slid into....:-)
 
A mixture of both. I can remember skidding sideways UPHILL once in my very old Land Rover, simply becuase I had tried to go too fast in icy conditions.
 
AS a Landyowner of 30 years standing I would say driver error. Mostly drivers going too fast fr the conditions,even if thats only 10 mph!. There are only 4 points of contact.Respect this and you will stay safe.
 
The main route out of our village was shut by the council after 2 landrovers, a Nissan Terrano and a Rav 4 crashed on a steep downhill sharp bend with an adverse camber therefore forcing us non 4x4 drivers onto far worse roads. The drivers of said 4x4 vehicles all crashed because they considered themselves invincible and that their vehicles could cope with this well known accident blackspot at speed. I had been safely through in my little astra earlier with no problems, so I would say - yes it's a driver problem ;)
 
I know I keep going on about the tyres, but they do have a lot to do with it! We drove carefully past a LR siding across the (steep hill) road (from a standstill - driver couldn't be accused of bad driving!!) but our low-profile (Jaguar sports) was stuck to the road. Police 4x4 also crashed at same spot - we ended up giving the policemen a lift back to the station.


This was in the first big snowfall. Now that the snow has mostly gone and it's solid ice, it's a different story, however!! I think it is impossible on some roads, whatever you're driving. (especially up a steep hill, like the one to the yard :( )
 
I agree with above, Landrovers have big fat tires, so tend to skid across the ice, whereas smaller cars with narrower tires can dig into the ice more so tend to have more grip.
 
Its not only Land Rovers - the first hint of ice (back before the snow) I had a Subaru Impretza 'fly' off the road through the hedge and into the field where I had two horses grazing. It was a straight bit of road, no-one else around but it is a rat-run and he thought he was invincible - definitely. He wasn't hurt (he changed a wheel and drove off) but he didn't care that my horses could have strayed onto the road and caused more chaos! Luckily I arrived just after it had happened and quickly put up an electric fence to stop them going near the hole.
 
Darlings - you are soooooo right about the tyres!
No landy in the world can do it's job properly without the correct tyres.
Most people fit road tyres because they are cheaper, when they should be using all year round, M&S tyres (mud and snow for all of you who thought you might have got them from the store with your Christmas tokens!) :)
Also, the centre of gravity in a landy/disco/Range Rover and in fact most big 4 x 4's is higher up compared to the person with the Jag, but people INSIST on driving them like whizzy cars and they are not really designed to corner at 60 on country lanes!
Right..off fo a mince pie and filter coffee.:)
Bryndu
 
My OH thought he was invincible - pulling someone else out of the ditch :rolleyes: Other car pulled no problem, unfortunately landrover tipped so was more of an issue...

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Christmas_Crackers said:
My OH thought he was invincible - pulling someone else out of the ditch :rolleyes: Other car pulled no problem, unfortunately landrover tipped so was more of an issue...

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Hi Christmas Cracker
I think we should be kind to OH and say he was jolly unfortunate as he was doing the 'knight in shining armor' thing and helping someone out.
We shall NOT blame his driving skills or his tyres. - he just had an ooops!:)
Bryndu
 
Jane_Lou said:
The main route out of our village was shut by the council after 2 landrovers, a Nissan Terrano and a Rav 4 crashed on a steep downhill sharp bend with an adverse camber therefore forcing us non 4x4 drivers onto far worse roads. The drivers of said 4x4 vehicles all crashed because they considered themselves invincible and that their vehicles could cope with this well known accident blackspot at speed. I had been safely through in my little astra earlier with no problems, so I would say - yes it's a driver problem ;)
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I'm not far from the border - where about was this?

Even in this ice and snow I get overtaken by cars because they consider I am going too slow in my Landy - I just let them get on with it as I understand the limitations and centre of gravity of my car and have a smile to myself when they have skidded off the road further on
 
Christmas_Crackers said:
My OH thought he was invincible - pulling someone else out of the ditch :rolleyes: Other car pulled no problem, unfortunately landrover tipped so was more of an issue...

164893_10150104400270781_745240780_7950949_5362340_n.jpg
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I carry half a bale of straw in the back of my Shogun (Pajero) to use under my wheels ATM. It is a waste of time carrying a recovery strap to offer assistance to others if you have no grip yourself.
 
Notjustforxmas said:
AS a Landyowner of 30 years standing I would say driver error. Mostly drivers going too fast fr the conditions,even if thats only 10 mph!. There are only 4 points of contact.Respect this and you will stay safe.
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agree with this- nothing is 100% in snow and ice, we have a landy which at this moment is stuck half way up our track!!
 
I have a Honda CRV, and although not a towing car, it has been amazing in this weather! The YO wont go out in her BIG 4x4 as it slides about (user error!), and I have managed to get thru all the deep snow and have seen Shoguns stuck in the ditch and seen Landys sliding all over, mainly due to drivers trying to go too fast for the conditions. I just put mine in 2nd gear and pootle along, slow and steady.

I think it's more about how you drive rather than what you drive!
 
Ashf said:
I carry half a bale of straw in the back of my Shogun (Pajero) to use under my wheels ATM. It is a waste of time carrying a recovery strap to offer assistance to others if you have no grip yourself.
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We carry cat litter for the same reason - this was past that though lol. Our nice friendly farmer towed us out :)
 
I learnt long ago in my Land Rover MkII that when a big beast starts to go, it will go over and through everything! Luckily in my case it was just over a pavement and I did just manage to miss the pretty hedges in someone's garden!

Since then I brake very slow and steady and take corners nice and steady :D. Horses don't bang about when I tow and I have never tipped any of my 4x4 :D

I think a lot of it is thinking that because it is a 4x4 then it can and will do anything and be safe.
 
As others have said its the twits who think they are invincible because they have a 4x4 and carry on driving as they do in normal weather that come to grief.

Its no great secret that most 4x4's have a higher centre of gravity than the average car and therefore are more likely to tip over. Most people could roughly work that out just by looking at them...
 
MrsMistletoe said:
Since then I brake very slow and steady and take corners nice and steady :D. Horses don't bang about when I tow and I have never tipped any of my 4x4 :D
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I don't brake (unless there is someone behind me and I will dip by brakes then), I slow down using the gears and allow the engine to do the breaking - virtually no chance of skidding then :)
 
All interesting posts - seeing as up to last year, not many of us had much experience of having to drive in snow - and when I did abroad I had snow chains on. I have learnt a lot this year - and if we have a repeat of this weather next year will be (on my brothers advice/nagging) switching to winter tyres (ouch!) - tight fisted question here but can I assume that when you take off your winter tyres in Spring, you can put store them in a shed reasonably sure you can use them again next year?
 
NO!!!! Sausage.... they are called MUD and SNOW for a reason:)
They will get you out of the MUD with your trailer in the summer when we are all drowning at the shows next year and you will be able to do the smug 'no thank you' smile at the tractor driver charging £20 a go to tow you out, and in the winter you will be able to drive in the SNOW as you will again have decent grip:)
Sorry to spoil the party - keep the M&S:)
Bryndu
 
I didn't even mention what tyres they are in my previous post! Duh! They are winter tyres - not snow tyres (which are only good in the snow). Winter tyres can be used all year, and they actually recommend them on 4x4s. OH reckons this would be the best of all worlds. Unfortunately we don't have a 4x4 (and probably never will, as not really suitable for our other uses). You can keep them on a normal car all year, or change them in the summer.
 
A WARNING RE. TYRES!!!!

Make sure that the tyres you get for the 4x4 are rated for 4x4s!!

Our Disco came with a set of tyres with decent tread on them. Went through two MOTs fine. One morning we went outside to use the car to tow to a show, and two of the tyres had split all the way around the bead.

Took to the local tyre place, it turns out the tyres were not able to hold the weight of the beast.

Just really thankful that it didn't happen when we were going along the road...
 
We have a Subaru Legacy AWD with winter tyres and it has always been brilliant (touch wood) in snow & ice. Last year & this really put it to the test up here. It keeps plugging on up icy hills passed others just spinning on the spot. But we still take it steady.
 
Was having this conversation the other day, after I had had a close do with a couple of pedestrians! :eek: They were standing chatting on the lane with no pavement, at the road side of a skip that some one has on the road! The lane was sheet ice, I have a nice little 4x4, when sister suggested that it wasn't the most sensible place for them to stand and chat, bloke said, well it is a 4x4 it should be able to go anywhere! It is a car, not a flipping magic carpet! :D Mind you I did miss them. Many people have little idea how to drive in the snow, but then I guess when they were wearing L plates their Dad didn't look out of the window, say 'oh look it is snowing, time for a driving lesson, up Holme Moss;. This was in a Cortina estate :eek: Never been stuck in the snow yet, except when it drifts on the end of the lane and covers the Ford Ka parked at the end.
 
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