Towing with a Range Rover

[Jr1974]

The boards are filled with warnings that you can not pull an Airstream with a Range Rover. These all come from people who don't have them.

I have a Range Rover and as of Yesterday I am the owner of a 2012 Eddie Bauer 25FB.

My tow vehicle is a 2004 Land Rover Range Rover HSE. The following comments will not apply to LR3, LR4, Range Rover Sport, or Range Rovers 2002 or earlier.

So I bought my Airstream this week and then started researching my tow vehicle. After several hours of reading the boards I figured I had a 50/50 chance of surving the trip from Eugene, OR to the Seattle area wher I live. If I was going to check out, then I was going to do it in style.

First, there are no warnings against using WD hitches on new Range Rovers. Old ones....yes. To be safe, I just locked the air suspension before hooking up.

My preperation and Set up....

Installed Pro Eagle 10,000/1000# WD hitch.
Got the optional sway bar system
Prodigy RF Break Control

Started the trip down Friday morning from Issaquah to Eugene. Stopped in Portland at PDX Rovers....a very good independent Land Rover repair shop. Had a full Transmission service done.....figured I better get new fluid since I don't remember ever replacing it before. Got to Eugene around 4:30pm. Took a look at what I bought, and did the papper work. Shop was closing, so checked into a motel and pondered my potential last day on earth.

Next morning we went through the complete walk through and the shop got me all hitched up. Service manager said not to worry, my vehicle would pull it just fine.

At this point I should let you know my previous towing experience......I have towed an empty boat trailer just twice for a few miles.

The guys set my breaks and now it was time to go. Said a prayer, pulled back shifter to drive, and flipped it to sport mode....foot off the break and she started moving with out any gas. A litlle gas .....damn...don't even feel any resistance. Pulled out onto 99 and very smoothly came up to 35mph.

It is of note to mention that a RR has a lot of torque. Anyway, I started the journey home. No problem getting up to speed. No feeling of wiggle, no sway that I noticed. For 75 miles of flat land she stayed in 5th (my rover is a 5 speed) at about 2200rpm. Anyway, when I came to any incline, I would switch over to manual and gear down to 4. Never had to gear down to 3 on the entire trip on the highway due to hills....only due to traffic. I had a few tense moments in heavier traffic with merging and such, but none with the stability of the trailer.

I did stop at the first rest stop to check on everything. I was getting so many looks from people passing that I wondered if something was wrong. Nothing...just a beautiful combination of iconic designs.

The real test was when I got to our friends property where the trailer will be stored. To get to his parking/shop area I had to go down and then up a steep, loose gravel, long driveway. Again, no problem, but did switch over to Low range.

Anyway I am very happy with the Range Rover as a tow vehicle. I would not recommend buying one for dedicated towing, as they are expensive to repair and maintain. But if you have one and want to pull the trailer on the weekends...go for it.

Also...

19.1 mpg on the way down with out trailer.
12.8 mpg pulling the airstream on the way home. Did 14.7 mpg for the first 75 miles of flat land from Eugene.
Pulls great at 65 mph... Did feel some strain over 70mph. More hilly areas, 60 was better.

[idroba]

Good report, and hope that all continues to be well with your new combo. I too seem to be the first on the block kid with my new Grand Cherokee Overland with total air suspension. Although I do have lot of towing experience (maybe 200,000 miles worth) setting up a new rig is always a bit of concern.

You will do well. Keep us informed.

[10Smiles]

It sounds like you had a great first towing experience. You do realize, however, that you need to post some pictures of your new purchase!! Congratulation on your purchase and I hope you have many years of enjoyable camping expreiences.

[danlehosky]

Good for you. Living in Issaquah what else could you tow with? The Beamer couldn't handle the load.
We get this all the time being from Gig Harbor.
We have a 2012 25FB Flying Cloud we tow with a Tahoe and love it. Hope to see you on the road. We are going to our first rally at Troutlake over Memoeial Day weekend. Can't wait.

Dan

[random 17]

Thanks for posting. I was seriously considering a Range Rover tow vehicle prior to my recent purchase. I talked myself out of it reading on this forum but could not get a lot of first hand experience with the Range Rover. Congratulations!

[Road Ruler]

Pictures Please.

[Keyair]

Great report!
We have a 1998 P38a 4.6HSE.
We have never towed with it and probably never will. Would LOVE to tow it behind the M/H, but after further research I found that it wont work easily....

Having said all that, my GF LOVES it, and she has had Lexi before, and she is not easily impressed!
I dont think I need to tell you that I dont think I have ever driven anything that feels so special.
Just such a sense of occation every time you slip into that throne and drive the thing!

Here is ours on its 20's...

[Road Ruler]

A R Rover with sport wheels and tires. It is plain to see their marketing team has geared up for public road use customers. Do they have off road wheels and tires as an option???

[Keyair]

Originally Posted by Road Ruler

A R Rover with sport wheels and tires. It is plain to see their marketing team has geared up for public road use customers. Do they have off road wheels and tires as an option???

LOL, In fact these tires are M&S Rated, but we have some nice 16" originals for those rough Mall Parking lots if we need them...

[golddigger]

The only limitation with that vehicle might be the wheel base. Longer is better. You know if its good enough for you when a tractor trailer passes you on a windy day, at 70MPH. If you first feel like being pushed towards the ditch and then, as it gets closer, you feel drawn to it, its probably on the short side.

[dkottum]

The short wheelbase/sway concern can be eliminated with a Hensley/Propride hitch. If it is a problem for you. I believe this Range Rover has independent suspension which makes for an exceptionally stable tow vehicle.

doug k

[kos221]

JR , thanks for the great description of your first real towing experience. So, what is your background? I'm guessing mechanical engineering? Again , really nice write up..

[Jr1974]

I actually did slow down enough to let some big rigs pass me as the wheelbase was one of my concerns. I did not really feel much difference. The funny thing is that I feel it more when I am not towing???

My background? Far from mechanical engineering. I sell lumber. I am useless at anything mechanical.

So far these are the only ones I have.

Taken right before leaving the dealer.



My wife met me at a rest stop outside of Vancouver as she could not wait to see it and took this photo from the road.




My wife, son and son on the way (she would kill me if I would not mention she was pregnant, not fat)

[Jr1974]

I should mention that my wife works at Eddie Bauer corporate office. She told me about the partnership with airstream a coupe of years ago when in development. This was her dream. She always said she would not be caught dead in an rv unless it was an Airstream. She may be the first employee to get one.

[Keyair]

Sweet!
I was always told that the distance between the hitch and Centerline of the rear axle was the most critical... shorter the better!

[10Smiles]

Thank you for the pictures. It looks like you have a great setup there. I hope you and your (growing) family have many years of enjoyment with the new trailer.

[phbarnhart]

I'm very curious about how your hitch receiver attaches to the vehicle. We have a 2008 LR3 and it's got one of those strange receivers that slots up into the rear cross member and then latches into place. My understanding is that piece is the weak point of our system.

You'll love that trailer, BTW, its the same thing we've got and it's a great size for four. ;-)

Here it is set up for our four and two-year-olds to sleep in. JP, the four-year-old, it enjoying his pre-sleep drink. Before our youngest was out of the crib, however, we would just fold up the left bench and set-up a pack n' play on the floor. It's a great spot near the rear heat vent.

[Jr1974]

Phbarnhart
Great pic of the set up for the kids. My wife loved it.

The LR3, LR4, and RR Sport all use the latch in hitch reciever. The full size RR uses a completely different system. Appears to be all one piece. You will also notice that the hitch receiver is set 8" back under the vehicle from end of bumper. After looking at a bunch of othr vehicles on the road this seems pretty unusual. Not sure if it makes any difference. It does mean I don't have much room to play with when backing up to hitch.

[dkottum]

The closer the hitch ball to the rear axle, the better the handling. Never extend this as the trailer will put more vertical and horizontal force on the tow vehicle (push you around more).

That is an odd hitch, pretty light metal holding the ball, not sure what I see.

doug k

[phbarnhart]

Thanks for the picts! Yes, that is a very different setup than ours. I imagine that they set the receiver so far back for the same reason that they made mine removable; offloading. It would limit the departure angle too much if there was a big 'ol receiver sticking out!